have to take a back seat for ‘a while’. And speaking of good health, research studies have highlighted that passive smoking can be just as dangerous to your unborn baby as first-hand smoke, which in itself increases the risk of low birthweight in babies, miscarriage, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or cot death. Show your support to your partner by limiting your own alcohol in-take and joining her on her healthy-eating plan.
The ‘All-Day’ Infliction Morning sickness Consider a hangover ‘without’ the consumption of alcohol, an upset stomach, a banging headache and the feeling of exhaustion for nearly 3 months, no not some nasty strain of malaria, the better half has a case of morning sickness. Although said to be an indicator of a healthy pregnancy (try telling her that when her head is down the toilet!), morning sickness is very common and will affect over 50 per cent of pregnant women, usually in the early stages of pregnancy, starting around week 5 with most sufferers noticing a reduction in their symptoms in week 16. Symptoms can vary from mild nausea to extreme vomiting, requiring hospitalisation in cases of severe dehydration. Hollywood likes to portray the fairer sex as a type of superwoman throwing up in the middle of a crucial boardroom meeting, only to wipe her mouth with one hand whilst holding a ‘coal and HP sandwich’ (an actual recorded craving!) in the other, and still continuing on with business unaffected. The reality is somewhat different. Morning sickness can stop your partner dead in her tracks, and assigning the condition a specific time of day gives it an even more cruel twist as it can strike at ‘any’ time of day. However, many of our partners will notice that it will occur at the ‘same time’ and that they can, therefore, schedule their day’s activities
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THE IRISH DAD’S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO PREGNANCY (& BEYOND … )