Pregnancy is a very exciting time. It can also be a very confusing time when everyone seems to want to give you advice and a lot of it can be conflicting. The older generation of woman will not always understand why you have been advised by midwives to avoid certain foods for example.

Grandmothers and mothers are very keen on saying things like ‘we were never told to avoid certain foods and drinks when i was pregnant and no harm came to you!’ This is because when they were pregnant doctors simply did not know what they now know due to medical intervention and research. Miscarriages occurred in their day due to what we now know to be preventable incidents such as avoiding foods that cause salmonella in the expectant mother.

Tattoo designs for women are popular but are to be avoided during pregnancy. Good tattooists will not tattoo a pregnant women anyway as it can cause a variety of problems and potential chain reactions such as the pain causing a pregnant women to go into early labour, or the risk of infection from the tattoo itself could cause the baby problems. If you have previously had a tattoo done on your stomach you will find that it is unrecognisable as your skin stretches on your stomach over the duration of the nine months!

It is a good idea to limit your caffeine intake during the early stages of pregnancy. There are conflicting studies surrounding this. An early pregnancy guide may recommend that you either drink no caffeine at all or that you restrict your coffee consumption to less than three cups per day if that. Many women find themselves feeling sick at the mere thought of tea and coffee whilst they are still within the first three months and hormones are causing morning sickness, which can occur at any time of the day.

Pregnancy acne is a very common occurrence. It is caused by the high levels of hormones in your system. But whilst there are plenty of acne products on the market, be careful about their use during pregnancy.

A glycolic acid skin care treatment is a safe and effective way to manage pregnancy acne. If this is not treating the problem effectively, a prescription for creams from the doctor is the best bet.

It is essential to your babies and your health that you eat well and healthily. Read about the foods that are best avoided and bear this in mind when cooking and eating out. In general do not eat shellfish such as prawns, unpasteurised dairy products such as soft cheese like brie, all types of pate and raw or undercooked meats.