I am pregnant. Can I...

..wear high heels?

The old wives tale "Don't wear high heels when you're pregnant" is often trotted out when a heavily expectant celebrity, such as Jennifer Lopez - who gave birth to twins recently - steps out in sky-high Jimmy Choos. But it's just a myth.

There is no health reason why pregnant women can't wear high heels. People often warn against it but there's no medical reason to back that up. The only health risk would be tripping up or rolling over in heels - pregnant women have a change in their centre of gravity, so they're a bit more wobbly on their feet.

Just be extra careful and don't wear heels you're not used to.

VERDICT: YES

..exercise?

Newly-pregnant Nicole Kidman has been photographed working out recently. So is the fitness-mad star putting her baby's health at risk? No, not at all. It's perfectly okay for pregnant women to exercise. In fact, it will boost their health and help them get back in shape after the birth.

However, there are a few precautions. First of all, you should only do what you're used to doing. If you usually do aerobics and weights, then carry on. But don't start a new fitness regime once you're pregnant. Avoid running – your baby will be taking lots of the calcium from your body, so running will have even more of an impact on your joints and bones when you're pregnant.

Tennis, horse riding and cycling should also be avoided for safety reasons. But you can walk, swim or do low-impact aerobics as much as you like. Just make sure you tell your instructor, if you have one, as soon as possible and stop if you feel uncomfortable.

VERDICT: YES

..drink alcohol?

Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz caused a storm last year when she said she had no problem with pregnant women drinking alcohol after three months.

Health departments around the world are for women to avoid alcohol while they're pregnant. On balance, if a light, infrequent drinker, in general good health, drinks to the point of drunkenness on one occasion, the risk is small.

VERDICT: NO

..smoke even once?

An American reality TV star recently admitted to smoking throughout all three of her pregnancies. And the star, who is currently pregnant with her fourth child, is still puffing away. Some doctors often advise: 'If you're more stressed about not having a cigarette then you're better off just having one'.

But even one fag can have an effect. You should never smoke during pregnancy. And here's why: for every cigarette you smoke while pregnant, the blood flow to your baby gets reduced by 15 per cent, causing its heart rate to go up. It's simply not worth the risk.

If the pregnancy is unplanned and you're a smoker, then get help immediately.

VERDICT: NO

..eat fish or cheese?

There are so many studies about pregnancy diets these days that it is confounding to believe all of them. If recent ones are to be believed, pregnant women should avoid oily fish, and they've been warned off soft cheeses for years. Disproportionate amounts of fish shouldn't be eaten during pregnancy and neither should camembert or blue cheese, because of the listeria risk. Raw fish and shellfish are also a no-no because of the food poisoning risk. Many of them around Mumbai come from questionable sources. Also, pregnant women should limit their intake of swordfish and tuna because of the mercury content which can be harmful to unborn babies. Many food authorities suggest women have just two portions of oily fish a week.

VERDICT: NO