There are some things in life we should enjoy in moderation or not at all.
Alcohol, Cigarettes and other Drugs
- Alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs
- Get help to cut down or QUIT smoking
- Problems with using other drugs
Dental Hygiene
Alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs
It is best not to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take any drugs while you are pregnant because all drugs can cross the placenta and go into your baby’s bloodstream.
You may know someone who has had what appears to be a healthy baby even though she used drugs while she was pregnant. But you cannot assume that your baby will be healthy if you take drugs while you are pregnant. No-one can predict how your baby will be affected.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is dangerous
It is best not to drink alcohol during pregnancy. This is because alcohol crosses your placenta and goes into your baby’s bloodstream.
Since unborn babies cannot break down alcohol properly, drinking can lead to problems with growth and development, including brain development. Not drinking alcohol is particularly important in the first three months of pregnancy.
If you do drink alcohol:
- Limit it to less than one standard drink in any day.
- Do not drink every day.
- Avoid getting drunk.
- Avoid binge drinking.
What is one standard alcoholic drink?
A standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. Remember that drinks you order or make could be larger than a standard drink. See the attached document for more information on how much alcohol there is in different drinks (click here).
Smoking during pregnancy is dangerous
The decision to stop smoking is the most important step you can take to improve your chance of having a healthy baby and a normal labour. If you stop smoking completely, the risk to your baby can be greatly reduced, almost to the same level as for women who have never smoked. The benefits are greatest if you stop in the first half of your pregnancy, but there are real benefits from stopping smoking at any time.
It is dangerous to smoke during pregnancy because.......
Poisonous chemicals are carried to your baby via your blood
Cigarettes contain many poisonous chemicals, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, and cyanide. These highly dangerous chemicals enter your bloodstream and are then carried into your baby’s blood.
Nicotine narrows blood vessels and reduces the supply of blood to your womb and to your baby. This makes it harder for your baby to get the nutrients she or he needs. Nicotine from your smoking also stresses the baby’s heart by making it beat faster.
Carbon monoxide, the same gas that pollutes the air from car exhausts, replaces some of the life-giving oxygen in your blood. It can reduce your baby’s oxygen supply by up to one quarter.
Smoking can starve your baby of oxygen.
Problems with pregnancy and birth
Smoking damages the placenta, which is the baby’s lifeline to you. The placenta may not attach properly or it may end up in the wrong position, causing serious bleeding. It may even separate before the baby is born. These effects can lead to emergency situations when your baby may need to be delivered urgently by an operation –a caesarean delivery. The chances of a perinatal death (the baby dying at birth or shortly after) increase if you have smoked during pregnancy.
Greater risk of a preterm birth
If you smoke, your chance of having your baby before he/she is ready increases dramatically . This means your baby may be born before it is fully developed. Preterm babies with lungs that are not fully developed can be sickly and have trouble breathing. Babies born preterm are more likely to need special care in a humidi crib after birth.
Poor growth and development
Even if babies of smoking mothers are born at the right time (full term), they are, on average, slightly smaller in weight and length. They tend to have smaller brains than other babies. These effects of under-development can be seen even when children are primary school age. Effects on intelligence appear to persist into adult life.
Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome
Although SIDS is rare, smoking during pregnancy can double your baby's risk.
Passive smoking is dangerous too
Passive smoke contains smoke that is breathed out after a puff of a cigarette, but is mainly sidestream smoke. Sidestream smoke comes from the cigarette end and has not been filtered through the tip. This means it has even more poisons in it than found in the smoke inhaled through a cigarette. Exposing your child to sidestream smoke can be as harmful as smoking, so QUIT now.
Get help to cut down or QUIT smoking
The best way to cut down the serious risks to you and your baby is to stop smoking NOW. Cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke is a step in the right direction, but there is no safe level of smoking, and smokers who have cut back, under stress, tend to return to their old levels of smoking.
Nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy
Ideally, stopping smoking during pregnancy should be done without nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). It is a drug, and like taking any drugs in pregnancy, there are always some risks involved. However, for women who are unable to stop smoking on their own, NRT may be recommended to help them QUIT. Any decision to use NRT should be made with your obstetrician, GP or other health professionals.
Talk to your midwife, hospital doctor or GP if you would like some more help to stop smoking or call the Quitline on 131 848.
Or talk to other women in Caboolture about how they QUIT via the forum (link to fourm).
Problems with using other drugs
Illicit or illegal drugs such as heroin and amphetamines are often mixed or ‘cut’ with unknown substances. These unknown substances can also be very harmful to you or your baby.
Even some prescription drugs and herbal treatments can be harmful during pregnancy.
Drugs that can be a problem include:
- Tranquillisers and sleeping pills
- Painkillers
- Marijuana
- Amphetamines
- Heroin
- Cocaine
- LSD
- Ecstasy and other designer drugs
- Glues and aerosols
To limit the harm to you and your baby tell your doctor or midwife if you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use recreational drugs, even if you only use them occasionally or socially. Your doctor, midwife or a drug counsellor can help you quit cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs.
