All 42 tips
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Food & drink
The surprising foods to skip, limit or cook differently.
Is liquorice safe during pregnancy?
Heavy liquorice eating in pregnancy has been linked to lower IQ scores and more attention problems in children.
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Can you eat deli meat while pregnant?
Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get listeria — and cold cuts are a classic source.
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Which cheeses are safe during pregnancy?
Brie is off the menu — but in UK guidance, even unpasteurised cheddar is fine.
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Can you eat pâté when pregnant?
Liver pâté is a double risk: listeria and a vitamin that can harm your baby.
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Can you eat smoked salmon when pregnant?
Smoked salmon, gravlax — and even cold ready-to-eat prawns — now need cooking first.
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Is pre-cut melon safe during pregnancy?
A listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe melons killed 33 people in the US.
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Are raw sprouts safe when pregnant?
That healthy-looking alfalfa sprout topping is on the FDA’s “don’t eat raw” list for pregnancy.
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Why should you avoid liver and vitamin A supplements in pregnancy?
A “healthy” fish liver oil capsule could give you too much of a vitamin that can harm your baby.
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How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy?
One large filter coffee plus a cola can already push you close to the daily limit.
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How much tuna can you eat while pregnant?
Fish is recommended in pregnancy — but swordfish, shark and marlin are off the table.
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Can you eat raw cookie dough while pregnant?
It’s not just the raw egg — raw flour can carry E. coli too.
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Can you eat sushi when pregnant?
The UK used to allow raw fish if it had been frozen first. Not any more.
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Is herbal tea safe during pregnancy?
“Natural” doesn’t mean tested — there’s very little safety data on most herbal teas.
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Are enoki mushrooms safe during pregnancy?
These trendy salad mushrooms have been behind multiple listeria outbreaks.
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Can you eat game meat like venison or pheasant when pregnant?
Pheasant, partridge and venison are on the NHS avoid list — because of lead.
Read the answer →Medicines & supplements
Everyday pills, vitamins and skincare that behave differently in pregnancy.
Can you take ibuprofen while pregnant?
Many cold-and-flu tablets quietly contain ibuprofen — which isn’t recommended in pregnancy.
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Is Pepto-Bismol safe during pregnancy?
The famous pink stomach remedy contains a close cousin of aspirin.
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When should you start taking folic acid?
The baby’s spine starts forming before most women even know they’re pregnant.
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Does your prenatal vitamin contain enough iodine?
Many prenatal vitamins contain little or no iodine — a nutrient vital for your baby’s brain.
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Do you need vitamin D during pregnancy?
In the UK, every pregnant woman is advised to take vitamin D from October to March — and some all year.
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Is retinol skincare safe during pregnancy?
Your favourite night serum might be on the pregnancy “no” list.
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Which vaccines are recommended during pregnancy?
The whooping cough vaccine you get in pregnancy protects your newborn before they can be vaccinated.
Read the answer →Home & lifestyle
Pets, travel, sleep, exercise and DIY — what to change and why.
Can you change cat litter while pregnant?
You can keep your cat — just hand over the litter tray.
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Is gardening safe during pregnancy?
Garden soil can carry the same parasite as cat litter.
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Are hot tubs and saunas safe during pregnancy?
Overheating in early pregnancy is linked to neural tube defects.
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What is the safest sleep position in pregnancy?
Going to sleep on your back in the third trimester is linked to a higher risk of stillbirth.
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How should you wear a seatbelt when pregnant?
The lap belt goes under your bump — never across it.
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Is it safe to fly while pregnant?
Many airlines ask for a doctor’s letter after 28 weeks — and may refuse you after 36.
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Which exercises should you avoid during pregnancy?
Scuba diving is out — gas bubbles can form in the baby’s blood.
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Is it safe to paint or renovate while pregnant?
Sanding old paintwork can release lead — which crosses the placenta.
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Is it safe to dye your hair while pregnant?
Good news: most research says hair dye is fine — but pregnancy can change how your hair takes colour.
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Why should pregnant women avoid sheep at lambing time?
Farm visits in spring carry an infection risk that almost nobody mentions.
Read the answer →Body & wellbeing
Gums, nausea, pelvic floor and mood — what is normal and what helps.
Why do your gums bleed during pregnancy?
In the UK, dental care is free during pregnancy and for a year after birth.
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When is morning sickness too much?
If you can’t keep fluids down for 24 hours, it isn’t “just morning sickness”.
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Does perineal massage reduce tearing during birth?
A few minutes a day from 35 weeks can lower the chance of tearing — especially with a first baby.
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Why start pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy?
Training now lowers the chance of leaking when you laugh, cough or sneeze after birth.
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Can you get depression during pregnancy?
Depression doesn’t only happen after birth — it’s just as common during pregnancy.
Read the answer →Warning signs
Symptoms that should never wait until your next appointment.
Do babies move less at the end of pregnancy?
It’s a myth that babies move less near the end — and it can be a dangerous one.
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Are home fetal dopplers safe to use?
Hearing a heartbeat at home can give false reassurance — you might be hearing your own.
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What are the warning signs of pre-eclampsia?
A bad headache and flashing lights in late pregnancy can be an emergency.
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Why are my hands and feet itchy in pregnancy?
Intense itching on your palms and soles can signal a liver condition that affects your baby.
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What should you do if you’re exposed to chickenpox while pregnant?
If you’ve never had chickenpox, an exposure needs a phone call the same day.
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