Certainly, smoking is not the only toxin you're going to encounter when trying to become pregnant.
Going back briefly to diet, remember that food additives are always undesirable.
Hungry for rice and veggies? Don't buy the pre-mixed frozen plastic plate that you pop into the microwave - cook some rice, toss with stir-fried fresh veggies, and add a little low-sodium teriyaki sauce.
Toss in a fresh egg and stir-fry it along with the veggies and you've got a great dish that's fresh and healthy.
And best of all, you're saying good-by to food additives, at least for one meal.
When you're tempted to backslide, remember the contaminated pet food scare a few months ago.
By all means, if you can afford it, buy organic (and if having a healthy child is you main concern, you can afford it!) All the noise about organic food is not just touting another trend...
true organic foods are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which have long been associated with infertility.
The following are good general rules on what else you should try to avoid when trying to become pregnant: Drink water out of OPAQUE plastic bottles or thermoses.
Don't microwave in plastic containers.
Use a home filter for tap water Don't use solvents and stain repellents Reduce the number of household cleaners - try soap & water! Let some else use the gasoline-powered yard tools (you stay with the manual or electric machinery) Try to avoid breathing in gasoline fumes when filling your car's gas tank (again, see if you can sweet-talk someone else into doing it) Go easy on the seafood; limit yourself to fish and shellfish low in PCBs and mercury contamination (most sources say we're safest sticking with salmon and canned tuna).
Just trying to list the number of toxins that we encounter daily would make any normal person's head spin (especially if they're wearing a hat - the expression "mad as a hatter" derived from the brain-damaging effects of mercury used years ago in making men's hats).
I should mention the importance of making sure that any medications you are taking are brought to the attention of your health professional prior to conception.
This includes over-the-counter remedies and herbals as well.
Don't forget diet pills, which almost all of us have taken in some form or another - and some of which have proven to be highly dangerous.
Some medications can interfere with conception; they include: Antidepressants Anti-anxiety drugs (such as valium) Acutane (for acne) Antihistamines Some topical steroid creams ACE inhibitor (e.
g.
lisinopril, catopril) for high blood pressure or kidney protection.
Zocor, Lipitor (to lower blood pressure) Coumadin (a blood thinner) Ketoconazole (an anti-fungal) Spironolactone (an anti-hypertensive) Sulfasalazine (for inflammatory bowel disease) Calcium Channel Blockers (anti-hypertensives) Allopurinol, Colchicine (for gout) Antibiotics (Nitrofuran, Erythromycin, Gentamicin) Methotrexate (for cancer, psoriasis, arthritis Cimetidine (for ulcers or acid reflux)) Any cold medicines (especially during the 3rd trimester) Often, birth defect syndromes happen only in small percentages of those women who take a certain medication when trying to become pregnant.
Your doctor or nurse practitioner may feel that controlling a specific medical condition in the woman may justify the small risk to a fetus - the disorder itself could cause more damage.
A risk/ benefit balance has to be taken into consideration for both mother and baby.
For example, a mother-to-be with diabetes requiring insulin injections may have more problems with pregnancy without medication than with it.
But each case must be considered on its own merits.
One of the most common questions about home pregnancy tests is whether over-the-counter or prescription drugs can interfere with a test result.
Basically, only a few hCG-containing fertility drugs can interfere with a pregnancy test.
Drugs containing hCG may cause a false positive result with the tests.
The most common fertility drug, Clomid, does not fall into this category and will not cause a false result.
There are no other over-the-counter drugs that can cause issues with home pregnancy tests, nor will herbal medications or any foods.
A good friend of mine, an attorney, wore an insulin pump under her clothing.
Because she had what is known as "brittle diabetes," a virulent condition in which the insulin level fluctuates dramatically and is difficult to control, she thought she could never carry or deliver a healthy child.
Today, this woman is the proud mother of a little girl named Lucy, a healthy and beautiful baby.
Some difficulties did occur during the birth process, but both mother and baby were able to come through without lasting effects.
Medical professionals know so much more today than they did a few years ago about delivering healthy babies...
and women are also much more knowledgeable.
Stay alert and aware - don't let toxin at home or in the environment jeopardize your good health!