10 Precautions For The First Trimester of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting phase in a woman’s life. This is a wonderful journey starting from the 1st week till the end. If you are pregnant for the first time, then the thought of nurturing a new life will make you overwhelmed.

But at the same time, along with the excitement comes certain restrictions that should be remembered and strictly followed.

During this time, you will gain weight, feel sluggish, experience a certain change in your taste, and have morning sickness along with other symptoms.

During this trimester, the fetus grows quickly, and several organs, including the spine, the nervous system, digestive tract, start to develop. Slowly the fetus develops into a human form at the end of the trimester.

What are the precautions to be taken in the trimesters?

Avoid alcohol
Avoid smoking and smoke-infested places
Cut down caffeine content
Avoid walking and standing for a long time
Avoid undercooked food
Avoid seafood
Try and avoid antidepressants

Table of Contents

Preventive steps to Take During the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Quit smoking

If you have been a regular smoker, then its high time to bid a bye to smoke. It might be difficult for you to quit if you are an addicted person. But, think about your baby cause being an active smoker or being in smoke infested place can cause suffocation for you and can be harmful to the baby. So, stay away from smoking.

As a husband, you should give up smoking or vaping to encourage your wife. It is your duty to ensure that you are taking care of your pregnant wife.

Stay Hydrated

The most important thing during pregnancy is to keep yourself hydrated during the whole journey. You will need more fluid as the blood volume increases to support the nutrients required by the fetus. Therefore, the body will demand a lot of fluid intakes.

You can keep yourself hydrated by eating a lot of green vegetables, fruits, and even juices. There is no need to just have glasses of water, you can even make some fruit smoothies and have it.

Avoid alcohol

Like tobacco, alcohol also puts the fetus into trouble. Consumption of alcohol can lead to learning disorders and can inhibit brain development in the fetus. Drinking alcohol can also lead to miscarriage. So, it is best to keep alcohol away from your diet and concentrate on a healthy diet.

Avoid Antidepressants

During pregnancy, some medications and natural supplements can cause harm to the fetus. It can lead to miscarriage, inhibit baby development, damage brain development, and other organ development.

It is always better to consult the doctor before taking any medicine. If you are suffering from depression and you feel that antidepressants can cure your mental health then also it is better to consult a psychiatrist and then take the necessary decision. It is important to make sure that you do similar things and take similar precautions as you were doing when preparing the body for pregnancy.

Take probiotics

Taking probiotics helps in reducing preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. They also help to manage heartburn and constipation.

Limit your caffeine intake

If you are a coffee-lover person then it’s time to bid bye to coffee for some months. Well, it is prescribed to intake less amount of caffeine during pregnancy. You need not be too cold, but can enjoy a cup sometimes to satisfy your pregnancy cravings! Try not to have black coffee, instead, you can mix a quantity of milk and sugar in it.

Take Prescribed medicines

Taking unnecessary medicines in a strict no during pregnancy. Take only the medicines as prescribed by the doctor. Doctors may prescribe some iron tablets that prevent pregnancy anemia. They may also provide vitamins for development.

Avoid stress

During this beautiful journey of pregnancy keep away all stress and just be pampered. Stressing a lot can be harmful to the baby, hence keep away all stress and stay happy.

Don’t walk and run around. If you want you can do some light exercises or yoga to maintain calm. Meditation can also heal any stress or depression.

Manage your weight

Avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy. Keep a check on your weight before pregnancy as gaining excess weight or being obese can harm the baby. Visit a nutritionist or dietician and follow the diet prescribed by them. A sudden gain of weight is bad. Keep a check on it.

Avoid hot tubs

Staying at high temperatures for a prolonged period can increase the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the fetus. Hot tubs can increase the basal body temperature which is harmful to the fetus. So, try and avoid them and use hot water bags for cramps, joint pains, and backaches.

Foods to avoid in the trimesters

Make healthy food choices and follow a balanced diet during pregnancy. The biggest concern with food in the first trimester is food poisoning bacteria called listeria.

So, try and stay away from these lists of food during the first trimester:

Limit tuna fish, swordfish and tilefish
Soft cheese
Raw meat like sushi
Deli meat
Any stored food
Avoid preservatives and synthetic color
Don’t eat papaya raw or ripen

Also, try and avoid having undercooked meat. Avoid having food that is stored or refrigerated overnight. Eat as much as freshly cooked food. The right foods will allow you to stay away from pregnancy constipation.

Healthy food you should eat

Maintain a proper healthy diet and make your food choices carefully. Try and avoid unhealthy and junk food during these nine months. Here are some which you should eat:

Eat broccoli, spinach, tofu
Increase calcium content by eating more dairy products like milk, curd
Consume egg yolk, salmon and fish liver oil that are rich in vitamin D
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Eat more nuts and seeds to increase your omega 3, that are required for brain development, eyes, and nerves
Eat chickpeas, lentils, peas, and beans that are rich in fiber

Related: Full-Term Pregnancy Tips

Frequently Asked Questions on Preventive Measures for the First Trimester of Pregnancy

1. What care should be taken during the first three months of pregnancy?

Don’t stress, just chill, drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated, take in calories, do not strain yourself, eat dry foods like nuts and seeds, do yoga and keep calm, and practice meditation.

2. What types of exercise should be avoided during the trimesters?

Try and avoid as much as strenuous activities possible during these nine months like, horseback riding, scuba diving, water skiing, high altitude skiing, and vigorous exercise in hot and humid weather.

3. What problems can vigorous exercise cause?

Doing strenuous exercises can cause such problems like Vaginal bleeding, Preterm labor, Cervical problem, Dizziness or fainting, Shortness of breath, and increased heart rate.

4. Why is folic acid important?

According to the U.S Public Health Service, women bearing a child should consume 400gms of folic acid each day. It can reduce the risk of birth defects and of the brain and spinal cord called the Neural tube defects (NTDs). Folic acid is most beneficial during the first 28 days of conception when most neural defects occur. But many women don’t realize that they are pregnant before 28 days. Hence the intake of folic acid at this period is less.

Verdict

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey. From getting a positive result the preparation starts and it all seems a roller coaster ride, and the ride continues for nine long months. You get to experience peaks and lows yet you still want to continue this ride and bear the result. Cause the end is happier than the whole ride. You will feel butterflies in your stomach, have goosebumps even but still, you will enjoy it.