A Guide For A Healthy Pregnancy

Diseases

Pregnant women should avoid eating:

· Soft cheese e.g. brie and blue-veined cheese

· Cooked chilled meals unless they are very hot all the way through

· Meat or fish which is not cooking thoroughly

· Products containing raw eggs which may contain salmonella bacteria

· Liver and foods containing liver should be avoided as liver contains large amounts of vitamin a which could harm the unborn baby

Listeriosis

· Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria found in wild animals, domestic animals, soil, and water

· Vegetables, meats and other foods could get infected

· Makes animals sick leading to miscarriage and stillbirth in domestic animals

· Symptoms include: loss of appetite, lethargy, jaundice, respiratory distress (usually pneumonia, shock, skin rash, vomiting

· Antibiotics are prescribed to kill off the bacteria

· Infants who survive it may have long-term brain and nervous system damage and delayed development

· Laboratory tests are done to detect the bacteria in: amniotic fluid, blood, faeces, and urine.

Animal-borne disease

The scientific name for animal-borne disease is Toxoplasmosis. It is cause by cat faeces and soil contaminated by faeces. In pregnant women, you find it is normally harmless however, it actually passes to the baby where it causes harm to the baby’s nervous system; especially the eyes. You may feel like you have the flu whilst you have animal-borne disease. You can help prevent yourself from catching it by washing your hands after cleaning the little tray, if you have a cat, or washing your hands after you have done the gardening. Another cause is from handling raw meat. Pregnant women are advised not to go near lamb or come in close contact with them; newborn lamb in particular. If you don’t do these things, you are risking catching chlamydiosis which will lead to miscarriage.

 Rubella

Rubella is a mild disease/infection, and like all other diseases, once you have caught it, you are immune to it for life. Once you have caught it, there is no cure. On the other hand, you can take acetaminophen to soothe and reduce the fever. Rubella is also known as German measles you can prevent it by:

· Getting the vaccine; especially children. This vaccine is regularly given to children who are 12-15 months old. Although it can be given to them earlier

· A child’s second vaccine is usually when they are around 4-6 years old

· You can also get an MMR this is a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella

· Before you are pregnant, you are encouraged to have blood tests to see your immunity to rubella

· If you aren’t immune to it, you should avoid getting pregnant for 28 days after you have had the vaccination

· When you are actually pregnant, you shouldn’t get the vaccine. However, you can receive special booster shots. These are a special type of vaccinations especially for pregnant women.

· You have/receive: cancer, corticosteroid medications, or radiation treatment, you  shouldn’t have the vaccine

The symptoms most adults get when they have rubella are: a fever, headaches, general discomfort (also known as malaise), a runny nose, and a rash. Some other symptoms you may experience are: bruising, bloodshot eyes, and muscle pains or pains in your joints.

If you get rubella during your pregnancy, there is a chance you could have a still birth or maybe even a miscarriage. The baby could also be born but with birth defects. This is why it is best to test for your immunity to rubella before you become pregnant.

 If you know anyone who currently has rubella, you should stay away from them as you are most likely to catch it off them. You can still see them but rubella is spread through air and close contact so you would have to be somewhere with good air circulation and you would have to have a distance between them and yourself.