Activities to avoid when pregnant

Exercise during pregnancy | March of Dimes

At your first prenatal care checkup, ask your health care provider whether exercise during pregnancy is safe for you.

Healthy pregnant women need at least 2½ hours of aerobic activity, such as walking or swimming, each week.

Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk of pregnancy complications and ease pregnancy discomforts, like back pain.

Some activities, such as basketball, hot yoga, downhill skiing, horseback riding and scuba diving, aren’t safe during pregnancy.

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

Talk to your health care provider about exercising during pregnancy. For most pregnant women, exercising is safe and healthy for you and your baby.

If you and your pregnancy are healthy, exercise won’t increase your risk of having a miscarriage (when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy), a premature baby (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a baby born with low birthweight (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).

How much exercise do you need during pregnancy?

Healthy pregnant women need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Aerobic activities make you breathe faster and deeply and make your heart beat faster. Moderate-intensity means you’re active enough to sweat and increase your heart rate. Taking a brisk walk is an example of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. If you can’t talk normally during an activity, you may be working too hard.

You don’t have to do all 2½ hours at once. Instead, break it up through the week. For example, do 30 minutes of exercise on most or all days. If this sounds like a lot, split up the 30 minutes by doing something active for 10 minutes 3 times each day.

Why is physical activity during pregnancy good for you?

For healthy pregnant women, regular exercise can:

Keep your mind and body healthy. Physical activity can help you feel good and give you extra energy. It also makes your heart, lungs and blood vessels strong and helps you stay fit.
Help you gain the right amount of weight during pregnancy
Ease some common discomforts of pregnancy, such as constipation, back pain and swelling in your legs, ankles and feet
Help you manage stress and sleep better. Stress is worry, strain or pressure that you feel in response to things that happen in your life.
Help reduce your risk of pregnancy complications, like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that can happen during pregnancy. It happens when your body has too much sugar (called glucose) in the blood. Preeclampsia is a type of high blood pressure some women get after the 20th week of pregnancy or after giving birth. These conditions can increase your risk of having complications during pregnancy, like premature birth (birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy).
Help reduce your risk of having a cesarean birth (also called c-section). Cesarean birth is surgery in which your baby is born through a cut that your doctor makes in your belly and uterus.
Prepare your body for labor and birth. Activities such as prenatal yoga and Pilates can help you practice breathing, meditation and other calming methods that may help you manage labor pain. Regular exercise can help give you energy and strength to get through labor.

What kinds of activities are safe during pregnancy?

If you’re healthy and you exercised before you got pregnant, it’s usually safe to continue your activities during pregnancy. Check with your provider to be sure. For example, if you’re a runner or a tennis player or you do other kinds of intense exercise, you may be able to keep doing your workouts when you’re pregnant. As your belly gets bigger later in pregnancy, you may need to change some activities or ease up on your workouts.

If your provider says it’s OK for you to exercise, pick activities you enjoy. If you didn’t exercise before you were pregnant, now is a great time to start. Talk to your provider about safe activities. Start slowly and build up your fitness little by little. For example, start with 5 minutes of activity each day, and work your way up to 30 minutes each day.

These activities usually are safe during pregnancy:

Walking. Taking a brisk walk is a great workout that doesn’t strain your joints and muscles. If you’re new to exercise, this is a great activity.
Swimming and water workouts. The water supports the weight of your growing baby, and moving against it helps keep your heart rate up. It’s also easy on your joints and muscles. If you have low back pain when you do other activities, try swimming.
Riding a stationary bike. This is safer than riding a regular bicycle during pregnancy. You’re less likely to fall off a stationary bike than a regular bike, even as your belly grows.
Yoga and Pilates classes. Tell your yoga or Pilates teacher that you’re pregnant. The instructor can help you modify or avoid poses that may be unsafe for pregnant women, like lying on your belly or flat on your back (after the first trimester). Some gyms and community centers offer prenatal yoga and Pilates classes just for pregnant women.
Low-impact aerobics classes During low-impact aerobics, you always have one foot on the ground or equipment. . Examples of low-impact aerobics include walking, riding a stationary bike and using an elliptical machine. Low-impact aerobics don’t put as much strain on your body that high-impact aerobics do. During high-impact aerobics, both feet leave the ground at the same time. Examples include running, jumping rope and doing jumping jacks. Tell your instructor that you’re pregnant so that they can help you modify your workout, if needed.
Strength training. Strength training can help you build muscle and make your bones strong. It’s safe to work out with weights as long as they’re not too heavy. Ask your provider about how much you can lift.

