Book challenges the conventional wisdom of pregnancy

NEW YORK -- It is hard to know what to expect when you are expecting. Now one mom says many of the age-old pregnancy do's and don'ts may not be true.

Emily Oster is author of "Expecting Better" as an economist, she combed through hundreds of pregnancy studies and came to her own conclusions.

Rule Number 1: Occasional alcoholic beverages are off limits. This is not true according to Oster.

"I found that evidence overwhelmingly suggested that having an occasional drink  even maybe a glass of wine a day is not dangerous," said Oster.

Rule Number 2: Pregnant women should cut out their morning cup of Joe. Again, Oster says this is not true.

"I found that caffeine in moderation is also fine, something like 2-4 cups a day depending on how cautious you want to be," Oster notes.

Rule Number 3: Too much yard work can harm your baby. This rule, Oster says is true.

"There is some risk to increase birth defects if you do a lot of outdoor gardening when you are pregnant that can increase rates of toxoplasmosis," says Oster.

Oster also says there is no evidence that bed rest helps prevent pregnancy complications. Although, Oster is not a medical doctor, and many obstetricians disagree with her, especially on alcohol.

"There is no amount of alcohol in pregnancy that should be considered safe. Anything that the mother ingests goes through the placenta and the blood stream to the fetus," says Dr. Donnica Moore.

However, Oster hopes her research helps pregnant women make their own choices.

"I think it is very important for women to take their pregnancy into their own hands, and make decisions for themselves," adds Oster.

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health news, dr. sapna parikh

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