Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

talking to you about pregnancy lifestyle advice. And you can find written notes on this topic at

zero to finals.com slash advice or in the antenatal care section of thedefinals obstetrics and gynecology book.

So let's get straight into it.

The general advice for pregnant women includes taking folic acid 400 micrograms from before

pregnancy until 12 weeks gestation and and this reduces neural tube defects.

Taking vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms or 400 international units daily for normal healthy

women. Avoid vitamin A supplements and eating liver or pat A as vitamin A is teratogenic, meaning harmful to pregnancy

at high doses.

Avoid drinking alcohol when pregnant as there's a risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Avoid smoking, and smoking has a long list of complications in pregnancy, and we'll talk about that in more detail shortly.

Avoiding unpasturized dairy or blue cheese, as there's a risk of listeriosis.

Avoiding undercooked or raw poultry due to the risk of salmonella.

Continuing moderate exercise but avoiding contact sports, sex is considered safe in pregnancy, flying increases the risk of venous

thromboembolism or VTE, and it's important to place the car seat belt above and below the bump and not across the bump.

Let's talk in more detail about alcohol.

Alcohol can cross the placenta, enter the fetus and disrupt the fetal development.

There is no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy.

Pregnant women are encouraged not to drink alcohol at all. Small amounts are less likely to result

in lasting effects. The effects are greatest in the first three months of the pregnancy.

Alcohol in early pregnancy can lead to miscarriage,

small for dates, meaning a small fetus,

...