Things to Avoid

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

Are any of you coming across things you need to stop using and were surprised? Share them here, and what you did to cope, if anything!

(Maybe I'll learn even more by shared experiences!)

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

I was reading one of my diabetes and pregnancy books, and was surprised to see that I need to avoid products with salicylic acid in it. So cue breakdown that I can't use my favorite face wash, body wash, moisturizer, and face wipes because they all are formulated to help prevent breakouts.

I suppose I'll have to use regular soap... And buy different moisturizer..

I've been a little unreasonable the past 2 days or so. But I understand why, if it really does get absorbed through the skin.

princesslockness · April 2016

How old are those books? the CDC just has it listed as Category C, and says 'risk cannot be ruled out'. But if you look at how much acid there is, and how much is actually absorbed it basically negates any risk as it is so small.

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

Kate08Young said:

How old are those books? the CDC just has it listed as Category C, and says 'risk cannot be ruled out'. But if you look at how much acid there is, and how much is actually absorbed it basically negates any risk as it is so small.

It was written in 2010. My face wash has 2%, but moisturizer has 0.5%. I was doing a little more research and saw somewhere it said anything less than 2% is negligible. I'm glad you mentioned the category C though; I didn't know that!

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

I also found this on a generic website:

Avoid these aromatherapy essential oils:
Calamus, mugwort, pennyroyal, sage, wintergreen, basil, hyssop, myrrh, marjoram, and thyme.

Aromatherapy is really big in my circle, and it's good to know!

I love cooking with basil.. Is there a problem with basil??

TheLovingWife · April 2016

I think that rosemary oil is also on the avoid list. But cooking with the herbs is fine, it is the super concentrated amounts that can be problematic.

I was super cautious my first pregnancy, avoided everything from alcohol to lunch meat and anything that might be considered bad for the baby. I'm much more relaxed this time around and will basically avoid alcohol, not drink continuous cups of coffee and make sure that any medications or supplements that I use are safe.

R0824H · April 2016

Gosh I feel so behind in the what to avoid knowledge!! I never thought of looking at things like my face wash...guess I need to start reading/researching ASAP!

ArtlessIbex · April 2016

I'm not cutting out anything this time around except alcohol. I did that the first time and nobody could ever tell me why. If I want sushi, I'm having sushi. If I want to eat soft cheese for dinner, I'm gonna. I can only worry about so many things at once!

princesslockness · April 2016

ArtlessIbex said:

I'm not cutting out anything this time around except alcohol. I did that the first time and nobody could ever tell me why. If I want sushi, I'm having sushi. If I want to eat soft cheese for dinner, I'm gonna. I can only worry about so many things at once!

Sushi is recommended to keep your mercury levels down, since baby can't filter them. Soft cheese was only out if unpasteurized as that can cause all sorts of bacterial problems.

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

R0824H said:

Gosh I feel so behind in the what to avoid knowledge!! I never thought of looking at things like my face wash...guess I need to start reading/researching ASAP!

You're not alone! Hopefully people can post things here and others be like.. oh! I totally didn't know that! Thanks for teaching me!

Regarding lunch meat, I've heard to avoid it because of nitrites, and then I've heard it can have listeria so you need to nuke it in the microwave first when you buy it before eating. I've heard different things from different sources.

TheLovingWife · April 2016

I'll limit lunch meat because of the nitrates or buy nitrate free. As for listeria, recent outbreaks have come from melon, ice cream, and hummus and no one tells you to avoid those

ReciprocityMom · April 2016

What i am doing is washing with cetaphil and toning with witch hazel that has a few drops of tea tree oil in the bottle. That way even though i dont use my acne wash, i am at least keeping my skin bacteria free ( tea tree) It doesnt hurt to be cautious but half these warnings are put out to avoid lawsuits.

Zygodactyl · April 2016

I'm seriously worried about everything and decided to just cut out anything that makes me stress out after eating/drinking it. As for lunch meat, the thought of nuking it makes me gag, so it's just out.

