PSA: Expecting Better by Emily Oster (and other book reccs)
Feb 28, 2015 20:05:33 GMT -5
Post by blanche on Feb 28, 2015 20:05:33 GMT -5
I cannot recommend this book enough. I feel like a broken record, but it makes me feel much more informed in making decisions about what I do and don't do in my pregnancy. I feel like I've been mentioning it a lot lately, so figured I'd make a new post about it. Of course its up to each of us, individually, to determine our risk tolerance, but I am a woman of data and statistics and like to know the science behind the strict recommendations around pregnancy. As a summary of the book:
1) Generally, the research on caffeine and miscarriage is confounded by morning sickness. Even up to 4-5 cups of coffee a day is pretty safe.
2) Light drinking in the second and third tri (a small glass of wine a day) is fine. Even a bit is fine in first tri (I personally am choosing not to touch it for the first tri since that's when the neural tube develops)
3) Sushi, runny eggs, etc. are no more dangerous than when you aren't pregnant
4) Rare meat is only an issue if you haven't been exposed to(I'm forgetting the term right now, will edit) toxoplasma before.
5) Ditto to cleaning the litter box. If you've had the cat for a while it won't be an issue. You're more at risk gardening
6) The lunch meat ban is due to listeria. Sliced turkey and queso fresco are still an issue, but most other things are not. Really, listeria can be in anything (cantaloupe was the last big outbreak)
7) Brie and soft cheese is fine as long as its pasteurized
Those are just the ones on food and stuff. She has other info about sleeping positions and bed rest and other stuff for later in pregnancy, too...
(sorry this posted before I finished!)
1) Generally, the research on caffeine and miscarriage is confounded by morning sickness. Even up to 4-5 cups of coffee a day is pretty safe.
2) Light drinking in the second and third tri (a small glass of wine a day) is fine. Even a bit is fine in first tri (I personally am choosing not to touch it for the first tri since that's when the neural tube develops)
3) Sushi, runny eggs, etc. are no more dangerous than when you aren't pregnant
4) Rare meat is only an issue if you haven't been exposed to
5) Ditto to cleaning the litter box. If you've had the cat for a while it won't be an issue. You're more at risk gardening
6) The lunch meat ban is due to listeria. Sliced turkey and queso fresco are still an issue, but most other things are not. Really, listeria can be in anything (cantaloupe was the last big outbreak)
7) Brie and soft cheese is fine as long as its pasteurized
Those are just the ones on food and stuff. She has other info about sleeping positions and bed rest and other stuff for later in pregnancy, too...
(sorry this posted before I finished!)