General Health and Safety

With extra planning, you can travel during most of your pregnancy. Print out a trimester-by-trimester guide to learn safe travel guidelines when you're in weeks 1-12, 13-25, and 26-40 of pregnancy. ...

Pregnant women are more prone to tooth decay (dental caries), bleeding gums, and chronic gum infection (periodontal disease). Poor dental health not only affects you, but can also have an impact on your baby. Studies have linked infection of the ...

Women are tough and hard working, and their bodies can perform amazing feats; however, some jobs and tasks may be too physically strenuous for some pregnant women to continue. Too much lifting and standing could lead to preterm labor, low birth w...

Beauty treatments and cosmetics The following advises which products and treatments are safe in pregnancy. Hair and nail products Shampoos, conditioners, manicures, and pedicures are safe. Minute amounts of hair dye may be absorbed throug...

Editor's note: Avoid travel to areas affected by Zika virus during pregnancy, and always talk with your doctor about international travel plans well in advance. Provided your pregnancy is normal, going to faraway places is perfectly possible. Ho...

Whether you're pregnant or are planning to conceive, now is the time to do a safety check on your social habits and home and work environment. Anything that could affect your well-being could affect your baby too, especially in the first trimeste...

Household pets, like cats and dogs, are a part of the family. They give you love and joy, and I'm sure there's no chance they'll be moving out to make room for your baby. But keep in mind that pets can bring more than fun into your home—they br...

It's the legal responsibility of your employer to provide a safe environment. In pregnancy, being aware of your rights can help protect you and your baby.In recent decades, women worried about whether working at a computer screen put their babies...

Whether you have a preexisting medical condition, or acquire an illness or infection during pregnancy, always consult your doctor before taking medication or before stopping any prescribed medication.If you have a condition such as high blood pre...

What to avoidDietary precautionsCertain foods should be avoided or their intake limited since they may pose a risk to your unborn baby. Simple cooking and hygiene measures are also important to limit the risks.Listeria is a food-borne bacteria to...

Stress is a part of life—it has weaseled its way into your schedule before your pregnancy, and it will continue to accompany you throughout your pregnancy. Even when you're pregnant there will still be traffic jams that make you late, inconside...

In a low-risk pregnancy, sex is perfectly safe, although your levels of desire may fluctuate throughout pregnancy. Most women report that their interest in sex is the same or slightly reduced in the first trimester. In the second trimester, it va...

Radiation Exposure During Pregnancy There are two kinds of radiation exposure that pregnant women worry about. The first is called nonionizing radiation, which comes from household appliances such as microwave ovens and TV sets. The second is io...

Hair Dyes and Perms During Pregnancy It's hard enough to feel beautiful when you're pregnant, but then along comes the warning that hair dyes and permanents might be harmful to a fetus. This subject causes great debate among hairdressers, docto...

Eating for two? Indulging in cravings can be a fun part of your pregnancy, but there are certain precautions to take when it comes to food safety and food-borne illnesses. Before you reach for your next snack or meal, read this list of foods to a...

Air Pollution and Pregnancy If you live in the city, you know you're not breathing the best air around. Cars, trucks, furnaces, and industrial machinery all spew poisonous carbon monoxide into the air. If you breathe in a lot of second-hand smo...

Painting During Pregnancy There's something about having a baby that makes many expectant moms want to redecorate, paint rooms, knock down walls, scrape old wallpaper, and refinish floors. Maybe it has something to do with the nesting instinct, ...

Housecleaning During Pregnancy Wouldn't it be great to hear that you should not get on your knees and scrub anything during your pregnancy? The truth is that the majority of cleaning products really can't hurt your baby. Still, it's smart to b...