LakinL · April 2016

I do know that DH now has to change the kitty litter box. I won't go near it, and not just because of the smell. I feel so bad lol! Also staying away from lunch meats, hot dogs, most canned foods, etc. I've heard to stay away from Ceasar salad bc of the ingredients. I'm craving one so bad! I think I'll just try to focus on eating very FRESH!

DiFazette · April 2016

LakinL said:

I do know that DH now has to change the kitty litter box. I won't go near it, and not just because of the smell. I feel so bad lol! Also staying away from lunch meats, hot dogs, most canned foods, etc. I've heard to stay away from Ceasar salad bc of the ingredients. I'm craving one so bad! I think I'll just try to focus on eating very FRESH!

@LakinL - this is because some Ceasar dressing includes raw egg. Anything you buy from the store should be safe. It's restaurant prepared food that's the concern.

lrg14 · April 2016

The big concern with lunch meat is listeria (though nitrates aren't great). Listeria is also the same concern with hot dogs, under cooked eggs, and soft cheeses (if unpasteurized). Here is more info on it that helps explain the risk: https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-complications/listeria/.

I know many women go ahead and eat those items anyway since the risk is still small, but for me, the worry is not worth it.

clickactual · April 2016

I cut everything out first pregnancy, wouldn't even eat subway unless it was toasted. Second time I had too many other things going on to worry about lunch meat.... I probably won't really cut anything this time either

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

Woops, I'm over here like DH grill me all the hot dogs!! Surely a grill must be better than a microwave though.

cgss11 · April 2016

I don't eat sushi or lunch meat so no worries there. Really the only thing I'm doing is cutting down my coffee to one cup a day, and no alcohol of course.

ShalomAtHome · April 2016

TheLovingWife said:

I'll limit lunch meat because of the nitrates or buy nitrate free. As for listeria, recent outbreaks have come from melon, ice cream, and hummus and no one tells you to avoid those

The reason you hear about these products (the melon, ice cream, and hummus) containing listeria is because it was found in the facilities they were processed, and therefor are known to be or at risk of being contaminated already. You only heard about those cases because of product recall, but they don't represent all recent outbreaks. With lunch meat the issue is a little different. The risk is that once the packaging is opened in one's home it is at risk of being contaminated whether it's in the air or on the counter tops or whatever. Even more specifically, pregnant woman are about 20X more likely to be infected by it than non-pregnant people. I know plenty of women who weren't aware of not eating lunch meat, and things were fine. But the suggestion to avoid it is a little more serious than it seems people assume, so I just wanted to throw that out there in case someone reading would be effected by different information. It turns out that Purdue did a study on listeria in lunch meat, and it's actually a pretty significant risk:
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2015/Q1/study-listeria-pathogen-is-prevalent,-persistent-in-retail-delis.html

penelope4612 · April 2016

I don't eat sushi or lunchmeat often, so I'll probably just avoid them all together. It doesn't really affect my daily life. I make sure my soft cheese is pasteurized. Even though the studies are wishy washy on salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, I have been hesitant to use them. Although, FWIW, I didn't find them particularly effective on my acne before I got pregnant, so whatever.

I have read that pregnant women should minimize how much farmed salmon they eat (yes, everyone should minimize how much farmed salmon they eat for all sorts of reasons) because of potentially elevated levels of PCBs, so I will be sticking to fresh caught salmon I guess. In addition to causing increased mercury levels, sushi is not recommended for pregnant women because raw fish can carry parasitic worms and pregnant women have "vulnerable" immune systems.

sbarrettphoto · April 2016

I am so laid back when it comes to this. I didn't follow any of the rules (except obvious ones like drinking and whatnot), I just tried to do things in moderation. Except cookie dough. I ate a lot of cookie dough. I'm surprised I didn't birth a cookie!

