Nutrition for Pregnancy: Foods to Avoid While Pregnant
Food
takes on a whole new meaning during pregnancy. What you eat not only helps a
human being grow and develop, but it can also make you feel sick to your
stomach and make you want to go to the restroom. It can be difficult to
remember precisely which foods or beverages you absolutely cannot consume and
which are safe in moderation when you are pregnant because there are already so
many factors to take into account.
We've
compiled a list of foods and drinks to stay away from to help you get through
this exciting but undoubtedly stressful time so you can keep figuring out how
to best fill your plate. We also compiled a list of foods whose safety for
consumption during pregnancy is still being debated by experts.
Foods
to stay away from when pregnant
Alcohol
Although
it is not a food, alcohol continues to be on the list of things to avoid while
pregnant, according to experts. As alcohol travels via the mother's blood to
the growing baby, it may have an impact on the foetal development of the brain,
facial features, and other vital body parts. Fatal alcohol spectrum disorders,
or FASDs, are physical and developmental abnormalities that can affect a
child's life after birth.
We've
compiled a list of foods and drinks to stay away from to help you get through
this exciting but undoubtedly stressful time so you can keep figuring out how
to best fill your plate. We also compiled a list of foods whose safety for
consumption during pregnancy is still being debated by experts.
All
seafood, whether raw or undercooked and shellfish
This
one might be a little painful, but fish that is raw or undercooked, such as
sushi, might contain bacteria and viruses that are dangerous to both you and
your unborn child. Importantly, eating raw fish puts you at risk for listeria,
an infection that is 24 times more likely to affect pregnant Hispanics and
pregnant persons who are 10 times more likely to be pregnant. Listeria can
result in stillbirths, premature births, miscarriages, and new-born deaths.
According
to the Mayo Clinic, some types of seafood to stay away from include sushi,
sashimi, ceviche, raw oysters, scallops, and clams. The clinic advises against
eating seafood that has been chilled and has been branded as "nova
style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or
"jerky."
Fish
High in Mercury
According
to the Mayo Clinic, the likelihood that a fish contains mercury levels unsafe
for pregnant women increases with fish size and age. Your body's accumulation
of mercury can have an impact on your baby's nervous system. According to the
Food and Drug Administration, common fish to stay away from including bigeye
tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, swordfish, shark, and tilefish.
Check
local cautions for mercury levels and potential pollution if you catch your own
fish or consume fish from nearby sources.
Meat
that is uncooked and raw
According
to the FDA, pregnancy impairs a person's immune system's capacity to fight
against these diseases, increasing their risk of contracting a foodborne
illness. Meat that is served raw or undercooked may contain dangerous bacteria
including listeria, E. coli, salmonella, and toxoplasma, which can seriously make
both you and your unborn child ill (who doesn't yet have a functioning immune
system).
Therefore,
it is recommended to order your burger or steak well-done while you are
pregnant.
Flavoured
Meat
You
might want to stay away from foods like deli meat, hot dogs, and cold cuts when
expecting. These "ready to eat" meats might also have dangerous germs
or viruses in them. However, the FDA states that if the meat is "reheated
to steaming hot," it is safe to consume. Anyone for some piping hot
bologna?
A
raw egg
Pregnant
women should steer clear of eggs, whether they are cooked properly or not since
both represent a risk of foodborne illness. Hollandaise sauce, Caesar dressing,
aioli dip, and mayonnaise are a few common homemade foods that may include raw
eggs (although the FDA notes that store-bought dressings and dips are normally
safe because they are created with pasteurised eggs). Additionally, it's
crucial to fully cook your eggs. That entails hard yolks and scrambled eggs
that are firm.
Fresh
produce that hasn't been washed
Listeria
and other common foodborne infections are once again to blame, but the FDA
advises pregnant women to wash their fruits and vegetables in case they have
been contaminated. According to the FDA, you should use simple water, wash away
the dirt with a vegetable brush (if you have one), and treat any scrapes or
bruises that may be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Unpasteurized
cheese and milk
It
is advised to avoid cheese or milk products that say "unpasteurized"
on the label because a Listeria infection could cause a miscarriage, preterm
delivery, or damage to a new-born. It is better to avoid cheeses like goat
cheese, feta, Brie, blue cheese, Camembert, and queso fresco or Blanco because
they frequently include unpasteurized milk, according to Parents.
