By: ePregnancy
Congratulations, Mom -- it’s a bouncing baby blastocyst!
Don't go too crazy buying up all the blue bears at FAO Schwartz -- your baby is just a wee clump of cells no bigger than a grain of sand. At this point, you won’t even know if you are pregnant or not -- you haven’t even skipped your period yet! (Aren’t you glad that situation no longer strikes fear in your heart?)
Continue taking those prenatal vitamins (flaunt that shiny shiny hair!) and folic acid -- but don’t be tempted to double up on doses -- they are manufactured with exactly the amount of nutrients that you need.
Something you may not know is that many women actually bleed during their first trimester. If this happens to you, there’s no need to panic, because it happens to about 20 percent of women. And, more importantly, not all women who bleed miscarry. If you notice spotting or bleeding, you may even mistake it for your period – and not even realize that you are pregnant. Some things that might cause bleeding are the placenta forming, strenuous exercise and sex. If you notice bleeding and think you might be pregnant, decrease your level of activity and, as always, call your doctor just to be safe.
Due Dialect: Blastocyst
A blastocyst is essentially a bundle of cells, 70-100 of them, to be precise. This little bundle is only called a blastocyst prior to implantation, after which it officially becomes known as an embryo. Your little blasto has two layers of cells; the inner layer will form the embryo and the outer layer will become the placenta. That's a lot of work from such a small number of cells!
If I already have the baby, why do I need to take prenatal vitamins?
It's really all just a matter of semantics. Even though you are now in possession of a glorious little blasto, you must continue taking prenatal vitamins. They will make up for any deficiencies in your diet - because we can't all be perfectly balanced all the time! And remember, you need nutrients for two, so keep popping those vitamins.
I know what foods I need to eat, but what shouldn't I eat?
You already know that a steady diet of french fries isn't the best choice while pregnant (or any time, for that matter) -- but there are other foods out there that you should avoid.
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Additives - These are hidden in your food: MSG, artificial colorings, olestra (you are going to have enough bathroom issues without adding this to the mix), and saccharin. All of these are just chemicals that you don't need, and many of them have harmful effects that range from headaches and nausea to causing ADD in children.
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Unpasteurized Foods - This includes obvious choices like raw eggs, but also soft cheeses, fresh-pressed juices (like cider) and so on. Normally unpasteurized foods don't pose much of a threat, but when pregnant you and your child are susceptible to any bacteria that may be contained in the food.
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Seafood - You don't have to banish all seafood from your plate - some fish are quite safe and even recommended as a form of lean protein during pregnancy. However, you should abstain from shellfish (because of potential bacteria), sushi and sashimi, tropical fish (may contain toxins), and self-caught fish (tend to contain more contaminants). Due to their high mercury levels, you should also stay away from
swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish.
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Uncooked or Cured Meats - You already can't have the Corona, and you'll have to cross ceviche off your list as well. The same goes for Hollandaise, runny eggs, prosciutto and shrimp cocktail. You'll also have to cross hot dogs, luncheon meat, smoked fish and meats, and salami off the list. If you get really desperate for some of these things, try some of the mock meats that are out there -- the corn dogs aren't half bad!
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Herbal Teas - For the most part, herbal teas are safe. We even recommend chamomile tea as a sleep remedy, and peppermint as a nausea combative. However, you should stay away from teas that contain raspberry, cohash, slippery elm, ginseng and green tea leaves -- these can stimulate contractions, bringing on early labor in some cases.