It almost goes without saying that a woman who is pregnant has a huge responsibility on her shoulders. She is all of a sudden responsible for two lives instead of one. Everything she does, smells and tastes can have an effect on the unborn baby.

It is known that a woman needs to eat healthy, exercise gently and live as stress-free as possible to ensure her baby has the best start. However, there is a vault of things a woman should not do when she is pregnant.

There are things she shouldn't eat, things she shouldn't drink and things she definitely should not do to ensure that her baby is born healthy and well. Things that are not so well-known that some women may not even know about it until they are told. Things that they have always thought to be harmless.

20 Take That Trip To Subway

Food is such a tricky thing when a woman is pregnant. She has intense aversions that have her running to the bathroom, and then there are cravings. If mom-to-be is craving a nice cold cut sandwich from Subway, she will have to power through.

Women who are pregnant are not advised to eat cold cuts when pregnant. They could be a carrier for listeria, which can be incredibly dangerous when pregnant.

19 No, You Cannot Just Eat Whatever You Want

While we are on the topic of food, it is important to know that pregnancy is not a free-for-all pass to eat whatever you want. Mom-to-be has to avoid any food that is undercooked or raw to prevent food poisoning.

She also needs to watch the amount of food she eats, to make sure she gains the proper amount of weight during pregnancy.

18 Milk Does Not Always Do A Body Good

We have been told our whole lives that milk is so good for you. That calcium helps grow strong bones. However, women should be wary of milk when they are pregnant.

They need to make sure that the milk is pasteurized, which means that all the harmful bacteria has been killed off. Most milk is, but it doesn't hurt to have a quick glance at the packaging.

17 ‘Nesting’ Has Risks

There comes a time in a pregnant woman's life when she may start nesting. This means she wants to get everything ready for the new baby. This includes setting up the nursery.

Now, it doesn't matter if it is going to be pink or blue, no mom-to-be should be painting the nursery The chemicals in the paint can have harmful effects on a growing fetus and should be avoided completely.

16 Coffee, Tea, Pop, And Chocolate Have One Thing In Common

Pregnancy is exhausting, and it is easy for a mom-to-be to reach for a cup of coffee or energy drink. Do this with caution. Women who are pregnant are allowed to consume caffeine, but only under 200mg of it.

This means that she needs to pay attention to how much caffeine she is consuming. There is caffeine in coffee, chocolate and soda, so it needs to be counted.

15 Pregnancy Headache? No Problem

There are a lot of painful and uncomfortable symptoms about being pregnant. Headaches are quite common when a woman is expecting and they can be debilitating.

While normally, someone would reach for a pain killer if they had a headache, a woman who is pregnant needs to be a bit careful. She has to clear any medication with her OB before she takes it to make sure it is pregnancy-friendly.

14 Kitten Heels Have To Go Into Storage

A lot of women don't want to wear heels or anything like that when pregnant. They reach a point when they just want to be comfortable. However, there are women out there who can not let go of their heels.

Even if they are still comfortable, heels should be put in the closet for 9-months. That is because, no matter how skilled you are, heels still increase the risk of falling and a fall could be dangerous when pregnant.

13 Hot Water To Ache Soothing Muscles Is Not OK

Nothing sounds better when pregnant than a nice hot bath, especially if it has been a day full of muscle aches and pains.

However, this needs to be approached with caution. It can be dangerous for a woman's internal temperature to be raised to high. That is why hot baths and hot tubs are strictly off-limits until the baby is born.

12 Sorry Feline Friend!

Welcoming a baby when you have a pet at home can add a lot of complications and problems. Most women worry about them when they are about to bring the baby home. However, if you have a cat, then you need to worry before.

When you are pregnant, you should not be changing the cat litter. The cat urine and feces can carry bacteria that could be harmful to an unborn baby.

11 Not Paying Attention To The Air Outside Is A Mistake

One of the best exercises for a woman who is expecting is to take a nice walk. Getting out in the fresh air is good for both the mind and the body.

However, mom needs to pay attention to the air outside that she is breathing in. Pollution, smog and smoke are all things that mom-to-be needs to avoid in order to have a healthy baby.

10 One Glass Of Wine Is Not OK

This is kind of a grey area when pregnant. There are some women out there who have doctors who say that one glass of wine a week or so will not cause any harm.

The truth is, there is no study out there that shows how much (if any) alcohol is safe when pregnant. All alcohol should be avoided completely when pregnant.

9 Don’t Sit Too Long …

It can be easy and tempting to want to find a comfortable spot and just perch yourself for a while, but this is a bad idea.

As much as you may want too, it is never a good idea to sit for too long when pregnant. This can cause a lot of swelling and it can make it harder to move when you actually have to.

8 …Or Stand Too Long!

Everything needs balance, and while it is advised to not sit for too long when pregnant, you also don't want to stand for too long. Mom-to-be needs to find the perfect balance between sitting and standing when pregnant.

Standing too long can also cause swelling and muscle aches. Your best bet is to take small breaks every now and then.

7 People Still Think It's Safe To Google?

We live in the age of information and technology. It seems like anything we could want to know is just at the tip of our fingertips and we are one click away from finding anything out.

Googling anything serious is never a good idea because you are bound to get the worst-case scenario. It is always best to save any medical concerns and questions for your doctor.

6 Hang Out By The Pool

If you are pregnant in the summer, then it can be alluring to want to sit by the pool every day. You can relax and jump in the water to cool off if you need to. However, this is also not a great idea.

Swimming is fine and should be encouraged when pregnant, but sitting out in the hot sun can lead to dehydration and even heat stroke.

5 Contact Sports? Really?

You would think that it wouldn't need to be said, but contact sports and pregnancy really have no place in the same sentence.

There is no reason why a pregnant woman should be playing contact sports, and the reason goes without saying. The chance of getting hit and falling are extremely high and that could cause issues with the growing baby.

4 Have A Toddler Too? Don’t Lift Them

It is important to watch what you lift when pregnant. You don't want to lift anything that is too heavy and this can be an issue for women who have children at home.

Women who are expecting, but also have a toddler at home, may have a hard time balancing them both. The toddler may want to be lifted up, but a pregnant woman needs to be careful about how much she lifts.

3 Watch The Work Out

A lot of women want to maintain their body as much as they can when they are pregnant. This means that they try and continue to work out while they are growing a baby.

It is important to know that this is fine, but there are limits. Mom-to-be should only be doing what she was doing before she got pregnant. This is not the time to add in any new work-outs that could have a negative impact.

2 Being Close With Hubby (CAN) Have Consequences

This is not a guarantee, so don't get too sad about it. There are times when it is not safe for a woman to be intimate with her partner.

If there are pregnancy complications, you will be advised to withhold from any activities for the time being. Being intimate can also bring on labor, so if you are close to your due date, you may want to be careful.

1 Shrug Everything Off!

Probably, the worst thing any pregnant woman can do it shrug any concern off. Even the smallest worries and fears should be addressed.

A lot of women worry about being too much for their doctor, and they don't want to seem to be a bit crazy. However, when it comes to the life of your baby, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

References: healthline.com, medicalnewstoday.com