Is it convenient to go through an X-Ray device while pregnant? Can I have laser hair removal while pregnant? What vitamins should I take before getting pregnant? Is it dangerous for me to go to thermal spas while pregnant? Is there anything you can recommend instead? Is it dangerous to reach high during pregnancy? Is it harmful to do housework, walk for a long time, and climb stairs during pregnancy? Specialist Prof. Dr. Erkut Attar, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yeditepe University Hospitals and IVF, answers such and similar questions about pregnancy as follows: Questions and answers about the pregnancy period:

• Can I Drink Herbal Tea During My Pregnancy? Which Herbal Teas Should Not Be Drunk While Pregnant?

Pregnant women consume ginger, linden, chamomile, fennel, rosehip, regular tea, green tea, and fruit teas to relieve nausea (ginger), meet their fluid needs, and benefit from their calming properties (fennel). They are also used during puerperium to increase milk production (chamomile, fennel, nettle teas). As long as the daily amount of these does not exceed two cups, there seems to be no problem.

When teas such as sage, senna, basil, flaxseed, and raspberry are consumed frequently, they can increase the risk of miscarriage, the risk of bleeding during pregnancy, and the risk of premature birth by increasing uterine contractions. In addition, basil, rosemary, lavender, blueberry, hypericum, lemon balm, valerian, sweet balm, aloe vera, and dandelion can be given as examples. The common feature of these herbal teas is that when they are used during pregnancy, they have the possibility of increasing the risk of premature birth, bleeding, and miscarriage during pregnancy, and therefore they should definitely not be used.
Plants are not always innocent. Buying and using plants whose content and usage areas are unknown by herbalists with the idea that "herbal treatment is better than medication treatment" can cause serious health problems. Herbal treatment can only be carried out by a doctor who has received special training in this regard.

• Can I Have Laser Hair Removal While Pregnant?

Laser hair removal applications can be done during pregnancy. Laser is a technique that uses light energy. The resulting electromagnetic radiation is different from x-rays used in radiotherapy and does not propagate through tissue. The ray only affects the treated area, for example only the face, and the area of effect is limited to only a few millimeters. For this reason, it is not possible for it to reach or harm the baby in the mother's womb. However, it would be appropriate to leave such applications after 3-4 months of pregnancy.

• Which Vitamins Should I Take Before Getting Pregnant?

Folic acid must be used before pregnancy occurs. Deficiency of this vitamin causes disorders related to the development of brain tissue, which we call neural tube defects. For this reason, 800 micrograms of folic acid intake per day is recommended for at least 3 months before conception. Since other vitamins can be easily taken with food, they are not recommended in the first months. However, they can be recommended after the 3rd month, as their deficiencies can be seen in women with severe nausea and vomiting and in pregnant women with low oral intake.

• At What Week Is the Retardation in the Development of The Baby in the Mother's Womb Understood?

In pregnancy follow-up, developmental delay can occur at any time of pregnancy. Although most developmental retardation is constitutional, it starts earlier and progresses more severely in conditions such as infections in the womb, hypertension, diabetes with vascular involvement, and congenital anomalies.

• Is It Dangerous to Go to Thermal Spas While Pregnant? Is There Anything You Can Recommend Instead?

Warm application, local muscle relaxant creams, or massage application may be recommended for joint and muscle pains during pregnancy. Thermal spas can be preferred in most diseases due to the soothing effect of hot water on the tissue. However, caution should be exercised during pregnancy. The temperature of the applied water is as important as the cleanliness of the location. The body maintains the fetus at the maternal body temperature. For this reason, it may be necessary to be careful because waters that are lower than body temperatures, such as the sea, cold pools, or extremely hot waters like hot springs, may affect the body's temperature balance. Although it seems harmless to put your feet in hot or cold water or immerse joints such as knees in water, entering the water with your whole body may affect the temperature balance and trigger the formation of urogenital infection by the ascending route.

• Is Trying to Reach High Prohibited During Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the expectant mother tries to keep up with different situations. For example, as the gestational week progresses, the belly grows larger, and the cavitation of the vertebrae, which we call lordosis, increases in the lumbar region in order to balance the body. With the effect of hormones, separations occur in the hip joints that will increase the range of motion. While all these changes are taking place, it becomes difficult for the expectant mother to get up from her seat, bend over or reach upwards. These and similar movements begin to be painful. In cases such as hanging a curtain at home, or taking dishes and similar items from a high shelf, the pregnant woman feels pain and strains during these movements and this increases intra-abdominal pressure. If there are certain or undiagnosed conditions such as underlying cervical insufficiency or premature rupture of membranes, sudden cramping, water breaking, or spotting bleeding may occur.

• Is It Convenient to Do Housework During Pregnancy?

Similarly, doing housework for a long time, vacuuming carpets, and engaging in contact sports bring along similar complaints. Pregnant women can do housework for a short time and at an untiring pace.

• Is It Dangerous to Walk Fast or for a Long-Time During Pregnancy?

In the same way, it should be noted that activities such as walking, swimming, and climbing stairs should not be paced. The pregnant woman should not feel tired. Paced activities that make you feel tired cause a decrease in blood flow to the uterus. This is due to the mother's increased need for oxygen during intense exercise. In this case, the blood will go to the other vital organs of the mother and will reduce the amount of blood flow to the uterus, which is to the baby. In this case, the blood flow to the baby and the amount of oxygen decreases.

• Is It Dangerous to Climb Stairs During Pregnancy?

