http://americordblood.com | Figuring out what’s safe and what to avoid during pregnancy may feel overwhelming. We’ve compiled a quick guide of do’s and don’ts to help keep you and baby safe throughout your pregnancy.

1. What’s Safe and What to Avoid

2. Congratulations—you’re
pregnant!
You probably have lots of
questions about what’s safe and
what to avoid during your
pregnancy, especially if you’re a
first-time mom.
We’ve compiled a list of things
that are generally considered
safe during pregnancy and
others to avoid. Let’s take a look.

3. Eating for two doesn’t mean you
need to eat twice as many calories.
In fact, pregnant women only need
around 300 additional calories per
day during pregnancy.
The source of the calories you
consume is important—aim for a
diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole
grains, cooked and nitrate-free
meats, dairy, and nuts.
How much weight you should gain
during your pregnancy depends
largely on your pre-pregnancy
weight. Ask your doctor how much
weight you’ll need to gain.

4. Fish is an excellent source of omega-3
fatty acids, but large predatory fish
are nearly always high in mercury
content and should be avoided
during pregnancy. These include:
• King mackerel
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish
• Tuna
• Uncooked fish and shellfish
Opt instead for up to 12 ounces per week
of fish/shellfish like tilapia, catfish, oysters,
and clams.

5. Pregnant women need more of these
nutrients:
• Folic acid - 400-800 micrograms
(mcg)/day in early pregnancy and
throughout pregnancy
• Calcium - 1,000 milligrams (mg)/day;
more for women 18 or younger
• Iron - 27 milligrams (mg)/day
• Vitamin A - 770 micrograms
(mcg)/day; less if 18 or younger
• Vitamin B12 - 2.6 micrograms
(mcg)/day
Some antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and
penicillin, are generally considered safe
during pregnancy. Ask your doctor
before taking any antibiotic while you
are pregnant.

6. There is no known amount of
alcohol that is safe to consume
during pregnancy—alcohol
should be avoided altogether.
Caffeine in moderation
appears to be safe during
pregnancy. Moderation means
200 milligrams or less per day—
that’s the amount of caffeine in
around 12 ounces of coffee
(depending on the strength
and brew).

7. Low-impact activities, such as
swimming, dancing, and low-
impact aerobics, are best for
moms-to-be. You may be
able to continue higher
intensity activities like tennis
and racquetball, but only with
approval from your doctor.
Activities like soccer and
horseback riding should be
avoided, since you could fall
or be hit in the stomach.
Sex is generally considered
safe during pregnancy, but
finding comfortable positions
might require a bit of
experimenting—not
necessarily a bad thing!

8. Sitting for prolonged periods can slow
blood flow to the legs. Limit travel by car
to 4 or 5 hours per day maximum, and
take plenty of stretch breaks.
If traveling outside the country, consider
the following:
• Is the water and food safe where
you’re going?
• What communicable diseases could
you be exposed to, and will you need
immunizations before you go?
• Is there good medical care available
in case of an emergency?
Always wear your seat belt in the car and
while seated on a plane. The lap belt
should go UNDER your belly, and the
shoulder strap should go between your
breasts and off to the side of your belly.

9. Consider saving your baby’s cord blood, a
rich source of stem cells that is easily
accessible and only available when your
baby is born. These stem cells are
genetically unique to your baby and your
family, and can be used to treat your baby,
the baby’s siblings, and other family
members for various diseases and illnesses.
Cord tissue and placenta tissue
both contain special multipotent
stem cells, which can
differentiate into many different
types of cells and can be used to
treat a wider range of diseases
than cord blood alone.

10. Americord is a leader in the
advancement of umbilical cord
blood, cord tissue, and placenta
tissue banking. As a private bank,
Americord collects, processes, and
stores newborn stem cells exclusively
for each family to use in future
medical or therapeutic treatments.
Based in New York, Americord is
registered with the FDA and operates
in all 50 states. The company’s
laboratory is CLIA Certified,
accredited by the AABB, and
complies with all federal and state
guidelines and applicable licenses.
Learn more about cord blood, cord
tissues, and placental tissue banking
at americordblood.com.

11. 1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-
answers/antibiotics-and-pregnancy/faq-20058542
2. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/staying-healthy-
safe.html
3. http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2009/Weight-Gain-During-
Pregnancy-Reexamining-the-Guidelines/Report%20Brief%20-
%20Weight%20Gain%20During%20Pregnancy.pdf
4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/bmi-calculator/itt-20084938
5. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/FASDFactsheet/FASD.pdf
6. http://americordblood.com/cord-blood-101/cord-blood-banking-101-
introduction
7. http://womenshealth.gov/smoking-how-to-quit/
8. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/prenatal-care-
tests.html#babyActivity