Because
their diets are more likely to contain soft cheeses like queso fresco or
Blanco, panela, and asadero, Hispanic women who are pregnant may be
significantly more susceptible to listeriosis. It is okay to eat queso Blanco
and queso fresco if they are made using pasteurised milk. (The CDC advises
caution, noting that some listeriosis cases have been connected to
contamination in goods prepared with pasteurised milk.)
Fresh
Sprouts
Sprouts
can contain salmonella, a germ that the CDC estimates causes around 1.35
million infections annually in the US despite being delicious and healthful. It
might be advisable to avoid sprouts while pregnant.
Organ
Meat
Extremely
high levels of vitamin A, which can potentially cause birth abnormalities or miscarriages
during pregnancy, are present in organ meats, particularly liver. For the same
reason, pregnant women should abstain from synthetic vitamin A forms like
retinol and the acne medicine isotretinoin (formerly known as Accutane).
Foods
to be consumed with caution
Sugar
Alternatives
There
is conflicting expert advice regarding artificial sweeteners and "fake
sugar" for expectant women. Because saccharin, the sugar substitute used
in Sweet'N Low, can pass the placenta and remain in foetal tissue, doctors
advise against using it while pregnant. Others point to a potential connection
between high birth weights or childhood obesity and low-calorie sweeteners.
However, according to other advice, such as that from the Mayo Clinic,
artificial sweeteners are fine if used sparingly or in moderation.
Conclusion:
It's likely safe for you and your unborn child to occasionally drink diet Coke.
However, if you believe that your diet contains too much sugar, see your doctor
before switching to artificial or low-calorie sweeteners in place of the
genuine thing.
Caffeine
You
might be thinking if you need to break the habit if you're one of the many
people who need a cup of coffee to start the day. The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists currently recommends avoiding caffeine
altogether, but moderate consumption of less than 200mg per day doesn't appear
to increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. (A standard 8-ounce cup
of coffee has around 96 mg of caffeine, but actual quantities will vary depending
on the brew.)
Caffeine
can also be found in soda, chocolate, tea, energy drinks, and other foods and
drinks in addition to coffee. Keeping your daily caffeine intake around 100mg
may be preferable if you have a high sensitivity to caffeine, according to
Healthline.
It's
best to limit your baby's caffeine intake because it passes the placental
barrier like many other chemicals that you can effectively metabolise. The
chance of miscarriage was observed to increase with a daily caffeine intake of
200 mg or more in one study, although other evidence indicates that even modest
caffeine consumption has been connected to low birth weight. Consult your
doctor if you have a history of miscarriage or if you have questions about your
caffeine intake.
Herbal
tea
When
some teas contain caffeine, drinking herbal tea while pregnant is a completely
different matter. Due to the lack of information on the safety of herbal tea
for both you and your unborn child, the Mayo Clinic advises against consuming
it while pregnant unless your doctor specifically permits it.
There
is still a lot we don't know about the quantity of herbs that are safe for
pregnant people, despite the fact that midwives and others have utilised herbal
teas as treatments for morning sickness and other pregnancy symptoms. The
Australian Department of Health suggests that ginger tea and green tea, both of
which contain caffeine, may be safe to consume throughout the first trimester.
In the second trimester, you might add red raspberry leaf tea to the list (the
tea is associated with uterine contractions, so the agency suggests you wait
out the first three months). Avoid exceeding the recommended daily limit of
three cups of alcohol as this has been associated with an elevated risk of
spina bifida.
Sage
and parsley tea, which have both been connected to miscarriage, are two herbal
beverages that should be completely avoided during pregnancy, according to the
Australian agency.
Conclusion:
Before drinking or continuing to drink herbal tea while pregnant, see your
doctor. That also applies to tea that is promoted as "pregnancy" tea.
Fish
Despite
the lengthy list of fish, you should avoid eating, there are a few you may take
as part of a balanced diet. Fish are a great source of protein and many of them
also include amazing nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids. The FDA advises
consuming 8 to 12 ounces (or two to three servings) of fish each week. The Mayo
Clinic suggests taking into account fish including anchovies, catfish, cod,
herring, light canned tuna, pacific oysters, salmon, sardines, pollock, shad,
shrimp, tilapia, and trout. White tuna is also acceptable, but limit yourself
to 6 ounces each week.
What
a lengthy list!
Every
pregnancy is different, just like every individual, and you might not be able
to stick to the diet that works best for someone else. Asking inquiries and
taking into account your own health can help eating healthy during pregnancy
feel less restricting, even though it's crucial to identify meals that provide
nutrition for you and your unborn child. Contact your healthcare practitioner
if you are unsure whether a meal is safe to consume while pregnant.