You don’t need to belong to a gym or own special equipment to be active. You can walk in a safe area or do exercise videos at home. Or find ways to be active in your everyday life, like doing yard work or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Is physical activity safe for all pregnant women?

No. For some women, exercise is not safe during pregnancy. Your provider can help you understand if exercise is safe for you. The following conditions may make it unsafe to exercise during pregnancy.

Preterm labor, bleeding from the vagina, or your water breaks (also called ruptured membranes). Preterm labor is labor that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Bleeding from the vagina and having your water break may be signs of preterm labor.
Being pregnant with twins, triplets or more (also called multiples) with other risk factors for preterm labor. If you’re pregnant with multiples, ask your provider if it’s safe for you to exercise. Your provider may ask you not to do intense or high-impact activities, like running. You may be able to do low-impact activities, like walking, prenatal yoga or swimming.
Cervical insufficiency or a cerclage. The cervix is the opening to the uterus (womb) and is at the top of the vagina. Cervical insufficiency (also called incompetent cervix) means your cervix opens (dilates) too early during pregnancy, usually without pain or contractions. Cervical insufficiency can cause premature birth and miscarriage. If you have cervical insufficiency or a short cervix, your provider may recommend cerclage. This is a stitch your provider puts in your cervix to help keep it closed so that your baby isn't born too early. A short cervix means the length of your cervix (also called cervical length) is shorter than normal.
Gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure during pregnancy. It starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy and goes away after you give birth.
Placenta previa after 26 weeks of pregnancy. This is when the placenta lies very low in the uterus and covers all or part of the cervix. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. Placenta previa can cause heavy bleeding and other complications later in pregnancy.
Severe anemia or certain heart or lung conditions. Anemia is when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the rest of your body. If you have a heart or lung condition, ask your provider if it’s safe to exercise during pregnancy.

What kinds of activities aren’t safe during pregnancy?

Be careful and check with your provider when choosing your activities. During pregnancy, don’t do:

Any activity that has a lot of jerky, bouncing movements that may cause you to fall, like horseback riding, downhill skiing, off-road cycling, gymnastics or skating.
Any sport in which you can get hit in the belly, like ice hockey, boxing, soccer or basketball.
Any exercise that makes you lie flat on your back (after the third month of pregnancy), like sit-ups. When you lie on your back, your uterus puts pressure on a vein that brings blood to your heart. Lying on your back can cause your blood pressure to drop and limit the flow of blood to your baby.
Activities that can cause you to hit water with great force, like water skiing, surfing or diving.
Skydiving or scuba diving. Scuba diving can lead to decompression sickness. This is when dangerous gas bubbles form in your baby's body.
Exercising at high altitude (more than 6,000 feet), unless you live at a high altitude. Altitude is the height of something above the ground. For example, if you’re at high altitude, you’re probably in the mountains. Exercising at high altitudes during pregnancy can lower the amount of oxygen that reaches your baby.
Activities that may make your body temperature too high, like Bikram yoga (also called hot yoga) or exercising outside on hot, humid days. During Bikram yoga, you do yoga in a room where the temperature is set to 95 F to 100 F. It’s not safe for pregnant women because it can cause hyperthermia, a condition that happens when your body temperature gets too high. Some studies suggest that spending too much time in a sauna or hot tub may make your body temperature too high and increase your risk of having a baby with birth defects. To be safe, don’t spend more than 15 minutes at a time in a sauna or more than 10 at a time minutes in a hot tub.

Does pregnancy change how your body responds to exercise?

During pregnancy, your body changes in many ways. When you’re active, you may notice changes in your:

Balance. You may notice that you lose your balance more easily during pregnancy.
Body temperature. Your body temperature is slightly higher during pregnancy, so you start sweating sooner than you did before pregnancy.
Breathing. As your baby develops and your body changes, you need more oxygen. Your growing belly puts pressure on your diaphragm, a muscle that helps you breathe. You may even find yourself feeling short of breath at times.
Energy. Your body’s working hard to take care of your baby, so you may have less energy during pregnancy.
Heart rate. Your heart works harder and beats faster during pregnancy to get oxygen to your baby.
Joints. Your body makes more of some hormones during pregnancy. This can make the tissues that support your joints more relaxed. Try to avoid any movements that may strain or hurt your joints. Hormones are chemicals made by the body.

When should you stop exercising? What are the warning signs you should watch for when exercising?

