In addition to personal health habits, there are some important steps you can take to ensure that your environment is a healthy one, too. Follow your local Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines for advice, but you may also consider the following good hygiene practices.
Food Safety Issues
While you're pregnant, you'll have to give up or cut down on certain foods and drink during pregnancy, because they could harm your baby.
- Soft and unpasteurised cheeses and dairy products.
- Raw or undercooked eggs.
- Liver, pâté and cured meats such as parma ham and salami, and undercooked meat.
- Eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week.
- Try not to have more than 200mg of caffeine a day.
- Government advice is that you stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
Preventing Infections During Pregnancy
These 10 tips can help you prevent infections that could harm your unborn baby:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Do not share forks, cups, or food with young children and wash your hands often when around children.
- Cook your meat until it's well done.
- Avoid unpasteurised (raw) milk and foods made from it.
- Do not touch or change dirty cat litter.
- Stay away from wild or pet rodents and their droppings.
- Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV, hepatitis B and herpes, and protect yourself from them.
- Talk to your doctor about vaccinations.
- Avoid people who have an infection.
- Ask your doctor about group B strep.