Climbing stairs higher than 3 stories in the first and last trimester of pregnancy can be risky. If there is no risk of miscarriage, if it is not multiple pregnancies, and if there is no possibility of premature birth, going up and down the stairs will not have any serious side effects.

• Are Ready-Made Fruit Juices or Prepared Foods Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Again, pregnant women should pay attention to ready-made and frozen foods. These substances, such as fruit juices, preserves, and other canned foods contain some preservatives to preserve their freshness. Excessive consumption of these substances will cause excessive intake of these substances, which may have harmful effects, and will have a negative effect on pregnancy.

• Is It Dangerous to Talk on a Mobile Phone for a Long-Time During Pregnancy?

Although the proven negative effects of conditions such as long-term use of mobile phones and passing through x-ray doors are insufficient, they are not recommended due to possible negative effects on fetal tissue.

• Is It Convenient to Lift Heavy Weights and Carry a Toddler During Pregnancy?

Lifting heavy objects is also an issue that should be kept in mind as it will increase the mother's energy needs. Carrying over 3 kilograms at a time, shopping on Sundays, or lifting a small child can affect the mother.

• Are Fatigue and Stress Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Stress is a condition that should be handled separately during pregnancy. Adaptation to increasing hormone levels in the physiology of pregnancy is a period when the mood of the expectant mother is more sensitive. The expectant mother can get angry easily because she worries about the future of her pregnancy. Even a simple problem in her examination can negatively affect the morale of both herself and those around her. She may become offended easily, may cry, and may have anxiety for which she does not know the reason. These are the times when you need to support the most. Stress may cause the mother to reduce her own care, delay her treatment, and blame herself unnecessarily in adverse conditions. Due to all these reasons, she may not feel the happiness of being a mother due to unpleasantness at a time when she will actually enjoy it for herself and her family.

• What Is the Harm of One or Two Cigarettes During Pregnancy? What About Being a Passive Smoker?

A pregnant woman should never smoke. For herself and her baby. Studies have shown that mothers who smoke cigarettes give birth more frequently. In other words, a smoking mother will give birth long before her term and will give birth to a baby who has not yet adapted to the world. This premature baby will have respiratory distress, feeding problems, and many more problems. For this reason, it is expected from the expectant mother to quit smoking if she is smoking, at least to reduce the number of cigarettes and to prevent even passive exposure to cigarette smoke.

• Is the Use of Caffeine, Tea, or Alcohol During Pregnancy Harmful, What Are the Risks?

As important as smoking is daily caffeine or alcohol consumption. Caffeine is a substance that keeps the body fit, provides alertness, and accelerates metabolism. Side effects include palpitations, nausea, restlessness, and agitation when consumed in excess. In the long term, it has side effects such as a reduction in bone tissue. Excessive consumption of a substance that has such an effect on metabolism during pregnancy cannot be allowed. However, 1-2 cups of coffee or light tea can be consumed per week. Tea also contains theine, a substance similar to caffeine. Drinking a weak tea or a milk coffee reduces the effects of caffeine and theine. Theine in tea reduces the body's absorption of iron and may lead to an increase in iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. Therefore, it can be recommended for patients to drink tea with lemon. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, in lemons, increases iron absorption and reduces the effect of theine. Instead of coffee and tea containing caffeine or theine, herbal teas that ease the stomach and relieve the mother's tension can be recommended, provided that they do not exceed 1-2 cups per day.

Alcohol is a substance that has harmful effects on developing fetal tissue. Especially when consumed in the first months, it affects the fetus very negatively. In this condition called fetal alcohol syndrome, problems such as mental retardation, facial anomalies, and extremity disorders occur. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation in the community, which can be prevented by reducing alcohol intake during pregnancy.

• What Are the Points to Be Considered When Using Medications While Pregnant?

In any period of pregnancy, before using medications for any reason, the opinion of your obstetrician should be obtained and the drug should not be used without his/her approval. Unless the medical condition or complaints require the use of medication during pregnancy, it is necessary not to use medications and to use them with the recommendation of the doctor. There is a medication suitable for use in pregnancy for almost every medical condition. But as we said, the recommendation of the gynecologist should be taken first. When medications are used unnoticed during pregnancy or when medication use is required, the doctor should be contacted, and after the content of the medication is determined, its suitability should be determined from the books classified according to these categories.

• Are Personal Care Practices Dangerous During Pregnancy?

(For example, applications such as dyeing hair, manicure, and pedicure, applying moisturizing creams, and making masks…)

Dyeing hair and using products containing various chemicals expose the mother to many agents that may actually have a toxic effect on the body. Although there are not enough proven studies, it is thought that these products may accumulate in the body and damage fetal tissue, which is the most sensitive structure. For this reason, it is recommended to use these products after the 12th week, when the fetal effect may be less, even if it is necessary to use them. During activities such as pedicures and manicures, infections such as hepatitis and HIV, which are transmitted by blood in the community, are possible. When such infections are undergone during pregnancy, they adversely affect the fetus and may cause congenital or neonatal infections. Laser hair removal applications can be done during pregnancy. Laser is a technique that uses light energy. The resulting electromagnetic radiation is different from x-rays used in radiotherapy and does not propagate through tissue. The ray only affects the treated area, for example only the face, and the area of effect is limited to only a few millimeters. For this reason, it is not possible for it to reach or harm the baby in the mother's womb. However, it would be appropriate to leave such applications after 3-4 months of pregnancy.