Thank you Finn and Emma for this wonderful Blog

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, and something that a lot of people aspire to. However,

those 9 months can be a delicate time for you and your unborn child. There are plenty

of everyday things we take for granted that are not always safe for expecting mothers.

To ensure a safe journey to motherhood, here are 8 things you should watch out for

when pregnant.

1. Nausea-inducing dishes

Have you ever seen scenes in movies or shows where someone is pregnant and

throwing up all the time? Well, while it is not something that happens in every case, it

nonetheless happens much more often than not. Expect to have at least occasional

sickness, both in the morning and at other times of day as well.

If you are trying to reduce your nausea levels, the best way is to avoid certain food types,

like spicy or greasy foods (as tasty as they may be). You should also be mindful of

portions; instead of eating a few large meals, consider eating several small meals

throughout the day. Saltine crackers are also a good way to ease nausea, as they

absorb gastric acid, which helps settle your stomach.

You should also be mindful that you don't exert yourself too often. Don't get up too

quickly, and be cautious that you don't do exhausting activities.

2. Cravings

Another stereotype of pregnant women is the desire to eat strange things, but that is

definitely true and understandable. The reason being that, when you are carrying an extra

lifeform in you, eating your normal amount and type of food may not be adequate to

feed both you and your unborn child. You then need to compensate for the loss of

nutrients.

Pickles are among the most common cravings pregnant people experience, and there is a good reason for that. Pregnancy often results in low sodium levels, and as such, they

need to compensate for that deficit the best they can. And there are few better ways to

do that than pickles (without just pouring salt into your mouth, but I don't recommend

that!).

3. Certain Substances can really mess up a pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you absolutely should cease the consumption of certain

substances at all costs. Some substances are more harmful than others, and even

relatively innocuous ones can be harmful. For example, if you are a bit of a coffee head,

you definitely need to cut down on those Starbucks lattes. You can still enjoy a

moderate amount of caffeine in the day without creating problems, but you're

recommended to limit it to no more than 200mg per day.

Of course, there are certain substances that pose serious risks. If you drink alcohol, for

instance, that could cause serious birth defects, so definitely avoid doing that! Marijuana

use can also impact the pregnancy, both before and during.

4. Mood swings

Being that pregnancy is quite a challenging thing, you should expect that your mood is

not always going to be as good as you want it to be. Often, this can mean treating

people in ways that you regret afterward. Ultimately, you should try to prevent this by

avoiding stressors where possible in order to avoid triggering a mood swing.

Additionally, you should try to keep your schedule consistent - eat around the same

time, try to get as much sleep as you can, and try to avoid indulging in unhealthy foods.

Now, granted, you're not going to avoid having your hormones send you off balance

every single time. Thus, you should, at the very least, try to make sure that you and

your partner understand that the process is not always going to be easy or fun, even if it

will be worth the effort.