During pregnancy, it’s important to keep the dietary needs of both mother and baby in mind, and even if you’re eating for two, there are some foods to avoid to ensure your baby gets a bright and healthy start in life.
Fruits and vegetables
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is recommended to increase vitamin intake, but be sure to rinse fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables with warm water first to avoid soil debris that may contain toxoplasma. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that can cause brain damage or blindness in the fetus. Also avoid moldy fruits and vegetables altogether. Specialists also recommend not eating grapes in their last trimester due to their high heat content. There is also some evidence that papaya, a latex-rich fruit, can trigger uterine contractions and stimulate preterm labor. However, ripe papaya is a great source of vitamins during pregnancy.
Dairy
Pregnant women are recommended to include at least two eggs a day in their diet, as they help the development of the baby’s brain and retina. Take extra care to make sure eggs are well-cooked, and avoid raw egg products, such as homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, custard, and fresh Caesar dressing. Store-bought produce is generally fine in this area, but raw or undercooked eggs can cause salmonella food poisoning. Salmonella can cause headache, vomiting, fever, severe abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.
Some soft cheeses should also be avoided, especially those that are mold-ripened and blue-veined, cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Chevre, Danish blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and some Mexican soft cheeses. These are made with a mold that can contain bacteria called listeria and cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious illness in your new baby. Symptoms of listeria infection can take up to six weeks to appear and can include fever, muscle aches, and nausea. If the infection spreads to your nervous system, you may experience confusion, changes in alertness, loss of balance, and seizures.
Also avoid raw milk, if you can only get pasteurized milk it is recommended to boil it first.
Meat
Make sure all meat is well cooked to avoid food poisoning, stay away from pate and other liver products as they are high in vitamin A. Your body needs some vitamin A during pregnancy as it is good for you. your immune system. However, your body stores the vitamin naturally. Excessive accumulation can harm your baby. Also avoid cured cold cuts such as pastrami, salami, and Parma, as they may also contain a listeria risk.
Fish
Fresh fish is a great source of nutrients in a pregnancy diet, it is low in fat and high in protein, however you should not eat raw seafood such as oysters, mussels and sushi. Fish with high levels of mercury, such as shark, mackerel, and swordfish, should also be avoided. Tuna can also be considered a fish with high levels of mercury, so it is recommended to limit your tuna intake to just 12 ounces per week of fresh tuna or four small cans of canned.
alcohol and caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine should be consumed in moderation, especially during the first trimester, when the risk of miscarriage is highest. Too much caffeine can cause low birth weight in newborns and doctors have even witnessed caffeine withdrawal in newborns whose mothers were excessive consumers. If you must drink non-decaffeinated coffee, it’s important to limit your intake to two cups a day.
Also watch your intake of chocolate, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks for the same reasons. Heartburn can be a major area of discomfort for pregnant women and although it is not a risk to the baby, there are certain foods you can avoid to minimize this side effect, avoiding spicy or greasy foods, mustard, vinegar, chocolate and high citrus flavors. Help decrease stomach acidity.
It’s also a good idea to check the labels of grocery store ready meals to avoid additives like MSG (monosodium glutamate) which can cause stomach upset and headaches.
Although there are some foods to avoid, there are many foods that we recommend you eat to ensure that both you and your baby get adequate intakes of vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. Avocados, olive oil, nuts, muesli, lentils, and yogurt are just a few you can indulge in for the benefit of a healthy pregnancy.
