Top 10 Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

• Fish high in Mercury: Fish that contain high levels of mercury should be avoided. Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage. A sample of these types of fish include: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Canned, chunk light tuna generally has a lower amount of mercury than other tuna, but still should only be eaten in moderation. Certain types of fish used in sushi should also be avoided due to high levels of mercury.
• Hot dogs and luncheon meats, including deli ham, turkey, bologna, and salami — unless they have been reheated until steaming hot. These foods are prone to Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes listeriosis, which may result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or other serious health problems.
• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood (like raw oysters, clams, sushi), and eggs (including eggs in cookie dough and cake batter). Undercooked animal foods may contain a variety of bacteria and viruses. Use a meat thermometer to determine doneness of meat and poultry, and cook eggs until they are no longer runny.
• Unpasteurized dairy foods, including some milk and certain cheeses, such as Brie, feta, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, “queso blanco,” “queso fresco,” and Panela;
  
• Unpasteurized juices, such as cider purchased from roadside stands, at farms, or in stores. These products are prone to germs, including E. coli. Check the label to be sure juice is pasteurized.
• Raw vegetable sprouts, including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean. The FDA says sprouts are not a good idea for anyone, never mind pregnant women who are more susceptible to the health effects of the germs sprouts possess.
• Herbal supplements and teas. Herbs are natural, but herbal products have not been studied enough to recommend them during pregnancy.
• Alcohol. Beer, wine, and spirits rob developing cells of oxygen, making normal development impossible. The effects of alcohol on intellectual prowess are irreparable. According to the March of Dimes, there is no known safe level for alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
• Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby’s heart rate and breathing.
• Liver - liver is a rich source of iron. However it contains a high level of Vitamin A. Large amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful to the baby.

The beating heart

I had an ultrasound done, today. It’s early, but the doc wanted to make sure the baby was properly positioned (and not ectopic). Everything checked out good. The baby is where it should be, and has a beating heart (at 120 bpm). The ultrasound technician was clearly relieved when she found everything where it should be.

The ultrasound machine had problems saving the video to my husband's USB thumbdrive, so I will have to wait to get the video until our next visit (about three weeks). The techinician was kind enough take a pic of the screen with her phone (which had better resolution than our phone). The little blob under the yellow dotted line is the baby, six weeks old.

The rash I had was almost gone, my doctor said it's probably an allergy to something. The nurse took a blood sample to check for either an infection or an allergy.

skin rash

This morning I woke up with rash all over my body. It looks like mosquito bites on my legs, arms, face, abdomen..even my eye lids.

I was so worried that it might harm my fetus, I did some online research and it looks like some pregnant women get it. Anyway, I scheduled an appointment with my OB/GYN for tomorrow. I will have my first ultrasound as well .

My first OB/GYN visit

Thursday afternoon, my husband and I went to Dr Santos's office. After filling out more than 25 pages of documents, I had to give urine and blood samples. He did the check up and said everything looks fine, and that my due date is October 24th, 2009.

When I asked about the pain I have almost every night in my lower abdomen, he said it might be a UTI (urinary tract infection). I will find out when my urine test result is ready.

He also gave me a prenatal vitamins prescription and brochures to some education classes about pregnancy and delivery.

Gynecologist visit

Tuesday afternoon we visited my gynecologist. The nurse did a urine pregnancy test to confirm my pregnancy and in fact it was positive. I was so excited !

The doctor did the check up and he told me that everything looks fine, but I need to find an OB/GYN since he is not.

We have no idea which one to pick, because it's our first pregnancy. After some thinking we called our primary physician and asked for a referral to his wife's OB/GYN :)

No symptoms so far except that I put on 4 lb

pregnancy test

After waiting for more than 4 days for my period, my husband and I decided to buy a pregnancy test.
Sunday morning I woke up at 3 am to do it, I was impatient.

the result was positive.

I was happy and nervous in the same time, didn't know whether to believe it or not.
we decided to visit my gynecologist for a confirmation.

First sign

last night I had this sharp lower abdomen pain that kept me awake all night. next morning I had to call in sick. I was so sleepy and tired.

since it was time for my period I did not suspect anything, yet.

I spent the whole day relaxing, cooking and watching tv..It was fun after all :)