When you find out that you’re pregnant, there can be a lot of excitement—and sometimes, a lot of anxiety. All of the different guidance around recommendations and precautions can be confusing, and has changed a lot over the years. As an OBGYN, I’ve certainly heard my fair share of misinformation about what is safe and healthy for pregnant people and their babies. 

‍

In the hopes of making evidence-based advice more widely accessible, I spoke to The Bump about things that you should avoid during early pregnancy. If you were one of my patients, these are some things that I’d encourage you to stay away from.

‍

1. Alcohol - If you just found out you’re pregnant, celebration may be in order. But where before pregnancy you may have reached for champagne, it’s important to remember that there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause developmental issues, congenital abnormalities, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in your baby. If you drank before you knew you were pregnant, you don’t need to panic—just let your doctor know, and stick to juice, water, or mocktails going forward.

‍

2. Drugs - You probably know to stay away from recreational drugs during pregnancy, but did you know that some over-the-counter medications can also be unsafe? If you’re taking any drugs before you get pregnant, let your doctor know so that they can explain which drugs are safe and help you find substitutes. In general, don’t start taking any new drugs—or supplements, even if they’re “natural”—unless prescribed by your doctor.

‍

3. Smoking - Whether you’re smoking a cigarette, vaping, or smoking marijuana, all types of smoking can be dangerous during pregnancy. Smoking can cause low birth weights, complications like placental abruption, and increase your baby’s risk of asthma. In general, smoking increases your risk of hypertensive disorders, which can increase the risk of serious complications like preeclampsia during pregnancy.

‍

4. Contact or high-impact sports - Any sport that involves you crashing into yourself or others, or risks falling or injury, is best to be avoided during pregnancy: sports like hockey, football, skiing, horseback riding, and rock climbing all fall into this category. In general, avoid exercises that put a lot of stress on your body. This will change from person to person, so use your own baseline for what's too strenuous: if you’re a lifelong runner, jogging can be great exercise, but if you’ve never run a mile, pregnancy isn’t the time to try and tackle a marathon.

‍

5. Radiation from x-rays - You should avoid x-rays and other forms of radiation unless your healthcare provider feels that it’s medically necessary. This is especially important during the early weeks of pregnancy, when high doses of radiation could increase the likelihood of a miscarriage or fetal abnormalities. X-rays of parts of your body that are far from your abdomen, like a dental x-ray or a foot x-ray, can be safe—just check with your doctor and follow their recommendations. 

‍

On the Delfina platform, we have a whole library of OBGYN-reviewed educational materials that covers all of these topics and more. 
‍

For more evidence-based medical advice on what to avoid during early pregnancy, including what foods are and aren’t safe, read the full article from our friends at The Bump.