When you’re being physically active, drink lots of water and pay attention to your body and how you feel. Stop your activity and call your provider if you have any of these signs or symptoms:

Bleeding from the vagina or fluid leaking from the vagina
Chest pain, fast heartbeat or trouble breathing
Feeling dizzy or faint
Headache
Muscle weakness, trouble walking or pain or swelling in your lower legs. Pain or swelling in your lower legs may be signs of deep vein thrombosis (also called DVT). DVT happens when a blood clot forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or thigh. If untreated, it can cause serious health problems and even death.
Regular, painful contractions. A contraction is when the muscles of your uterus get tight and then relax. Contractions help push your baby out of your uterus.
Your baby stops moving. This may be a symptom of stillbirth (when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

When can you start exercising again after giving birth?

Talk to your health provider to find out when it’s OK for you to be active again. If you have a vaginal birth without any complications, it’s usually safe to start exercising a few days after you give birth or as soon as you’re ready. During vaginal birth, the uterus contracts to help push your baby out of the vagina (birth canal).

If you have a c-section or a complications during birth, you may need to wait longer to start exercising after birth. Your provider can help you determine when your body is ready for exercise.

If you were active during pregnancy, it’s easier to get back into exercise after your baby is born. Just start slowly. If you feel pain or have other problems during exercise, stop doing the activity and talk to your provider.

Last reviewed: September, 2020

13 things not to do while pregnant

Most pregnant people can continue with their everyday activities as usual and only make minor lifestyle changes. A person typically just needs to avoid certain foods and activities that may potentially harm the developing fetus.

This article discusses 13 things a person should avoid while pregnant and explains why these can be problematic:

When a pregnant person drinks alcohol, the alcohol crosses the placenta and can affect the fetus. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which is a spectrum of conditions that may lead to the following health issues:

physical abnormalities
intellectual disabilities
behavioral problems
seizures
poor growth
developmental delays
reduced coordination and fine motor skills

Researchers are unsure how much alcohol, if any, is safe to consume during pregnancy, so most doctors recommend that pregnant people avoid alcohol completely.

It is common for pregnant people to avoid certain foods during pregnancy, either due to a change in their sense of smell or because the food makes them feel ill.

However, there are some foods that all pregnant people should avoid eating. These include:

Lunch meat, deli salads: Deli meats and foods, such as premade chicken salad may contain listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can cross the placenta and may be deadly for the fetus.
Unwashed produce: Unwashed fruit or vegetables can also infect a person with listeria. It can also contain a parasite called toxoplasma, which is dangerous for a pregnant person and their fetus.
Unpasteurized juice and dairy: As with deli meats, unpasteurized dairy products and juices can contain listeria and other bacteria that may cause food poisoning.
Some soft cheeses: Certain soft cheeses may contain unpasteurized dairy, particularly imported soft cheeses such as brie, feta, and queso blanco.
Fish high in mercury: Swordfish, shark, and mackerel are among the fish that contain high levels of mercury. Research shows that exposing the fetus to mercury may cause brain damage or hearing and vision problems.
Raw meat and fish: Raw meat and fish, including sushi and raw oysters, can contain both salmonella and toxoplasmosis. Expectant people have an increased risk of getting a foodborne illness from these pathogens. A foodborne illness may cause dehydration, fever, and intrauterine sepsis, which is a blood infection that can be deadly to the fetus.
Raw eggs: Raw eggs can also contain salmonella. Pregnant people should avoid any foods that may contain raw eggs, such as unbaked cookie dough or homemade caesar salad dressing.

In the same way as alcohol, caffeine can cross the placenta and affect the fetus.

While much of the data regarding pregnancy and caffeine consumption is inconclusive, research suggests that it is best to limit the intake of caffeine to 300 milligrams (mg) per day.

Some experts believe that quantities greater than this can be harmful to the fetus and may increase the risk of pregnancy loss and low birth weight.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant people consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day. This amounts to about 1.5 cups of coffee per day.

While relaxing in hot water may sound like an effective way to ease pregnancy discomfort, experts recommend avoiding hot tubs and saunas.

ACOG explains that hot tubs can cause hyperthermia, or abnormally high body temperature, which may lead to congenital abnormalities. This is predominantly a risk in the first trimester but may cause problems later in pregnancy as well.

Additional activities that may cause the body temperature to rise too high include:

hot yoga or pilates
sunbathing for too long
exposure to extreme heat
strenuous exercise
dehydration

ACOG also recommends that pregnant people avoid contact sports such as football or boxing.

Contact sports increase the risk of placental abruption, which is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. Placental abruption is a severe condition that can cause preterm birth, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth.

Pregnant people are also more prone to injury as hormonal changes in the body cause the ligaments to become looser.

After the first trimester, pregnant people should avoid any activity that carries the risk of falling. This includes skiing, ice-skating, and rock climbing.

During pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts as the belly expands, so even a minor fall may result in injuries.

Many amusement parks also do not allow pregnant people on some rides, including roller coasters or any rides that may start or stop suddenly.

The jarring motion of these rides can also cause placental abruption. It can also make morning sickness worse by causing motion sickness.

Pregnant people should avoid changing their litter box. Cleaning dirty litter boxes can put a person at risk of toxoplasmosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a pregnant person passes toxoplasmosis to the fetus, the baby may develop severe symptoms, including:

blindness
intellectual disabilities
brain damage
eye damage

Pregnant people should avoid heavy lifting. For some pregnant people, lifting heavy objects can increase the risk of:

pulled muscles
hernias
low birth weight
preterm labor

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause harm to both the pregnant person and the fetus. Aside from an increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer, smoking when pregnant can also cause the following problems during and after pregnancy:

premature birth
congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip or cleft palate
sudden infant death syndrome
issues with the placenta
Increased risk for developing blood clots

Pregnant people should stop smoking as soon as they know they are pregnant and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. A person who is struggling to quit smoking can talk with a doctor about the help and additional resources that are available.

While illegal substance use is always dangerous, it can be even more harmful during pregnancy.

Using illegal substances or certain prescription drugs can cause a newborn to go through neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). A baby with NAS will go through substance withdrawal at birth.

Additionally, substance use can increase the risk of stillbirth, pregnancy loss, and congenital abnormalities.

Pregnant people should avoid some over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications, as these can harm the fetus.

Doctors recommend avoiding the following medications:

ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
most herbal remedies
ACE inhibitors
some cold medications during the first trimester
cold and flu medications that contain specific ingredients
some acne medications

A doctor or pharmacist can provide advice on which medications are safe to use and can often recommend alternatives if a person can no longer take their regular medications.

Doctors recommend that most pregnant people exercise. A pregnant person should first consult with a doctor to ensure there is no other health issue that might require them to limit exercise.

If a doctor gives the green light, a pregnant person should aim to engage in moderate exercise for at least 20-30 minutes a day on most days of the week.

There may be certain exercises not suitable during pregnancy, but this may vary from person to person. A doctor can provide the best guidance on what kind of exercise is best for each individual.

Generally, however, people should avoid lying on their backs after the first trimester and take care around exercises that can cause them to lose their balance, trip, or fall.

Pregnant people can carry on with most of their typical activities as long as they take some necessary precautions. When in doubt, it is best to check with a doctor about activity restrictions during pregnancy.

Some pregnant people, particularly those with a higher risk of preterm labor or other complications, may need to restrict additional activities that this article does not list.

What fruit or vegetables should I avoid during pregnancy?

A pregnant person should avoid any unwashed fruit or vegetables. In addition, a person should avoid eating any raw sprouts like alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean, as well as avoid drinking any fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juices.

What cosmetic products should I avoid during pregnancy?

A person should avoid anything that contains phthalates, which may cause developmental problems in a fetus. These are chemicals commonly found in plastic but also in many skin care products. A pregnant person should try to avoid contact with plastic packaging or containers, as well as any fragranced cosmetics, which are likely to contain a higher amount. Choosing natural cosmetics is a safe choice during pregnancy.

What herbs should I avoid during pregnancy?

There are a number of herbs that a pregnant person should avoid ingesting due to potential adverse effects on the fetus. Examples include juniper berry, devil’s claw, ginseng, and aloe vera. In addition, a pregnant person should avoid aromatherapy with essential oils derived from certain herbs. This includes sage, wormwood, mugwort, and others.

10 prohibitions during pregnancy

What herbs should not be drunk during pregnancy and what procedures should be forgotten? BeautyHack asked the doctor of the Lapino Clinical Hospital.

Natalya Tsalko obstetrician-gynecologist, head of the admission department of the Lapino Clinical Hospital: “Categoricalness in medicine and especially in obstetrics is a rarity. But there are things that are better to consciously limit the time of pregnancy. If you violated one of these points before you learned about your situation, do not rush to sound the alarm, just go to the doctor. nine0003

1) Antibiotics and other medicines

Antibiotics and teratogenic drugs are not recommended – as they can cause birth defects. Never self-medicate. Even if you just caught a cold, go immediately to the doctor. During pregnancy, you have to treat everything from appendicitis to pneumonia, and the doctor will help you choose the right remedy.

2) Extreme sports

Do not engage in extreme sports: diving, skiing. Equestrian sports and skydiving are also dangerous, there is a high probability of injury and falling on the stomach - in this case, you can lose the fetus. Doses of adrenaline will also be superfluous.

