Pregnancy

Lifestyle

Medication

Check with your GP or obstetrician whether the medication you are using or are going to be using are fit for pregnancy.

Smoking

Smoking during pregnancy is harmful and we are glad this is common knowledge for most people. However, we do understand it can be difficult to quit this habit, if you have been doing it for a long time before getting pregnant. Also having people around you that continue to smoke, when you cannot because of the pregnancy, can be demotivating. Some women also worry about gaining weight or getting more stressed after they quit smoking. You can talk about your worries regarding this topic at Het Geboorte-atelier, because our obstetricians have a lot of tools that can help you to smoke less or even quit during your pregnancy. As long as you care about your health and the health of your baby, we are able to help and provide tools.

Not yet convinced? Take a look at the list below and check out the proven risks for you and your baby.

Proven risks when smoking during pregnancy:

• 3 times more likely to miscarriage;

• chance on giving birth before 37th week of pregnancy;

• chance of placenta rupture during pregnancy;

• chance of death during or short after birth;

• chances of complications during the labor and pregnancy;

• nicotine is proven to be even more harmful to the fetus than the use of cocaine;

• chances of infections.

Proven risks for the baby:

• Less blood and oxygen for the baby, which can cause growth issues;

• skull and length of the baby can be smaller due to growth issues;

• lungs of the baby can top developing or be harmed during the development;

• can contribute to development and behavioral issues after birth;

• con contribute to depression after birth;

• in case of genetic predisposition, 9 times more likely to develop ADHD, aggressive behavior due to stress in the womb and or speech and attention deficits;

• allergy-sensitive after birth;

• chances for cleft lip, cleft palate or clog foot;

• twice as much chance for cot death;

• chances for acute respiratory infections (0-3 yrs);

• chances for obesity;

• asthmatic symptoms (5-16 yrs);

• decrease of lung function;

• inhibits brain development, lower IQ, less ability to focus and concentrate;

Alcohol

Even something as socially accepted as alcohol can still be very harmful, especially during pregnancy. It is important to us that you feel comfortable enough to tell us about your alcohol consumption, because it can be very harmful to your baby. If you discuss this with us we can help you and provide tips. We speak to a lot of women that have difficulties not drinking during these nine months, so it is nothing to be ashamed of. Because the organs of your baby are trying to develop constantly the alcohol intake will access the baby through the placenta and this will affect the baby. The alcohol cannot be broken off by the body, so the percentage of alcohol the mother intakes, will be the same as for the baby. You can imagine this can be quite harmful, since the baby is trying to grow.

The effect of alcohol intake during pregnancy:

• Alcohol affects the way the cells divide, the organs develop and the activity of the neurotransmitters in the brain;

• Alcohol use in the first three months can be directly linked to deviations to the heart, arms, eyes, legs, teeth, palate, external genitalia and ears. As well as increased chances on miscarriage;

• Alcohol use in the 2nd and 3rd trimester can lead to deviated fetal growth and neurological defects;

• Alcohol use during the pregnancy can affect the central nerve system. There are higher chances on premature birth, growth defects and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which causes lifelong health issues or even mental disorders for the baby.

There is an E-health program (in Dutch) that you can follow called ‘Negen maanden niet’, which is published in the ‘Journal of Medical Internet Research’.

Drugs

Drugs are as harmful as alcohol for you and your baby, during pregnancy. It’s possible to be addicted to drugs on a physical level, which makes it unhealthy to quit use cold turkey. We would like to talk to you about this so we can monitor and inform you about healthy ways of quitting without harming yourself or the baby. We will never judge, we are here to help you and the baby, which is our first priority.