Be sure to check with your health care provider to see which types of prescription and over-the-counter medications can be taken during pregnancy and which ones should be avoided until after the birth. Certain types of medications used to treat epilepsy, heart disease, cancer and acne are known to be particularly harmful to the developing baby, so you’ll want to take particular care to plan your pregnancy if you are being treated for any of these conditions.
The most sensitive developmental time period for the developing baby is from approximately four to ten weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period. Because this is when the baby’s major organs are being formed, exposure to a harmful substance during this time period can lead to birth defects or miscarriage.
If your baby is exposed to a harmful substance during the first two weeks after conception (weeks two to four of pregnancy, if you’re calculating dates based on your last menstrual period), either the baby will be completely unaffected by the exposure to the medication or the baby will be affected so severely that the pregnancy will be unable to continue.
Of course, it’s also important to steer clear of potentially harmful mediations during the second and third trimesters. Some medications are known to interfere with the functioning of the placenta, something that can interrupt the flow of oxygen and nutrients from the mother; while others alter the mother’s biochemistry, something that can have an impact on the baby as well.
The same advice applies to herbal products, as well. Just because a product is made from natural products doesn’t mean that it is safe for use during pregnancy. [ link to www.motherisk.org ] Some herbal products pack a very powerful pharmacological punch, so before you use any herbal product during pregnancy, check with your healthcare practitioner first.
