“I just found out I’m pregnant. Can I keep drinking my energy shake in the mornings?” “My doctor gave me the go-ahead to work out. Okay to have a protein shake after the gym?” “My immunity-boosting drink is a life-saver. Can I keep using it while I’m pregnant?” These are common questions during pregnancy, and ones that we hear a lot at MotherToBaby. Perhaps you’ve wondered the same thing yourself. As teratogen information specialists, we provide facts about how a person’s exposures in pregnancy …
The Baby Blog: supplements
Intense Exercise during Pregnancy: Too Much of a Good Thing or Not?
If you are an athlete and/or have a physically active lifestyle, you may have wondered: ‘Should my exercise routine change during pregnancy and breastfeeding?’ As a former division 1 athlete and now teratogen information specialist, I sure have. You may have seen news reports about professional athletes who trained and competed at the highest level at least for some time during or shortly after their pregnancies. Serena Williams won the Australian Open while 8 weeks pregnant; Alysia Montano ran …
Planning a Healthy Pregnancy
Tanya called in on a Monday morning. “I’m getting married in a few months and we want to start trying to get pregnant right away. What should I be doing now to have the best chance of a healthy baby?” Preconception health and pregnancy planning present a terrific opportunity to assess a wide range of factors that can give your baby the best start. This blog will outline the things to consider, as I relayed to Tanya: Your Personal Health Are you generally healthy? If you already get …
Beyond the Virus: Your Questions during the Era of COVID-19
As the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues to spread, pregnant and breastfeeding women are understandably concerned. Many of your recent calls, chats, texts, and emails to MotherToBaby have been about the virus itself and how it might affect a developing baby or breastfed infant (more about that on our COVID-19 fact sheet). But we’re also hearing related concerns about how to stay safe and healthy while pregnant or breastfeeding during the pandemic. Here, we answer some of the most common …