The 7 Most Important Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

Pregnancy, while being a beautiful and magnificent natural experience, is also a time when a woman’s hormones go into overdrive and all sorts of changes take place.  This is no truer than with the change in diet pregnant women experience, and so due to their heightened emotional sensitivity, they often crave certain foods.

It may be pickles, or a perhaps a tub of Ben & Gerry’s, or how about pickles dipped in ice-cream, right ladies?  Sounds weird, and while some foods are okay to eat during pregnancy, there are also foods to avoid when pregnant.   Optimizing your regular nutrition pattern and more importantly implementing a pregnancy nutrition plan is the best thing you can do because everything that affects you, could be harmful to your unborn child.

With the onset of pregnancy, your immune system is suppressed when pregnant, making you more sensitive to food-borne illnesses.   At this stage health complications for prospective mothers can start because of serve hormonal changes.  This is a critical stage for mother and her soon-to-be baby and therefore requires proper care and attention.  As soon as you know that you are pregnant, it is crucial to make sure you have the healthiest diet possible.  Your diet plays an important role for both of you because during pregnancy the unborn child gets all their nutrients from the mother.   So, you must make sure that your nutrition is healthy for you and your growing baby.

Ensuring Your Pregnancy Nutrition

Having proper pregnancy nutrition and avoiding some foods can also help you in maintaining a healthy weight gain during pregnancy and put off complications at the time of delivery. Getting information on diet is very important to keep your child safe and secure because there are some foods that can directly harm your child and can make you ill as well. To avoid any kind of pregnancy complications you should know the foods to avoid when pregnant.

Stay away from…

1. Sushi & Other Raw Fish
   Sushi is one meal you’ll definitely want to avoid during your pregnancy and cut out of your pregnancy nutrition plan. Raw fish can carry parasites and other harmful bacteria which is why the FDA recommends pregnant women only eat fish that has been cooked in order to ensure all bacteria is killed.

   Fish with high levels of mercury should not be included in your pregnancy diet. This is because mercury consumed during pregnancy can cause brain damage or developmental delays. These types of fish include: Orange Roughy, King Mackerel, Swordfish, Shark and a few others.

2. Rare or Medium-Rare Meat and Pate
   If you love your meat rare or medium-rare, then for those nine months you might have to opt for medium to well-done meat instead. Undercooked meat can carry toxoplasma and other harmful bacteria that can make you seriously ill.   Also, avoid liver pate or liver sausage as they may contain increased levels of vitamin A, and an excess of the vitamin can also harm your baby
3. Raw  or Undercooked Eggs
   Sunnyside up eggs may be delicious with all that runny yolk, but while pregnant you should be opting for over-easy instead.  Raw or undercooked eggs pose salmonella risk, which can mean nasty food poisoning.  As much as you may not like it, add undercooked eggs to your foods to avoid when pregnant list.
4. Unpasteurised Cheese
   If you are a cheese lover then this might be a tough one for you to cut from your pregnancy nutrition plan. Unpasteurised cheeses are a definite addition to the list of foods to avoid when pregnant as they may lead to food-borne illnesses. Avoid Brie, Camembert, Feta, blue cheese, and Mexican style cheeses like Queso, Fresco and Panela unless the label explicitly states that it was made with pasteurised milk.

   Unpasteurized soft cheeses contain the bacteria called Listeria, which is very harmful for you and your baby. This bacterium is responsible for premature birth, trigger miscarriage and blood poisoning.

5. Unpasteurised Drinks
   Unpasteurised juice, milk, and apple cider are all liquid foods to avoid when pregnant. Organisms that cause listerioses can be found in unpasteurised liquids and can have a terribly negative impact on your baby’s developing neurological system.

   Milk is often recommended for pregnant mothers as part of their daily calcium intake, however it is important to know that milk is only safe for pregnant women if it is pasteurized. Avoid using unpasteurized milk such as sheep’s or goat’s milk in your diet. If you do not have another option, then makes sure to boil it properly.

   You can make your own fresh fruit juice at home to aid in your healthy pregnancy nutrition, as long as you ensure that the fruit and vegetables you use are thoroughly washed. A natural way to wash your fruit properly and kill all chemicals that may be present is to soak them for a few minutes in a bowl of water mixed with pure vinegar.

6. Excessive Caffeine
   Pregnancy can make you far more tired than usual and you may feel that coffee is the only thing that will get you through the day, but too much caffeine has been linked to a low-birth weight and even miscarriage. Aim for no more than 200mg of caffeine a day, which is two mugs of coffee, two cups of tea, or five cans of cola. In addition to being one of the foods to avoid when pregnant, soda contains a lot of sugar, which is not good for your health (even when not pregnant) and can leave you feeling sluggish.
7. Raw Sprouts
   Fruit and vegetables are essential for ensuring you stick to your pregnancy nutrition plan, but raw sprouts, especially alfalfa sprouts should be avoided as they may harbour harmful bacteria. Raw mung beans, clover, and radish, should also be avoided. As long as these vegetables mentioned above are cooked, however; they are perfectly safe to eat.

These are the main foods to avoid when pregnant, and will ensure you maintain optimal pregnancy nutrition.   Apart from all these, pregnant women should also pass up soft serve ice- cream and deli food.  However as you can see, most of the above foods can still be eaten as long as they are thoroughly cooked in order to eliminate harmful bacteria. The good news though, is that chocolates and all those other delicious treats are perfectly safe. So Go Crazy! You deserve it!

***Picture thanks to Iamnee***