I went in to my first appointment super stressed about everything and my OB told me that I couldn't eat swordfish or shark, but everything else was allowed.

MamaWino · April 2016

For those concerned with face washes/acids, try Dial soap. The old school yellow bar kind. I saw a dermatologist during my first pregnancy because I broke out so bad (thankfully not my face, but my chest and back were AWFUL) and he recommended Dial as a fantastic alternative to all the other remedies he'd normally suggest but that pregnant women can't use. I've already started breaking out this pregnancy and Dial is getting it under control.

As for the other things to avoid, I'm ridiculously paranoid so I skip lunch meat, soft cheese, undercooked eggs/meat and raw fish. I'm avoiding alcohol now but am sure I'll have half a glass or so a few times later in the pregnancy.

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

MamaWino said:

For those concerned with face washes/acids, try Dial soap. The old school yellow bar kind. I saw a dermatologist during my first pregnancy because I broke out so bad (thankfully not my face, but my chest and back were AWFUL) and he recommended Dial as a fantastic alternative to all the other remedies he'd normally suggest but that pregnant women can't use. I've already started breaking out this pregnancy and Dial is getting it under control.

As for the other things to avoid, I'm ridiculously paranoid so I skip lunch meat, soft cheese, undercooked eggs/meat and raw fish. I'm avoiding alcohol now but am sure I'll have half a glass or so a few times later in the pregnancy.

You're my hero!! Can I do this?? Is there a certain time to avoid and a certain time it's not as much of a risk? I know it's best to avoid at all times but.. I love wine. Just a sip maybe? I love to smell it.

MamaWino · April 2016

Sugargirl1019 said:

MamaWino said:

For those concerned with face washes/acids, try Dial soap. The old school yellow bar kind. I saw a dermatologist during my first pregnancy because I broke out so bad (thankfully not my face, but my chest and back were AWFUL) and he recommended Dial as a fantastic alternative to all the other remedies he'd normally suggest but that pregnant women can't use. I've already started breaking out this pregnancy and Dial is getting it under control.

As for the other things to avoid, I'm ridiculously paranoid so I skip lunch meat, soft cheese, undercooked eggs/meat and raw fish. I'm avoiding alcohol now but am sure I'll have half a glass or so a few times later in the pregnancy.

You're my hero!! Can I do this?? Is there a certain time to avoid and a certain time it's not as much of a risk? I know it's best to avoid at all times but.. I love wine. Just a sip maybe? I love to smell it.

My OB told me during my first pregnancy that the calming effects of a glass of wine are far better for your body than the harm that stress can do. I choose to believe her

Google French views on wine during pregnancy and you'll find that many women drink a glass daily. It's part of their culture. I'm certainly not suggesting you do that, but I personally don't have a problem with a glass every now and again later in the pregnancy.

penelope4612 · April 2016

Sugargirl1019 said:

MamaWino said:

For those concerned with face washes/acids, try Dial soap. The old school yellow bar kind. I saw a dermatologist during my first pregnancy because I broke out so bad (thankfully not my face, but my chest and back were AWFUL) and he recommended Dial as a fantastic alternative to all the other remedies he'd normally suggest but that pregnant women can't use. I've already started breaking out this pregnancy and Dial is getting it under control.

As for the other things to avoid, I'm ridiculously paranoid so I skip lunch meat, soft cheese, undercooked eggs/meat and raw fish. I'm avoiding alcohol now but am sure I'll have half a glass or so a few times later in the pregnancy.

You're my hero!! Can I do this?? Is there a certain time to avoid and a certain time it's not as much of a risk? I know it's best to avoid at all times but.. I love wine. Just a sip maybe? I love to smell it.

