Stay well in pregnancy with the Safer Pregnancy Wales Campaign
The Safer Pregnancy Wales Campaign aims to help expectant mothers understand the steps they can take to keep themselves and their unborn baby well. Over the next week, we will deliver seven key topics via our social media platforms using the hashtag #SaferPregnancyWales.
These seven topics cover areas of concern for expectant mums:
Diet
Caffeine
Exercise
Smoking
Fetal movement
Alcohol
Drug use
Did you know that you should not be eating for two in pregnancy? Gaining too much weight can be dangerous for you and your baby. Instead, we encourage you to focus on eating healthily alongside taking folic acid and vitamin D supplements.
Babies can’t process caffeine like adults, so it’s important to limit your intake during pregnancy. Current guidance from the RCOG advises consuming no more than 200 mg per day. Swapping to decaffeinated tea and coffee, fruit juice or water are all good choices.
Exercise in pregnancy will benefit you and your baby. If you are already active, keep up your normal activity for as long as you feel ok. If you’re not active at the moment, start with some gentle walking and build up to 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Just 10 minutes here and there counts.
Smoking in pregnancy is harmful to both you and your baby. Jodie Foran is the Maternity Support Worker for Smoking Cessation at The University Hospital of Wales and supports expectant parents and their families to give up smoking, as well as offering advice about maintaining a smoke-free environment at home and in the car.
A baby’s movements are a way to understand how they are doing. Most mums-to-be first feel a flutter, swish or roll when they are 18-20 weeks pregnant. The baby tends to get more active until 32 weeks, and then stays the same until birth.
The safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all while pregnant. The more you drink, the greater the risk to your baby. Heavy drinking can lead to long-term harm including poor growth and problems with your baby’s learning and behaviour. Your midwife or doctor will help you cut down or give up alcohol.
Using street drugs and some medicines during pregnancy can harm you and your baby. Stopping using drugs suddenly is not always a good idea, but Substance Misuse Specialist Midwife Emma Hillman can help you stop safely.
Your midwife is always available to answer questions about your pregnancy, talk about what is normal, how to keep your baby safe, and to discuss how you are feeling both physically and emotionally.
Always seek advice for any concerns regarding your pregnancy. Our Maternity Assessment Unit is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just call 02920 744658.