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Test your pregnancy IQ

First trimester quiz

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Test your pregnancy IQ with our first trimester quiz. Find out how much you know (or don’t) about the first 12 weeks of gestation.

1. Morning sickness only happens in the morning. T or F?

False. Nausea experienced from pregnancy has nothing to do with what time of day it is. It partially stems from the dramatic increase in estrogen and progesterone levels, which can mess with your digestive system. Also, certain foods and smells that previously didn’t affect you can now trigger nausea. Experts recommend you eat small and frequent meals that are low in fat and easy to digest to ward off the queasies.

2. How much folic acid is recommended for newly pregnant mothers?

a. 400 mcgb. 800 mcgc. 1,000 mcg

a. Experts recommend 400 mcg daily, starting even a month before the child is conceived and throughout the first trimester. Folic acid helps reduce and prevent neural tube defects, as well as others such as cleft palate, cleft lip and certain heart defects. Folate is imperative to the proper growth and development of DNA, providing for the rapid growth of a healthy placenta and your developing baby.

3. Your baby’s heart begins beating at what age after conception?

a. 8 weeksb. 6 weeksc. 4 weeks

c. After just four weeks, the neural tube along the baby’s back closes and the heart is pumping blood. Small buds are also formed by this time, which will soon become the baby’s arms and legs.

4. At the end of the first trimester, your baby weighs as much as:

a. a plum (6 ounces)b. two grapes (1/2 ounce)c. a grapefruit (10 ounces)

b. Your baby only weighs around 1/2 ounce at the end of your first trimester, which is the same weight as two medium-sized grapes. However, the baby’s length is about 2 to 2-1/2 inches, which is closer to the size of a plum.

5. You should avoid exercise during the first trimester. T or F?

False, but there are some guidelines you should pay attention to. First of all, if you were a regular exerciser prior to conceiving and don’t have a complicated pregnancy, you should be okay to continue. However, check with your healthcare provider about your fitness routine to make sure you aren’t putting yourself or your baby at risk. For example, raising your core temperature over 102˚ F for more than 10 minutes can be dangerous in the first trimester when your baby’s organs are developing. Also, because your joints are becoming more flexible, you may be more prone to injury during exercise that normally wouldn’t affect you.

Actually, doctors recommend exercise throughout the entire pregnancy because it helps:

6. Which foods should you avoid eating during pregnancy?

a. deli meatsb. raw sushic. albacore tunad. bleu cheesee. all of the above

e. Unfortunately, all of these foods should be avoided due to the risk of listeria and high levels of mercury. Pregnant women are 20 times more at risk to contract listeria from eating precooked meats, and the effects on the newborn are very serious. Listeria comes from contaminated meats from improper handling or bacteria already present in the meat. Albacore tuna, along with other large predatory fish like swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark, tend to have large amounts of mercury, which can affect the baby’s growing brain and nervous system.

    Experts recommend you eat up to 12 ounces of fish a week (other than the ones   mentioned above), with salmon being the best choice because of its high levels of omega-3s.

Regardless of your score, you can stay up to date on the latest pregnancy information at www.BabyCenter.com.

Hallie Sawyer is a freelance writer in Overland Park who managed to have three healthy babies who now own all of her brain cells. As always, check with your doctor on any health concerns.

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