I think in general, the first trimester is thought to be the time when toxic substances have the biggest negative impact because the really basic/necessary structures (ie, the building blocks of your baby) are being formed during that time and if they get messed up then everything is messed up. I'm sure there are specific medications/substances that should be avoided during specific time periods because they affect the development of a specific organ, etc. But in general, you should try to avoid anything that might be unsafe/toxic to baby in the first trimester.

emisi · April 2016

Sugargirl1019 said:

You're my hero!! Can I do this?? Is there a certain time to avoid and a certain time it's not as much of a risk? I know it's best to avoid at all times but.. I love wine. Just a sip maybe? I love to smell it.

I had a couple of glasses during my second and third trimester last time. It's fine in moderation once you hit the second tri, and some studies think red wine might even be good for you. And especially for your nerves.

I imagine I'm really going to like that glass of wine this time around, with a three year old boy running around like a crazy person.

uromys · April 2016

Give me all your sushi and wine!

edit to add: all the rest of my comment that was lost!

Give me all your sushi and wine! With DD1 I ate sushi regularly. You may need to watch your fish intake but there are so many other delicious rolls to choose from! If you have a favorite sushi restaurant that you frequent prior to pregnancy no need to avoid it now. Just don't go eating Gas Station sushi or trying new places.

As for wine you wouldn't want to go drinking a bottle but having a glass of wine is just fine. Even the occasion beer is okay. Depriving yourself of these items will only make you recent being pregnant. I'll closet drink a glass with you ladies once I'm out of the first trimester.

R0824H · April 2016

this may be a dumb question... but should protein powder be avoided? I'm getting conflicting answers on Dr. Google

I will double check with my OB to make sure and will avoid it until then. I don't see why it would be bad to have...and I don't want to have wasted my money on my new bag of powder (that I cant really return) either

uromys · April 2016

@R0824H I am still using my protein. I tend to suffer from appetite loss as a pregnancy symptom in the early months. I got the okay to use it for breastfeeding so I'm continuing it now that we're expecting. Mine is a plant based protein. Let me know if you hear different.

edit: words and punctuation are not my strong suit

trinidad1112 · April 2016

In grad school, I was really interested in teratogens- specifically alcohol and tobacco. There is a good amount of evidence to suggest that epigenetics play a large part in the long term health of your child. Epigenetics are fairly new on the scene and essentially are the parts of our DNA that can be turned on and off by exposure to certain things. It is unethical to do controlled randomized studies on pregnant women so you will not see hard evidence that alcohol exposure during pregnancy causes depression as a teenager but there are correlations between the two. Nicotine and opiate exposure can also lead to chemical imbalances later in life, jeopardizing emotional wellbeing (even trouble achieving an orgasm!) I know, we all see plenty of kids who turned out just fine while their mothers indulged, this is just why I choose not to drink during pregnancy. Although, I did down a large glass of red wine with baby number one at 41 weeks in a desperate attempt to evict him. It was unsuccessful. I also totally had a few glasses before I knew I was pregnant with both of my sons, this isn't meant to be judgy or scare anyone, just to inform someone who is trying to decide whether to abstain.

Sugargirl1019 · April 2016

@trinidad1112 Thank you for sharing your research!

So Type 1 Diabetes is also an epigene? We feel the flu or moth balls exposure turned it on for me.

lalamomma · April 2016

My first pregnancy I avoided everything, lunch meat, hot dogs, sushi, fish, alcohol, caffeine etc.

I practiced moderation with my second. I had sushi twice, an occasional caffeinated drink and a half a glass of wine a handful of times.
I still avoided most things anyway. But I don't drink Coke/Pepsi anymore and I mostly stopped drinking coffee too.

I realy try to focus more on eating healthier and not over indulging than I do on not getting something.