Reducing drug use will lower YOUR risk of:
- Having premature labour
- Having a miscarriage
- Having a stillborn baby
- Damaging your placenta so your baby does not get everything it needs to grow being infected with hepatitis or HIV
Reducing drug use will lower the risk of YOUR BABY:
- Not growing or developing properly
- Being born too early (premature)
- Being at risk from infections and breathing problems
- Having disturbed sleep patterns, irritability, and difficulty feeding
- Being at greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Should I visit my dentist while I am pregnant?
Yes, you should visit your dentist early in your pregnancy to make sure problems, if there are any, are spotted early. Then, if treatment is needed, it can be scheduled at an appropriate time (often during the second trimester). Bear in mind that after your baby is born, it could be several months before you will be able to find the time in your busy life for a dental appointment, so do it now!
Your dentist may also remove plaque from your teeth. This will help to reduce or prevent your chances of having a preterm birth if you have gum disease.
Ask your dentist to show you how to brush and floss correctly to help keep your gums and teeth healthy.
Don’t forget to remind your dentist that you are pregnant at every appointment.
But aren’t dentists expensive?
Your GP may be able to refer you to a dentist when you are pregnant. If you have an ‘enhanced care plan’ for a chronic or complex condition, your first two visits to the dentist can be covered by Medicare.
For private dentists in Caboolture check the Australian Dental Association website for contact details.
Why is dental hygiene important during pregnancy?
Looking after your teeth and gums is especially important when you are pregnant. Not looking after your teeth during pregnancy can lead to dangerously high blood pressure in pregnancy (preeclampsia), preterm birth, and having a baby with unhealthy, low birth weight.
Some dental conditions, like plaque, gingivitis (inflamed gums) and untreated gum disease can increase your risk of pregnancy complications. If your gums are inflamed, you have an infection that can release unhealthy chemicals into your bloodstream. These chemicals can cause your contractions to start early and can cause early labour.
Why does this happen when I am pregnant?
One of the important hormones of pregnancy, progesterone, leads to changes in your body, including your gums. One such change affects how your blood vessels work. The vessels in your gums become more sensitive to the build up of dental plaque bacteria. This makes your gums more likely to become red and to bleed. There are always bacteria in the plaque that forms continuously around teeth, but the risk of gum disease increases during pregnancy.
How to prevent unhealthy gums?
- Floss before brushing. This breaks up the dental plaque and helps your toothpaste work better. Then brush your teeth to get rid of dental plaque that can lead to red and inflamed gums.
- Brush your teeth and gums twice a day, using a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
Some dentists recommend toothpaste that contains Triclosan (e.g., Colgate Total). Triclosan reduces inflammation in the gums. This helps protect against plaque, gum inflammation, and tooth decay, but this toothpaste can cost more than other toothpastes.
How does my diet affect my dental health?
- Calcium: The calcium that is used to make the teeth and bones of your baby should come from calcium in your diet. The process of tooth formation actually begins around the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy.
If you do not eat enough foods with calcium, the calcium will be taken from your bones. This can put you at risk of osteoporosis (“brittle bones” disease), so it is important to eat enough calcium-rich foods such as dairy products. - Fluoride is also important for healthy tooth development.
What is Gingivitis?
Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums aroung the teeth) is a relatively common condition caused by not brushing and flossing your teeth. It develops when the bacteria on and around your teeth are allowed to multiply and build up between the teeth and gums. This can cause irritation, inflammation and bleeding. Generally it is not that painful, you may not even notice it, but gingivitis bacteria can get into your bloodstream. Gingivitis can be prevented if you have a healthy dental routine of proper flossing and brushing. It can also be treated by a dental professional.
Long-term gum inflammation
In some women, inflammation in the gums can develop over a few weeks. This can become a lump on your gums called a “pregnancy tumour” or “pyogenic granuloma”. This does not mean you have cancer. It is just an over-reaction of blood vessels to deposits of dental plaque and dental calculus that is mostly likely to happen in the third trimester of pregnancy. These lumps are painless, but they can bleed easily, particularly during tooth brushing. Contact your GP for a referral to a local dentist. This may be covered by Medicare.
Dental erosion
In pregnancy, nausea from morning sickness can lead to the reflux of acid from your stomach. Reflux feels like a burning in your throat and may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Reflux can lead to softening of the outermost layer (enamel) of your teeth. The enamel is then more likely to erode and expose the underlying, sensitive part (dentine). This dental erosion typically begins on the inner surfaces of the upper incisor teeth near the roof of your mouth.
To stop tooth erosion rinse well with a mixture of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and water before and after meals to neutralize any acid build-up caused by reflux. Make a fresh glass of the mixture each day by dissolving 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Use it after meals and after any reflux. Do not swallow the rinse. Spit it out. It is not necessary to rinse with water afterwards.
You can also apply a thin smear of toothpaste to help re-mineralise (re-harden) the enamel. To avoid scratching softened enamel, do not use a toothbrush after reflux; instead use your finger or a soft cloth to apply it.
Tooth decay
If you snack a lot, especially on sugary or high carbohydrate foods, you may increase your risk of tooth decay (dental caries). Snacking on sugary foods or carbohydrates between meals causes dental plaque bacteria to make acid. The acid then eats the tooth enamel causing the decay. Regular brushing will help stop the early stages of tooth decay. If a hole develops, you will need a filling to prevent the process of infection reaching the inner part of the tooth.