Pregnancy: Safety begins at home

FamilyPregnancy

  • Author Riza Belgira
  • Published March 12, 2010
  • Word count 546

When you're expecting or experiencing pregnancy, it's natural to be anxious about how to stay looking and feeling great. Luckily, there are many things that you can do to keep you and your baby health. Here are some ideas from the experts that you can implement today.

Safety begins at home as most people would say. This should also be observed when we talk about pregnancy. While our home seems to be the best comfort zone that we could keep calm and at peace, there are many potential dangers pose when we talk about the health of a pregnant woman at home. And one of these potential dangers is the harmful chemicals present at home.

There are certain chemicals that may not be usually harmful in small amounts but may be significantly dangerous to complicate pregnancy. Some of the chemicals found at home that may be categorized into this are mercury, paint, pesticides and herbicides. You also should avoid strong chemical fumes such as those from cleaning supplies whenever possible.

Let us discuss some of the products at home that we may not expect to do hazards to the mother and the baby inside the womb.

Cosmetics and toiletries. The period of pregnancy can make us feel awfully ugly and exposed our skin flaws. In order to cover this up and boost our confidence, most women would resort into using cosmetics to hide the flaws and also to smell good. But before you dab that blush-on to have rosy cheeks, makeup and other toiletries can be hazardous to pregnancy. They contain ingredients such as Parabens, Phthalates, and other Parfum identities that can cause premature birth and sperm damage. Moreover, allergies are a popular side effect that a pregnant woman may experience.

Paints. Latex paint that may have presence of mercury is proven detrimental not only to the health of the pregnant woman but also of the child that she bears. Also peeling paints that has been applied before the 1970s should be avoided.

Cleaning items. Triclosan, alkylphenol ethoxylates, volatile organic compounds (VOC) are some of the substances that you should be wary of. These compounds can place a pregnant woman under the risk of having babies that may experience neurological problems, retarded growth, and developmental problems. Xylenes and Tuolene are some of the examples of VOC. Alkylphenol ethoxylates are known as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with, mimic or block human hormones. Alkylphenol ethoxylates can be found on hair colors, spot removers and other hair care products.

Mercury exposure. Mercury exposure poses severe pregnancy complications such as brain damage and developmental problems. Possible sources of mercury exposure in the household are broken light bulbs and worn out batteries, latex paints and even broken thermometer. There are also foods that pregnant woman should watch out such as king mackerel and tuna that have high risk of mercury exposure in their habitats.

If you are in good health prior to your pregnancy, there is a good chance that you will continue to be healthy throughout your pregnancy. However, it is not uncommon to feel tired, nauseous and anxious. The tips above can be useful in helping you look and feel your best. If you have any questions about them, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider.

Riza C. Belgira is health enthusiast and an advocate of strengthening women's health and well-being through informative health resources and articles.

Visit her web site and explore informative and useful tips on pregnancy, dieting and weight loss at http://www.4d-ultrasoundscan.co.uk/

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