SaraRose83 · April 2016

I too was really surprised when I read about salicylic acid. I don't even remember where I read it, but I even asked the nurse line because I seriously doubted 2% on the skin would actually get to the baby. I mean I know what we put on our skin soaks in, but the article I read said the study was based on ORAL salicylic acid taken in high doses. Anyway, my nurse line made it sound like I absolutely shouldn't use it, and I remember thinking, that's definitely not common knowledge, and if I hadn't been paranoid-OCD-internet-reading, I wouldn't have found out till my 10-week first appointment, and would have used it all throughout the most important first trimester...so, I kind of think they're full of it. I just think it's weird that the first trimester is supposed to be the most important for development, but that most of the first prenatal appointments are scheduled close to the second trimester...what's up with that? If this stuff was so important to skip, wouldn't they make more of an effort to tell us way sooner? Sorry, that kind of turned into a rant, but just saying. Seems like the system is flawed. But, besides all that, I bought new face wash without it and I'm using witch hazel for the acne I've had since I was a teen.

also had a freak out with ranch dressing and mayo, my all-time two fave toppings, because of eggs or not being pasteurized or something like that, but I've since decided store bought will be okay.

TW loss mentioned ***
I cut out coffee completely. I drank a lot of that during my last and mc early on. Not saying that contributed, I couldn't ever prove it, but I feel really guilty for it, and I had no idea at the time about caffeine risk. (Wasn't TTC at the time, and hadn't researched any of this stuff.)

SaraRose83 · April 2016

Also wanted to add that with my last post about the caffeine, I don't mean to scare or be judgy at all, at all, just being vulnerable with my experience. I have super bad anxiety in general so really that's why I cut it out - just so I don't make myself nuts with what-ifs.

Kacie209 · April 2016

Newbie here... but I also read something about my salicylic acid. I only use it as spot treatments, and did just buy some body wash with it in it, as my back has been breaking out more. I guess I'll just use it sparingly until I know otherwise.

I saw my GP this week just to ask questions (she used to be an OB), and get an OB referred. She said she used to tell her patients that coffee was OK, especially when it was made in a Keurig, since that dilutes it pretty well anyway - and you're not drinking straight coffee. Since getting my BFP, I have only been having an 8 oz coffee in the morning. I don't drink much pop, so I feel that it's fine. The only other concern would be from chocolate.

Other than that... being cautious with the soft cheeses, most fish (which I don't eat anyway), deli meats (or any meat) unless it's hot, etc. Especially alcohol and tobacco. I've skimped some books and I know things change... just be cautious now cos I just don't know.

DiFazette · April 2016

Ladies... I just wanted to chime in a mention that if you are in the US, and buying things from stores (not farm stands or specialty cheese shops/etc) everything you will buy is required to be pasteurized by the FDA.

bakerstreetboys · April 2016

DiFazette said:

Ladies... I just wanted to chime in a mention that if you are in the US, and buying things from stores (not farm stands or specialty cheese shops/etc) everything you will buy is required to be pasteurized by the FDA.

Same in Canada

MrsBinPA · April 2016

@DiFazette big grocery stores like Wegan's (if you're in the North East/Mid Atlantic) and Whole Foods cheese shops will have unpasteurized cheese. I used to get stuff all the time that wasn't. Now I just check the label and have asked the cheese monger to check before I sample anything

The cheese guy and Wegman's and I are on a first name basis.

DiFazette · April 2016

MrsBinPA said:

@DiFazette big grocery stores like Wegan's (if you're in the North East/Mid Atlantic) and Whole Foods cheese shops will have unpasteurized cheese. I used to get stuff all the time that wasn't. Now I just check the label and have asked the cheese monger to check before I sample anything The cheese guy and Wegman's and I are on a first name basis.

@MrsBinPA - word. I freaking LOVE Wegmans! I mentioned specialty cheese shops because... DiBruno Bros!!! I know they carried some unpasteurized stuff (the best stuff IMHO). I've not seen unpasteurized cheese at WholeFoods - better look closer. Thanks for this info!!

MrsBinPA · April 2016

@DiFazette Wegman's cheese shop is most definitely like a specialty cheese shop inside the store! I keep forgetting that you have the Philly burb connection.

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