Leefstijladviezen

Stop smoking

Do you want to fall pregnant or are you already pregnant? Stop smoking! That advice is also applicable to your partner. Smoking and second-hand smoke is harmful to your (unborn) child. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage and abnormalities in the baby. The baby may also be born too early and/or have a low birth weight. Babies who are born too early or with too low birth weight have a greater chance of (serious) problems during and after birth. A low birth weight also increases the risk of diseases later in life, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and serious obesity. Therefore, stop smoking as soon as you want to become or are pregnant. You can ask your doctor or midwife for assistance with this. After birth, smoking near the child increases the risk of SIDS. Growing up in a smoking environment also increases the risk of, for example, asthma or lung diseases. For more information, visit www.rokeninfo.nl or www.rijksoverheid.nl (search for ‘smoking while pregnant’).

Stop taking drugs

The use of drugs is strongly discouraged if you want to fall pregnant, are already pregnant or if you are breast-feeding. Using soft drugs (marijuana/weed and hashish) can have adverse effects on your baby. This effect is enhanced if you combine soft drugs with alcohol or tobacco. Hard drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy (XTC) and heroin are dangerous for an unborn child. Magic mushrooms are not recommended because too little is known about the damage they can cause to the unborn child. Depending on the type of drug, your child may develop withdrawal symptoms, a birth defect, or a developmental disorder. If you use hard drugs, stopping during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the unborn child. Find professional help when you stop. For more information about drugs, go to www.drugsinfo.nl or www.mainline.nl.

Stop drinking alcohol

Alcohol is not recommended for women who are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant or are breast-feeding. Alcohol is harmful to your unborn child. For more information, also go to www.stap.nl or www.alcoholinfo.nl.

Infectious diseases

If you contract an infectious disease during pregnancy, it can have consequences for the health of your unborn child. Have you been in contact with someone who has a childhood disease with spots on the skin, such as chickenpox, rubella, or fifth disease, or another infectious disease? Contact us Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can also be harmful to your unborn child. This virus is often found in the saliva and urine of small children. Good hygiene is thus very important. This reduces the chance that you will get an infectious disease such as an infection with CMV. For example, wash your hands (with soap) after wiping.

Medicine

Always explain why you take which medicine. This is also applicable to medicine for which you do not need a prescription. It is important to use medicine with caution during your pregnancy. Some substances influence the development of your child early in pregnancy. You must tell your attending physician and dentist if you are pregnant. You must also do this when you go to the pharmacy. You can safely use paracetamol in case of pain (max 4 g/day). If you need paracetamol for several days, please consult with us. Use other painkillers only after consultation.

Exercise

During pregnancy you can continue to exercise as you are used to. Try to exercise less or stop if exercising causes problems or if it tires you more than usual. Also try not to exert yourself more than before the pregnancy. Make sure you hydrate properly during exercise. Swimming, cycling, walking and fitness are sports that you can practice very well until the end of the pregnancy. Sports where you run the risk of getting something against your stomach, or sports where you can easily collide with other people or fall are less suitable during pregnancy.