Pregnancy Myths and Facts Quiz: Test Your Pregnancy IQ

Morning sickness is a misnomer because it can occur any time of day and it is not a sickness! Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of early pregnancy. In most cases, remedies are available for relief of nausea and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy can be affected by the amount of food eaten, and what time it was eaten. To manage nausea and vomiting during pregnancy:

• Avoid greasy, fried, or spicy food
• Eat smaller meals
• Eat more frequent meals
• Eat bland foods like toast and crackers

There is no safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink during her pregnancy.

Drinking anything that contains any amount of alcohol can cause problems for babies. When a fetus is exposed to alcohol, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can result, potentially causing problems in later life. The exact amount of alcohol that leads to problems in pregnancy is not known, so pregnant women are advised to abstain from alcohol completely.

The term fetal alcohol syndrome describes the sum total of the damage done to the child before birth as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) always involves brain damage, impaired growth, and head and face abnormalities. The brain damage can lead to problems with mental capacity, learning, and other functions.

It it not dangerous to exercise or to be physically active during pregnancy and doctors recommend it for most pregnant women. Women who exercised before pregnancy should continue to do so. Women who wish to become active during pregnancy may do so and should start slowly, however, pregnancy is not the time to exercise with the goal of weight loss. Check with your health care professional before beginning an exercise program during pregnancy.

Physical activity and regular exercise during pregnancy can improve common discomforts such as backache and fatigue, and can increase the likelihood of early recovery after delivery. In general, most kinds of aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises like yoga are safe during pregnancy.

Preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, refers to high blood pressure (hypertension) caused by pregnancy. Many pregnant women with high blood pressure have healthy babies without serious problems.

Pregnant women need 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid every day. All women who are sexually active and able to become pregnant need this amount of folic acid every day. The best way to ensure that you are getting the necessary amount of folic acid is by taking prenatal vitamins.

Folic acid, a member of the family of B vitamins, aids in the development and formation of a baby's brain and spine, and can prevent serious types of birth defects. Research studies indicate that insufficient intake of folic acid in the mother's diet is a key factor in causing spina bifida and other neural tube defects.

During pregnancy, the body needs more nutrients to provide for the baby to grow properly and be healthy. A pregnant woman is eating for two, but this does not mean that she must ingest excessive calories, or double her caloric intake. During the first trimester, a pregnanct woman does not need to consume any extra calories. The caloric requirement during the second trimester is an additional 340 calories. By the third trimester, pregnant women should be consuming about 450 additional calories.

The amount of weight a woman should gain during pregnancy depends on her body mass index (BMI) before she became pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) provides these guidelines:

- Women at a healthy weight before pregnancy should gain about 25 to 30 pounds.
- Women who were underweight before pregnancy should gain between 28 and 40 pounds.
- Women who were overweight before pregnancy should gain between 15 and 25 pounds.

Women should gain weight throughout the pregnancy. Most of the weight should be gained in the last trimesters. Generally, doctors suggest that women gain weight at a rate of 2-4 pounds total during the first trimester, and 3-4 pounds per month during the second and third trimesters.

There is no reason to change or alter a sex life during pregnancy unless a doctor advises otherwise. Intercourse or orgasm during pregnancy will not harm the baby, unless there is a medical problem. An unborn baby is well protected in the uterus by the amniotic fluid that surrounds him or her.