• Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and tanning beds
• Self tanning creams are safe (if they do not contain retinol)
• Avoid Smoking/tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, dieting
• Register early for childbirth classes (by 20 weeks). Call (828) 213-8113.

After 28 weeks of pregnancy, it is important to count fetal movement daily

Recommendations:

• Pick a time when you are not distracted
• Pick a time when the baby is usually active (often this is after a meal)

Count fetal movements and make sure your reach ten counted movements before 1 hour has passed. (If you get to ten before an hour has passed, you can stop counting.) Call if you are unable to get this amount.

Call anytime you think that you are leaking amniotic fluid, usually associated with a constant trickle or gush of fluid.

Can be normal occurrence in pregnancy but please discuss with your doctor at your appointment to confirm that the discharge is normal.

Recommendation: Avoid stimulating the breast and do not try to express the milk as this will only make you produce more.

Contractions can be normal in pregnancy but some can be a sign of labor or preterm labor.

Recommendation: Call if contractions are painful, more than 6 in one hour, continue to increase in intensity and do not resolve with rest and hydration.

The American College of Ob/Gyn makes the following suggestions during pregnancy::

• Add 100-300 cal/day to your diet (300 calories is equivalent to a small snack-for example, ½ peanut butter and jelly sandwich and 1 glass low fat milk)
• Daily amount of Grains – 6 ounces
• Vegetables – 2 ½ cups
• Fruit – 1 ½ – 2 cups
• Meat/Beans – 5 – 5 ½ ounces
• Normal weight gain for underweight person – 28-40 pounds
• Normal weight person – 28-35 pounds
• Overweight person – 15-25 pounds
• Obese person – 15 pounds
• With twins – 35-45 pounds
• Avoid unpasteurized cheese/milk, raw/undercooked meat or fish, deli meat -unless it has been re-heated until steaming.
• Avoid the following fish: shark, king mackerel or tile fish and if eating tuna, eat canned albacore light tuna. Limit fish to 2 meals per week.

You can have your teeth cleaned, have fillings, have teeth pulled, and have x-rays if they shield your abdomen. They can use local numbing medicine and certain antibiotics. Make sure you tell your dentist you are pregnant and let us know if he or she would like a note from us. It is actually better for your pregnancy if you maintain good dentition during pregnancy.

You may continue the same exercise program you had before pregnancy unless we have recommended otherwise.

Recommendations:

• Decrease as needed for comfort in pregnancy
• Don’t try to train for a new level of exercising
• Make sure you can still talk through your exercise (if you are too winded to talk, you should probably stop.)
• Try not to lift more than 25 pounds
• Don’t exercise while lying on your back
• Try to avoid exercises that test your balance (skiing, tennis, horseback riding)

Most common in late pregnancy and in hot weather and in women who are on their feet throughout the day.

Recommendations:

• Increase water
• Avoid salty foods
• Elevate feet above the level of the heart when resting
• Exercise
• Avoid squatting, sitting, or standing at length
• Wear support hose- available at Motherhood (full length hose are better than knee or thigh high)
• Wear Maternity belt – available at Motherhood or BabieRUs
• Call if warmth, palpable clot, chest pain, shortness of breath, concerns

Caused by increased pressure from pregnancy and increased venous dilatation.

Recommendations:

• Avoid tight clothes
• Avoid squatting, sitting, or standing at length
• Wear support hose- available at Motherhood (full length hose are better than knee or thigh high)
• Wear Maternity belt – available at Motherhood or BabieRUs
• Elevate feet above the level of the heart when resting
• Call if warmth, palpable clot, chest pain, shortness of breath