Eating for two is hard but do not eat certain foods during pregnancy is a must for every pregnant women. You may think you are supposed to eat a lot during pregnancy but you also need to watch out for certain foods to avoid harming the baby.
Pregnancy Foods is a term used to refer to what a mother should be eating or not. Hormonal changes during pregnancy makes the immunity system weaker than before and hence can pick up food borne diseases. We will list down what you should not eat and then minus it and eat everything you like.
1. Fish is always among the foods to avoid during pregnancy, reason being that some of the fish have high mercury levels which can harm the baby. Avoid these four fish in particular – King Mackerel, Shark, Tilefish and Sword Fish. Also, avoid fish from river water or lakes. These fish are known to be exposed to industrial pollutants. Eating fish can be harmful for the development of the baby.
2. Say No To Alcohol. The moment you discover you’re expecting, stop any alcohol consumption. Any amount of alcohol is bad for your baby and can interfere with the pre natal development of the fetus.
3. Avoid unpasteurized milk. Listeria is bacteria present in a lot of dairy products like cheese and unpasteurized milk. An expecting mother should avoid these as Listeria has the ability to cross placenta and can infect the baby or cause food poisoning. Often this can prove fatal for the baby.
4. Do not eat raw eggs. During pregnancy a woman should avoid foods that contain salmonella i.e. raw foods with eggs contain salmonella. If you happen to love eggs, cook them till they are firm instead of having a half boiled.
5. Wash your fruits and vegetables before you consume them. Lot of groceries that you buy can have sprays or agricultural insecticides on them. Your consumption can transfer these to the baby and can be poisonous. Plants from the ground can be contaminated with toxoplasmosis and hence need a thorough washing before you eat them.
6. Control your intake of Caffeine as it is known to drive water from the body. Often known to cause miscarriages, caffeine should be limited to around 300 mg every day. Not only can it be fatal for the baby for also can cause others defects like an underweight new born or other withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy.
7. Cook all kinds of meat thoroughly. Poultry, beef, pork, seafood all run the risk of being contaminated with toxoplasmosis, salmonella or coliform bacteria.
8. Heat your food properly. Food lying exposed or deli foods often develop Listeria and are highly dangerous if consumed during pregnancy. Heat any food that is refrigerated till its steaming to get rid of Listeria. Avoid foods that lay unrefrigerated and out exposed for more than two hours.
Also Read:
Essential Nutrients In Pregnancy For You And Your Baby
I would love to hear your opinion on top foods to avoid during pregnancy. Please leave me a comment and let me know. Don’t forget to subscribe our RSS to receive latest updates.
