How Your General Health Impacts Your Baby

Did you know that your blood volume increases by around 50% during pregnancy? The volume increases to provide more blood flow to the placenta. The placenta, the organ that forms inside your uterus after you conceive, is your baby’s life support system, providing oxygen and nutrients through your blood to your baby.

Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the items you do consume through food, drinks and medications as some of these may cross the placenta and may have positive and negative effects on your baby.

Be More Aware

Mindfulness is a term used to describe a connection between the mind and body. If you practice mindfulness you learn to be more aware in the present moment. In pregnancy, being more mindful of your lifestyle, food choices and mental health, can guide you to make healthier choices that are beneficial for your baby’s growth and development. It’s also a good tool to help you cope with stress and change that you may experience during your pregnancy and a good habit to use in your life post pregnancy.

Your Health and Lifestyle

Your general health can have a positive or negative impact on your developing baby. Let’s take a closer look at what aspects you need to consider for your baby’s well-being.

What you eat

Not all foods are safe for pregnant moms. Food to avoid are unpasteurised dairy products, under-cooked meat (it may contain a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis which can harm the baby) and raw eggs or products which contain eggs and are uncooked as they may be contaminated with the salmonella bacteria. Moms-to-be should also avoid soft cheeses and processed deli meats like ham, polony, brawn and vienna’s as they may be contaminated with the listeria bacteria (which causes listeriosis) and other bacteria which can cause food poisoning.

Tip: Fish contains iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids and is a good protein to include in your diet. Hake, salmon and haddock are safe and canned tuna and pilchards can be eaten in moderation.

Gaining weight

Gaining too much weight during your pregnancy can increase your risk for developing gestational diabetes, characterised by high blood sugar in pregnancy (it usually goes away after the birth), gestational hypertension (high blood pressure) and preterm labour. Your baby may also be born above an average weight, increasing the likelihood for a caesarean (C-section).

Tip: Be mindful of the food choices you make in pregnancy. Limit your intake of sugary and fatty foods that offer little nutrients but are high in kilojoules. Consider hidden kilojoules in juices and cold drinks. Try your best to reduce the amount of sugar you use in hot beverages. Speak to your healthcare provider about a healthy weight gain for you, based on your pre-pregnancy weight.

For further reading and more information, read our article on how your “Pregnancy Impacts Your Physical Health”.

Medication

Not all over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medication is safe to use in pregnancy. Some medications can cause serious birth defects and may even lead to miscarriage.

Tip: If you currently take any chronic medication and aren’t sure of its safety, do not stop taking your medication, but contact your doctor as soon as possible. Always tell a healthcare provider or pharmacist that you are pregnant before any medication is prescribed or dispensed. Natural products may not be safe – rather check with your healthcare provider.

Stress

Stress can impact on many aspects of our lives, with symptoms like muscle stiffness, headaches, high blood pressure and heart disease. In pregnancy, stress can increase the risk for a preterm birth (before 37 weeks) and a baby with a low birth weight. Stress can also have an influence on your appetite and digestive system. You may not eat enough or eat too much, both of which can have an impact on your health and your baby’s growth. High levels of mental stress can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) and may be a risk factor for preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication with risks to you and baby.

Tip: Consider counselling if you feel anxious about the pregnancy, your baby or the pending birth, or if you are struggling to cope with stress caused by trauma, loss or any other issue in your life. If you use drugs and alcohol to cope with stress, speak to your healthcare practitioner. You can also contact your dedicated Maternity Programme midwife for counselling and advice.

For further reading and more information, read our article on how “Pregnancy Impacts Your Mental Health”.

Lifestyle choices

Smoking, drinking alcohol and using illegal (street) drugs during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby. If you are still smoking, now is the time to quit. Second-hand smoke can be just as dangerous, so if your partner also smokes, consider quitting together. If you drink alcohol or use drugs, it’s not too late to get support to help you stop using.

• Smoking increases the risk for miscarriage, birth defects (cleft lip and/or cleft palate), preterm birth, baby with a low birth weight or stillbirth. It can also cause placental damage, which can cause the placenta to pull away from the uterine wall (placental abruption), a medical emergency for both mother and baby.
• Marijuana (dagga) use in pregnancy can have an impact on your baby’s development, causing growth problems (low birth weight) and other health issues later in the child’s life
• Alcohol crosses the placenta and no amount is considered safe in pregnancy. It constricts blood vessels which can slow blood flow to the placenta, leading to shortages of nutrients and oxygen to the baby and causing damage to the baby’s vital organs and brain cells. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a term used to describe a myriad of symptoms and disorders that babies, children and adults can experience if they were exposed to alcohol in the womb
• Street drugs can have a serious impact on your baby’s development, causing birth defects and organ damage and increasing the risk for miscarriage and stillbirth. Affects can be life-long for the child, with learning and developmental difficulties throughout his or her life

Being mindful of the choices you make every day can have a direct positive impact on your baby. If you have questions on more mindfulness tips or ways you can contribute to the health of your growing baby, write these down and ask your healthcare provider.

Resources: https://www.open.edu/; https://www.webmd.com/; https://www.tommys.org/; https://www.open.edu/; https://www.sciencedaily.com/; https://www.marchofdimes.org/; https://www.healthline.com/; https://www.mayoclinic.org/; https://utswmed.org/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/; https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/