Pregnancy is one of the most joyful periods in a woman's life. It is a time where you need to take care of yourself as well as the life growing inside you. Here are some major things pregnant women must avoid:

Being pregnant is one of the most beautiful things a woman could experience, but it is also one of the most difficult periods. It takes a little bit of time to adjust to the changes that are going on inside your body. The new life developing inside you needs to be protected from an early age, this is why pregnant women need to watch out for certain bad habits.
Some women find pregnancy as being difficult while others find it to be very easy. It is especially difficult to give up a certain lifestyle and certain vices or habits.

To ensure a healthy beginning for the unborn baby, pregnant women need to stand clear of the following:

Smoking
Smoking is bad for you. Pregnant or not, cigarette smoke doesn't do anything good for your body. It can hurt your health as well as the health of the people surrounding you. Due to the fact that there is a new life growing and nourishing from your body it is necessary to avoid smoking. Smoking can cause lung cancer, miscarriage, premature childbirth, slow down the growth rate, asthma, and so on. Quit smoking or stay away from smokers to protect your health and the health of your unborn baby.

Alcohol
Well drinking alcohol during pregnancy is forbidden because the alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream and will affect your baby. There are so many consequences of drinking during pregnancy, it's scary. One of the most horrific consequences of drinking during pregnancy is the fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS. The syndrome causes mental retardation, and will affect the baby for life. Children who are born with this syndrome are usually born with a lower weight than normal, they will have a slow growth rate, will cry very much and they will have facial abnormalities, learning disabilities and poor reasoning. These are only a few characteristics of this disorder.

Coffee
Coffee isn't really prohibited during pregnancy but it is best to limit the amount of coffee ingested during pregnancy to a maximum of 2 regular coffee cups a day. Too much caffeine can cause palpitations, uterus contractions which may lead to premature childbirth even miscarriage. It is best to avoid drinking coffee during pregnancy especially if you suffer from heart disease or stomach problems.

Dieting
Dieting during pregnancy is not encouraged because by dieting you restrict the amount of nutrients necessary for both mother and child. In order for the baby to have a normal child development it needs healthy nutrients, nutrients which he will receive from the mother. In order for both mother to be and baby to get all the nutrients they need the mother needs to increase the nutrient intake by eating a little bit more, so dieting is out of the question if you want a healthy baby. It doesn't mean that a pregnant woman should eat as much as for two adults , it means that she should get nutrients necessary for both her and the baby. If a pregnant woman eats healthy she will not gain so much extra weight and she will feel healthy as well as the baby. After the baby is born with a little bit of healthy dieting and exercise every woman can get rid of the baby weight. All you need is a little bit of patience and ambition.

Medication
Taking medication without your physicians prescription or approval is prohibited. Any medicine will be absorbed in the blood stream and by the babies placenta and will affect the baby as well. This is why pregnant women should only take medicine after the doctor approves it.