Pregnancy requires mothers to maintain a healthy diet low in mercury and lead to avoid harming the embryo's development. Mothers should also avoid teratogens like illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes which can cause low birth weight, learning disabilities, and fetal alcohol syndrome in babies. During pregnancy, mothers need to prevent infections and take precautions if their blood type is Rh negative to protect the growing fetus as it develops organs in the first trimester and matures in the second and third trimesters before birth.

1. Diana Seda
Developmental Psychology 241
Advice on Pregnancy
Pregnancy is carrying one or more off springs known as a fetus or embryo inside the
womb of a female, pregnancy is also multiple gestation.
There is no specific diet to maintain if you are trying to conceive, but eating healthy is
definite an important factor, consuming whole grains, fruits and vegetables and plenty of water.
Eating food low on mercury would be beneficial, mercury is an element that can be toxin to the
embryo and cause brain damage. Lead can also cause learning disability.
As a mother to be it’s important to become aware of different teratogens which can cause
harm to embryo or fetus these teratogens can come from chemicals of just environmental factors.
Some of these chemicals are illicit drugs, such as marijuana, it can cause low birth weight.
Babies that were born to mother who smoked marijuana reported to have learning disability and
memory problems. Although expected mothers might want to celebrate the great news of
conceiving, she must remember that a glass of wine she consumes will be shared with her
embryo it will be crossing the placenta. So holding back on that glass of wine would be the best
practice. Moderate drinking does pose danger to embryo. Children born to mothers who consume
alcohol, show sign of fetal alcohol syndrome, some with growth delays, deformities and learning
disabilities. Cocaine usage by pregnant women can lead to newborn infants with growth delay,
retardation and still birth.
Mother and father might want to have a blood test done to inquire on blood type. Rh
negative mother and Rh positive father can lead to an fetus with Rh positive blood, causing the
mother to create antibodies against the Rh positive baby acting as baby is an invader. This
would cause for the mother’s immune system to attack the baby’s blood, causing a break down
in red blood cells. Pregnancy requires a woman to take care of her health by preventing and
viruses and bacteria, which can lead to a battery of medication which affects the embryo or fetus.
Pregnancy also means being very hormonal and mother to be will go through an
emotional roller coaster. This will take place as the pregnancy progresses, very well known in
the first trimester. During the first 12 week a lot of changes will occur in the mother and embryo.
Embryonic period involves the brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs to start to form, this is
why teratogens are dangerous if expose to embryo. The second trimester the brain and organs
continues to mature. In the third trimester the fetus continues to grow and position itself for
delivery.
Pregnancy is beautiful. Mothers to be must protect themself from pathogens and

2. teratogens which can cause harm to embryo or fetus. Teratology which studies birth deformities
continue to do research on drug use and birth defects.
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