New Moms 101

Your Home Environment

In addition to personal health habits, there are some important steps you can take to ensure that your home environment is a healthy one, too. During your third trimester, you'll want to take special care to prevent the spread of germs at home, so that you stay healthy before the baby arrives.

There is a wide range of information available on such topics as reducing germs and allergens on surfaces, coping with seasonal allergies, and other important ways that you can help keep your home environment safe and healthy for you... and ready to welcome your new baby.

• Learn more about reducing germs and allergens on surfaces in Healthy Homes
• Find out more about common allergens, their sources, and how to control their symptoms in Allergies.
• Explore common germs, including those that cause respiratory illnesses and foodborne disease in Germs 101.

Cold and Flu During Pregnancy

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, pregnant women are at higher risk of getting the flu. And if you do get a cold or the flu during pregnancy, it can last up to three times longer.

If you get the flu while pregnant, your symptoms can be more severe or can lead to pneumonia. If you do get the flu, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and stay in contact with your healthcare provider. Plus, be assured that despite the uncomfortable symptoms, a bout with the flu will not harm your baby.

Flu Prevention Tips for Pregnant Women

• Get vaccinated. You should have one shot for seasonal flu, and one for H1N1. Flu shots are made from dead viruses and are safe during pregnancy. Visit the Public Health Agency of Canada website for the latest recommendations on vaccination for pregnant women at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/vacc/pregvacc-grossvacc-eng.php
• Wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially after coming in contact with someone who may be sick. Use a hand sanitizer if water is not available.
• Disinfect surfaces often to reduce cold and flu germs.
• Avoid coming in contact with someone who is sick; try having other family or a friend take care of someone who is ill.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or tissue, and teach others to cover their own coughs and sneezes.
• Drink plenty of fluids, and eat a well-balanced diet to stay healthy.
• Have a two-week supply of food and supplies on hand in case you do get sick.

If You Get a Cold or the Flu

Before taking any over-the-counter medication, it's always wise to check with your healthcare provider. He or she will likely recommend acetaminophen (such as Tylenol^®) to treat a fever. There is also a particular antihistamine (clorpheniramine, as is found in Chlor-Trimeton^®) that is sometimes recommended for pregnant women. Since you are in your third trimester, your provider will likely tell you it's okay to take pseudoephedrine as a decongestant.

In addition:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink lots of fluids, such as water, juice, and caffeine-free tea.
• Try sugar or honey-based lozenges to relieve sore throats and cough.

If you have the H1N1 flu, your healthcare provider will likely want to treat you right away. He/she will probably prescribe antiviral medication, which is safe for pregnant women.

When to Call Your Healthcare Provider

Contact your healthcare provider right away if your symptoms don't start to improve (or get worse) after three or four days, or if you have any of these symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Turning blue
• Bloody or colored sputum (mucus when you cough)
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness, confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Decreased or no movement of your baby
• High fever that is not responding to Tylenol^® or other acetaminophen

Learn more about Cold and Flu.

Medications During Pregnancy

Women who are pregnant (or who plan to breastfeed) can have short-term or long-term health problems that make medication necessary. However, your healthcare provider can guide you about the safety of various types of medication during pregnancy. Some are safe during pregnancy, and some may not be.

The Public Health Agency of Canada encourages you to talk to your healthcare provider if you:

• Have taken — or need to take — a medication.
• Have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, epilepsy (seizures), high blood pressure, depression, and others. Remember: If these conditions are not treated, you or your baby could be harmed.
• Are considering an herbal and dietary supplement, which could cause side effects or other problems.
• Are considering vitamin supplements. Some necessary vitamins — like Vitamin A — can be harmful if taking in too large a dose.

Immunizations uring Pregnancy

Certain types of vaccines are safe for pregnant women. These include vaccines made from dead ("inactivated") viruses, toxiods (proteins from bacteria) and certain genetically-engineered viruses. The Public Health Agency of Canada has clear guidelines for the use of vaccines during pregnancy, so be sure to discuss each vaccine and its origins with your healthcare provider prior to getting inoculated.

Vaccines to Consider During Pregnancy:

• Flu Shot. You should only get the flu vaccine by injection. Do not receive the "LAIV" (inhaled flu vaccine), which contains live attenuated influenza vaccine.
• Tetanus Shot. If you get a dirty or deep wound, check with your healthcare provider immediately to see if you need a tetanus shot, especially if you haven't had one within the last 10 years.
• Hepatitis A: If you live in an area where this virus is common, or if you're planning to visit a developing country, ask your healthcare provider about the vaccine. The vaccine is made from killed viruses and is safe for pregnant women.
• Polio: You've probably already received a polio vaccine. However, if you plan to visit India, Southeast Asia, or Africa, you may need a polio "booster" shot (a small additional dose). The vaccine is made from a killed virus, making it safe for pregnant women.
• Pneumococcus: If you have a lung condition, such as asthma, your healthcare provider may recommend the genetically-engineered pneumococcal vaccine, which prevents some forms of pneumonia. It is safe for pregnant women.

Vaccines to Avoid During Pregnancy

As a rule, you should not receive live virus vaccines while you are pregnant. This includes the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines.

