For first time parents, the first time that you find out that you are expecting your child is an exciting time. While the baby slowly develops inside of you, you will be doing other lovely things such as shopping for baby products, searching for that perfect name for your unborn child and a whole list of other lovely activities.

In that exciting time you should be aware of other things that might not be unhealthy for you and your child. So here are some of the things that you need to work to avoid.

You should be careful of what type of medicine you are taking and it would be best that you consult with your doctor before you consume any form of medication during your pregnancy. The problem with taking medicines is that they can cross over the placenta and enter the baby’s bloodstream. This basically means that whatever you are consuming will be consumed by the baby as well albeit in a different way. The medicines can also have an indirect effect on the baby by interfering with the environment inside the womb. For example some type of medicines can cause the contractions in the womb, cause early labor or instead have a reverse effect which means that it can prolong or delay the labor and also reduce the blood supply to the baby.

And speaking of chemicals you should also be aware of the household chemicals that you use around the house such as pesticides and cleaners. Try to avoid inhaling the chemicals and do not use them for long periods of time, this is because as the chemicals pass through your blood stream your baby will be exposed to it as well. Not only will it harm your baby but it may slow down the growth of your baby as well as their intelligence.

If you have animals in the house you should also try to avoid the animal’s feces, so this means that you should not clean up the cat or the dog’s droppings. This is because the animal’s feces contain as organism known as tocoplasma gondii that is very harmful to your unborn child. This might cause a miscarriage, deafness, stillbirth, learning disabilities, and blindness. It might not seem so harmful and dangerous but you should be extra cautious so instead let the other members in the household take care of this responsibility.

This particular tip is a universal advice that everyone should know by now, so try your best to curb the habit when you are pregnant or try not to be around those that smoke. This is because when you smoke, it will raise the levels of carbon monoxide in your bloodstream which will result in the reduction of the oxygen that will be available to your baby. The nicotine that is found in the cigarettes will constrain the blood vessels on your side of the placenta which will make the oxygen less efficiently released to the baby.

Another item that you should be aware of and avoid is that of alcohol, this is because the babies may suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. Also, babies that were born to the mothers that drank alcohol during their pregnancy are usually underweight and small. So if you do not want to increase the chances of your baby suffering from mental retardation try to avoid drinking alcohol.

You should also be careful about taking long baths in the tub; this is because studies have shown that it is not recommended to become overheated in the tub while you are pregnant with your child. Your core temperature should never be allowed to rise above that of 102.2 F, so instead of taking a bath you can opt to take a shower. If you still want to take a bath, try to shorten the amount of time you will be in the tub. This is because it will only take about 10-20 minutes in the tub to raise your body temperature to a level which may be unhealthy for your child.

So here are some helpful tips to get you and your child through a healthy pregnancy and one which you can experience with joy. In fact when you are pregnant with your child, it should be a period where you can relax and cherish the moments before your baby is due to be born.