Ten Foods You Really Should Try to Avoid When Pregnant

Even if you have always had iron in your stomach, pregnancy can weaken the immune system and makes you more accessible to foodborne illnesses which could actually make you sick and can also harm your baby. When you are pregnant, there are certain hormones and some of these will trigger the cravings for food, but you must stick to safe and low-bacteria foods. However many people will argue that a pregnant woman has a license to eat whatever they want. A well–balanced and healthy diet is very important during pregnancy so that you and your unborn baby can be healthy. I am going to tell you about ten foods that you should avoid during pregnancy…

1. FOODS THAT SPOIL QUICKLY

You should avoid food which has mayo in it such as macaroni salad, potato salad and these should be eaten with carefulness. If you are going to eat these dishes outside for dinner or lunch then they can quickly spoil without any refrigeration. You can save these when you are eating at your home.

If you start feeding your baby best, when he/she is still in your belly then it will be like to give your cute baby the best start possible. It is only a short period of time in which you will have to avoid these dishes. Once your baby is born and you are finished nursing then the world is yours and you can start eating whatever you want.

2. ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

Well, you should know this, during pregnancy, doing drugs can cause a number of problems from birth to even birth defects. During pregnancy intake of excessive alcohol can also cause problems like increasing the risk of stillbirth or fetal alcohol syndrome. According to some new research, intake of moderate alcohol can have negative effects on your children later in their life.

3. HERBAL TEA

It can be a quite surprise for you but you should avoid herbal tea too, as the impact on the baby in your belly of herbal teas is yet not clear whether it is good for you or not so avoiding herbal teas should be best idea for you. You can choose to drink decaf black, green or white tea or tea with familiar herbs like mint, chamomile or verbena.

4. UNPASTEURIZED FOODS AND DRINKS

Stay away from juices and fruits which are not pasteurized. The process of pasteurization heats juices and milk to a certain temperature which kills micro – organisms without even changing the product so you should always stick to pasteurized products.

5. LIVER

Well, this one should be easy for you to avoid. Liver such as liver sausages* or liver pate contains a very high level of Vitamin – A and it is not recommended during pregnancy as it can harm your baby., it will be best if you stay away from liver.

6. CAFFEINE

Well, Health organizations still have not clear that how much caffeine is safe for you during pregnancy however, most recommend consuming no more than 200 – /350 mg daily during pregnancy. According to a study in 2008, women who consume more than 200 mg were at high risk of having a miscarriage and another study shows that if you intake more than 100 mg then it will affect the growth of your baby. If you want to be safe, then do not intake caffeine more than 100 mg per day.

7. FISH

You should avoid big fishes which are longer – living including king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish and shark as they contain higher levels of methyl mercury and it can harm the immune system of your baby. According to the FDA, you should not have more than two ounces of low–mercury fish which includes salmon, canned light tuna, shrimp and catfish a week. If you want to eat fish then make sure it is well–cooked, avoid eating raw fish as they are more prone to contain parasites or bacteria which can cause gastrointestinal distress.

8. SOFT CHEESES

Soft cheese which is made from unpasteurized milk could contain listeria bacteria so you should avoid soft cheese if you are expecting a baby. Cheeses which fall into this “category” includes camembert, feta, bleu cheese, mexican style and brie cheese.

9. DELI MEATS INCLUDING HOT DOGS

These deli meats may be adulterated with the listeria bacteria which also may result in miscarriage or stillbirth. However it is safe to eat deli meats if you reheat them. If not handled and prepared properly then deli salads ( especially those which contains protein like chicken, ham, egg and seafood) might be adulterated with listeria. These include homemade salads and salads from store.

10. UNDERCOOKED MEAT AND EGGS

Well, you should always remember this phrase. Having undercooked meat and eggs increase the chances of having a number of foodborne illnesses as they can negatively affect the health of your baby. Make sure that the meat is steaming hot and there is no trace of blood or pink colour, especially in the case of pork, paultry, sausages. Also make sure that the eggs you are going to eat are cooked thoroughly and that the yolks and whites are solid enough in order to prevent the risk of having salmonella food poisoning.

If you know of any other foods that pregnant people shouldn’t eat, or disagree with something on this list do let us know in the comments below.