Special Food Safety Issues for Pregnant Women

While you're pregnant, you are in a "high-risk group" for foodborne illness. In addition, there are three food-related issues that could affect your pregnancy. In fact, these serious diseases can be life-threatening to your unborn baby.

Listeriosis

Listeria monocytogenes is a harmful bacterium that can be found in refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods (meat, poultry, seafood, and foods made with unpasteurized milk), and soil. It can also be found in foods made from animals. It is unusual because unlike other foodborne bacteria, it can grow at refrigerator temperatures, where most other foodborne bacteria do not.

Symptoms:

• Can take a few days or even weeks to appear.
• May include fever, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea or upset stomach, headache, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance. In more serious cases, listeriosis could also lead to the mother's death.

Most pregnant women who are infected with listeriosis don't feel sick — so they can easily pass the infection to their unborn babies without even knowing it.

Prevention:

Avoid these foods:

• Soft, unpasteurized cheeses (often advertised as "fresh") such as feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, queso fresco, queso blanco, and blue cheese
• Unpasteurized milk, juices, and apple cider
• Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse, tiramisu, raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, and Caesar salad dressing
• Raw or undercooked meats, fish (sushi), or shellfish
• Processed meats such as hot dogs and deli meats (unless reheated until steamy-hot)

Methylmercury

When mercury is released into the air through industrial pollution, it can accumulate in streams and oceans, where it turns into methylmercury. The methylmercury builds up in fish, especially those that eat other fish.

While fish and shellfish can be an extremely healthy part of your pregnancy diet, there are certain types of fish that you should avoid eating during pregnancy due to a higher level of "methylmercury." Ingesting too much of it while pregnant can cause damage to the developing brain of a fetus.

Prevention:

• Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish during your pregnancy.
• When choosing seafood, eat a variety of fish and shellfish and limit the amount to about 12 ounces per week — that's about two meals.
• Choose light tuna, which has less mercury than canned white tuna.
• If you eat canned albacore (white) tuna or tuna steaks, the eat no more than 6 ounces a week.
• Check any local health advisories before consuming any recreationally-caught fish.

Toxoplasmosis

You should avoid changing your cat’s litter box while you are pregnant due to the potential to contract "toxoplasmosis" — an infection that can cause serious problems for your unborn baby.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii. It can be found in raw and undercooked meat; unwashed fruits and vegetables; water; dust; soil; dirty cat-litter boxes; and other outdoor places where cat feces may be.

Symptoms:

• Toxoplasmosis can be difficult to detect.
• Symptoms typically include swollen glands, fever, headache, muscle pain, or a stiff neck.

Prevention:

• Avoid eating any meats that aren't well cooked.
• Make sure someone else changes your cat's litter box.
• Be sure to wear gloves when gardening, in case cats have used the flower beds. Wash your hands as soon as you're done.
• Avoid drinking untreated water.
• Wash hands before and after food preparation, and disinfect kitchen surfaces often.

Preventing Infections During Pregnancy

Here are some tips that can help you prevent infections that could harm your unborn baby.

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially

After:

• Using the bathroom
• Touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed vegetables
• Preparing food and eating
• Gardening or touching dirt or soil
• Handling pets
• Being around people who are sick
• Getting saliva (spit) on your hands
• Changing diapers

Before:

• Caring for and playing with children
• Being around people who are sick
• If soap and running water are not available, you may use alcohol-based hand gel or foam.

2. Do not share forks, cups, or food with young children.

Wash your hands often when around children. Their saliva and urine might contain a virus. It is likely harmless to them, but it can be dangerous for you and your unborn baby.

3. Cook your meat until it's well done.

The juices should run clear and there should be no pink inside. Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot. These undercooked meats and processed meats might contain harmful bacteria.

4. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it.

Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, brie, and queso fresco unless they have labels that say they are pasteurized. Unpasteurized products can contain harmful bacteria.

5. Do not touch or change dirty cat litter.

Have someone else do it. If you must change the litter yourself, be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Dirty cat litter might contain a harmful parasite.

6. Stay away from wild or pet rodents and their droppings.

Have a pest control professional get rid of pests in or around your home. If you have a pet rodent, like a hamster or guinea pig, have someone else care for it until after your baby arrives. Some rodents might carry a harmful virus.

7. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV and hepatitis B, and protect yourself from them.

Some people who have HIV, hepatitis B, or an STD do not feel sick. Knowing whether you have one of these diseases is important. If you do, talk to your doctor about how you can reduce the chance that your baby will become sick.

8. Talk to your doctor about vaccinations (shots).

Some are recommended before you become pregnant, during pregnancy, or right after delivery. Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy and help keep your baby from getting very sick or having life-long health problems.

9. Avoid people who have an infection.

Stay away from people who you know have infections, such as chickenpox or rubella, if you have not yet had it yourself or did not have the vaccine before pregnancy.

10. Ask your doctor about group B strep.

About 1 in 4 women carry this type of bacteria, but do not feel sick. An easy swab test near the end of pregnancy will show if you have this type of bacteria. If you do have group B strep, talk to your doctor about how to protect your baby during labour.