3) Herbal preparations

Herbs such as tansy, St. John's wort, aloe, anise, water pepper, cloves, serpentine, calendula, clover, wormwood, senna, can cause miscarriage.

4) Cosmetology

Not recommended for cosmetic procedures. It is better to refuse mesotherapy, Botox injections, photoepilation, the effect can be unpredictable.

5) Bath and sauna

Do not overheat the fetus. Steaming in a Russian bath or sauna is not the best idea during pregnancy, especially if you have never been there before it started.

6) Meat and fish

Be careful when choosing dishes in restaurants and when buying groceries. Thermally unprocessed meat, fish, seafood are dangerous with parasites. nine0003

7) Travel

If you have placenta previa or isthmic-cervical insufficiency (premature opening of the cervix), flights are prohibited during the entire period of pregnancy. If you are healthy, then it is forbidden to fly from the 36th week due to the risk of childbirth: airlines do not take on board.

In the first trimester it is important not to catch an infectious disease. Refrain from traveling to countries where the incidence of malaria, typhoid fever and Zika is high. nine0003

8) Infectious diseases

Childhood diseases such as chicken pox and rubella are dangerous. I advise you to spend less time in places where there are a lot of children (kindergartens, schools, sections).

9) Alcohol

Drinking alcohol regularly and in large doses is not recommended. And before 21 weeks, it is better to forget about alcoholic beverages altogether, until organogenesis (the formation of organs in the process of embryonic development) is completed. nine0003

10) Smoking

Nicotine has a negative effect on the placenta - much worse than alcohol. Smoking causes the risk of developing feto-placental insufficiency, resulting in fetal growth retardation and premature birth.

Prohibitions for pregnant women | Articles by EMC doctors about diseases, diagnosis and treatment

Write to WhatsApp

July 24, 2019

nine0004 Alekseeva Inna

Obstetrician-gynecologist, Doctor of the highest category

Author: obstetrician-gynecologist, head of the EMC postpartum department Inna Alekseeva

The Internet is full of information from the series "in order not to provoke a miscarriage and abnormal development of the fetus, pregnant women are prohibited ...". What follows is usually a long list.

We are for a modern approach. Let's be honest: not everything that is "strictly prohibited" is really strictly prohibited. It would be correct to say "not recommended". nine0003

However, we pay attention: if the pregnancy is complicated, the expectant mother really needs to strictly adhere to many recommendations.

In any case, pregnancy should be under the close supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist and only he can allow or prohibit anything to be done by a pregnant woman.

We will take a general look at some of the "strict prohibitions".

Do not dye your hair. You really shouldn't do this if you are going to dye your hair for the first time during pregnancy or use a new paint that has not been used before. You do not know how the body will react to the substances that make up the paint. There may be an allergy to one or another component, for example. However, if you use a proven, which is very important, high-quality paint and did not notice any reactions, the new color of your hair will not affect pregnancy. nine0003
X-ray studies. Irradiation can indeed affect actively developing fetal cells. Therefore, if possible, such a diagnosis is better for pregnant women to avoid. However, there are acute situations when emergency care is required and when an x-ray is simply necessary, because. no other research method can be as informative. Fortunately, in modern X-ray machines, radiation exposure is minimized, and the use of reliable protective equipment allows you not to worry about the course of pregnancy. nine0003
Active sports. Active sports, incl. extreme, dangerous with injuries, so it is recommended to pause during pregnancy. And in general, it is recommended to reduce physical activity, even if you are a professional athlete and sport is life for you. However, do not completely abandon physical activity. Fitness, swimming, walking are useful for pregnant women.
Flights. Flights are not desirable in the first trimester - because of the likelihood of complication of toxicosis and highly undesirable in the later stages. After 36 weeks, the body begins to actively prepare for childbirth, so problems may arise due to pressure drops. The second trimester is the safest for flying. It is recommended that pregnant women fly in compression stockings and consume plenty of fluids during the flight. nine0003
Cosmetic procedures. You need to give up the "heavy artillery": injection procedures, hardware procedures, such as cryolipolysis, LPG, etc., deep peels. Light care procedures, manual facial massages, superficial peels can be done.
Blue cheese. There is mold right and wrong. Correct, as a rule, blue in color - refers to the penicillin group. Good quality cheeses with such mold can be eaten by pregnant women, of course, like everyone else, in moderation. But the wrong mold, gray, black - can really be dangerous. nine0003

Once again, every pregnancy is unique. What is good for one expectant mother may not be good for another, and vice versa. Therefore, the recommendations are relative, and in each case the prohibitions are different.