Читать книгу Blooming Birth: How to get the pregnancy and birth you want - Lucy Atkins - Страница 20

Here are a few common worries and what to do with them. The list is potentially endless, so here’s the rule: ask your health professional if something is worrying you, no matter how silly and embarrassing it sounds. They’ll have heard it before and even if they haven’t, they won’t be shocked: they’re here to help you.

WHAT YOU DRANK BEFORE YOU KNEW YOU WERE PREGNANT | Many of us drink too much alcohol in the early weeks of pregnancy before realizing there’s a zygote in there. That Hen night you went on when two weeks pregnant, however, is not something to worry about. The real worry is if you can’t stop now you know you’re pregnant (see drinking advice below). Drinking too much alcohol throughout pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (where your baby is damaged because you are drinking 40–50 units of alcohol every week, or binge drinking). Get reassurance from your midwife and doctor about your early pregnancy behaviour, then move on to no more than two units (i.e. a couple of small glasses of wine) a week. This is the current UK government recommendation.

AIR TRAVEL | There is no evidence that holiday or business air travel will do you any harm whatsoever when pregnant. However, if you have pregnancy complications do consult your doctor before flying. The best time to travel is probably in your second trimester – in the middle three months. You will be less sick, more mobile, energetic and not yet the size of Free Willy. Take a large bottle of water, a bag of healthy snacks and move around a lot to avoid any chance of deep vein thrombosis (potentially fatal blood clots). Most airlines have a policy about pregnancy and air travel; most say you should not travel after a certain point in your pregnancy, usually 28–36 weeks. It may be hard to find this on a website, so try phoning the airline. Many will take your word as to how many weeks pregnant you are, though some may require a letter from your doctor. If you’re considering stretching the truth, however, remember airline staff are generally not trained medical professionals. Giving birth 8,000 feet above the Atlantic would be less than ideal.

Where to go for help:

About.com has a list of airlines and their rules about pregnancy and flying: www.airtravel.about.com

The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology also have guidelines for air travel safety on their website: www.rcog.org.uk