Before Pregnancy

• Discuss your upcoming pregnancy with your health care provider.
• Treat medical conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, and high blood pressure, and continue to do so throughout your pregnancy.
• Watch your diet and your weight. Women should be within 15 pounds of their ideal weight before they become pregnant. Being overweight or underweight during pregnancy can lead to problems.
• Women should get all needed vaccinations such as rubella and chicken pox before their pregnancy. Certain vaccines can affect a baby's development if given at the wrong time.
• Take a multivitamin that has folic acid in it every day.

 During Pregnancy

Do:

• Get regular, moderate exercise. Exercise is good for you and your baby, as it can help reduce fatigue and speed recovery after birth. Exercise also promotes a sense of well-being and decreases the stress of pregnancy.
• Have regular medical check-ups. Talk to your health care provider about any medical problems you may be having.
• Check with your doctor before taking medication. Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs may be harmful to a developing baby.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables to remove any possible insecticide residue.
• Take a multivitamin that has folic acid in it every day.
• Take iron supplements to prevent anemia.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Avoid:

• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.
• Avoid all alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.
• Avoid contact with raw meat and cat feces (both are sources of toxoplasmosis).
• Avoid cleaning agents, paint, and some insecticides that may contan toxic ingredients.
• Avoid X-rays during pregnancy.
• Avoid substances at work or at home your doctor says might be harmful to a developing baby.
• Avoid risky sexual practices. Sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV can harm your baby.

• Using alcohol and illicit drugs during pregnancy can cause very serious problems for a developing child. Even small amounts of alcohol or drugs can cause learning problems and behavioral disorders in the newborn.

 Talk to your health care provider about:

• Care for you and your baby before and during pregnancy
• Changes in diet
• Which vaccinations to have and when to get them
• What kinds of exercise are acceptable during pregnancy
• Any medications you are taking for any medical problems or sickness
• Anything that is unclear or of concern regarding the pregnancy

• When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her unborn baby. Alcohol, even in the early stages of pregnancy, can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome causes abnormal features, growth retardation, and lifelong learning and behavior problems in children.
• Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy – even before a woman knows she is pregnant.
• Nearly half of all births in the United States are unplanned. Women who could become pregnant, even if they are not planning to do so, should not drink. If you are pregnant and drinking, stop.
• All drinks containing alcohol can hurt an unborn baby. A standard 12-ounce can of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a four-ounce glass of wine or a one-ounce shot of straight liquor. There is no safe kind of alcohol for a pregnant woman.

• More information on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome from the CDC
• National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke can lead to many problems, including low birth weight, miscarriage, and infant mortality.

If You Are a Non-Smoker
Avoid other people's smoke while you are pregnant. Studies suggest that regular exposure to secondhand smoke may harm a developing child.

If You Smoke
You should quit or cut back as much as you can. Here are some resources that can help:

• Mississippi Tobacco Quitline
  Get information and help with quitting smoking
• Facts About Smoking and Pregnancy
• SmokeFree.gov
  Online guide to quitting

• Folic Acid Topics (CDC)
• Mercury in Fish and Shellfish

• March of Dime's Pregnancy and Newborn Health Education Center
• The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN)
• More resources and fact sheets