Pre-pregnancy concerns

[CarrieCoco]

recently, a pregnant friend of mine told me that she stopped using all of her “pre-pregnancy” products because she’s nervous about all of the chemicals in them (everything from nail polish to shampoo and body wash). I’m just curious as to what your obgyn might have told you or if you know of any products that explicitly mention not to use during pre/pregnancy. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

If we are being real, girl, I used all of the same stuff and my son is healthy and happy! I don’t recommend bleaching your hair of course or using anything like a harsh chemical peel , however I used all makeup and shampoo etc as before. Everything will be just fine! My OB never mentioned it.

[ryyy]

I stoped using products that had strong and high acid percentages in them... I also stopped using anything that irritated my skin. It’s amazing how your skin changes while your pregnant, so you may find you need to adjust your routine based on how your skin reacts. As far as my doctor’s recommendation, they said that if you are “unsure” it’s best to not use it — at least for the first trimester. So I tried to avoid dying my hair, self tanning, etc. until 14 weeks. They will also give you a list of things to avoid while your pregnant!

[RachFace2921]

My OB told me that unless you're talking about something like Accutane, she was comfortable with cosmetic products.  Her explanation was that the amount of product you use is small, and pales in comparison to the toxins we breathe in the air each day.  It's also topical, not something you're  ingesting or putting in your bloodstream.  I used my same face wash, moisturizer with SPF and makeup during pregnancy; both my kids are healthy.  

All that said, every woman has to do what they feel comfortable with.  When you're pregnant you get judged so much for every choice you make (yeah, crazy coworker who near fainted at my participation in the Xmas party champaign toast... I'm talkin bout you!).  I don't fault anyone for being really careful.