So, the news is out. You are four months pregnant! Excited by the news and the thought of being a mother, you kick start preparations immediately. You purchase the right baby accessories, inform friends and loved ones of the incoming baby shower, and even begin brainstorming for the ideal name of your baby. But you seem to be forgetting one thing.
Preparing for the birth of a newborn is a good way to ensure that it is well catered to after birth. But, while you make these special preparations, it makes sense to put certain resolutions in place to ensure that your baby’s health is preserved while in the womb.
Here are four strange things you should steer clear of while preparing for the birth of your little one.
1. Cleaning out the cat litter box
If you have a cat as a pet, the chances are that you’ll have a cat litter box. For those who aren’t aware, a cat litter box is an indoor feces and urine collection box designed for cats and other little pets like rabbits, small dogs, etc. To maintain optimum hygiene, you are required to clean this box, a task you shouldn’t handle as an expectant mother.
Pregnant women are advised to steer clear of cleaning out cats litter boxes as their feces can contain a virus known as Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis can harm the pregnancy of an expectant mother, hence why it should be avoided. Aside from assigning the task of cleaning out the cat litter box to someone else, pregnant mothers should endeavor to limit all contact with cats and keep the house extra clean.
2. Avoid using electric blankets.
While electric blankets are designed to warm up your bed and make it quite comfortable, using one while pregnant may pose a risk to your unborn child as they produce low-level electromagnetic fields that may be harmful to a growing fetus.
Of course, the effects of these EM fields aren’t well understood.
However, rather than take the risk and put your child in harm’s way, ensure you go for a regular bed with a quilt or additional blanket while shopping for the right baby essentials for new moms. You can contact a friend for advice regarding what to purchase for your incoming baby.
3. Cleaning the inside of an oven
Mothers are charged with home duties, including cleaning, cooking, washing, and the likes. However, when a woman gets pregnant, it is best that some of these duties—like cleaning the inside of an oven and other poorly ventilated areas—are assigned to someone else for the sake of the baby’s health. If you are preparing for the birth of a baby, you should reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals or use natural cleaners instead. Also, it is advised that you avoid tasks that require you to paint and lessen your exposure to fumes. Furthermore, cleaning should always be done in well-ventilated spaces.
4. Eating cold deli meat and soft cheeses.
Pregnant women and food are close companions. The former often have a huge appetite for the latter, which is usual for every pregnant woman. But what isn’t usual or allowed is eating everything that catches your eyes. For example, pregnant women are advised to avoid certain meals like cold deli meats and soft cheeses. Why? Because they can be contaminated by a troublesome bacterial called Listeria which often causes a condition known as Listeriosis.
Like every bacteria, Listeriosis can be terminated by cooking or reheating deli meat and cheese. But unless you are certain that these foods are fresh and uncontaminated, eating them may not be a good idea.
Conclusion
While you prepare for the material needs of your baby while in the womb, it is wise that you make adequate preparations for its health needs. These involve restricting or halting some lifestyle habits, and developing new ones designed to promote the growth and development of your baby.
