Foods to avoid during pregnancy

During pregnancy, you need to pay close attention to your diet. Everything you put in your mouth will somehow end up with the baby. Some foods you should be careful to include in your diet, such as food containing calcium and vitamins. Other foods need to be eliminated from your diet, for different reasons.

While this can be tough for some women, it is well worth the effort. Once you know what to eat and what to avoid, you can relax. There is a lot of food that is perfectly safe during pregnancy- enjoy!

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All meat and poultry you eat should be well-cooked. There are certain bacterias that disappear only by heat, thus the need of caution. Listeria, for example, can cause miscarriage or even the death of a new born baby.

Because of hormonal changes in your body, you are also more likely to suffer badly if you get food-poisoning. While it usually does not affect the baby directly, your being sick will impede nourishment to be transported to the uterus- something you do not want to happen. 

As with meat, all fish and seafood should be properly cooked before consumption. Especially stay away from raw clams and oysters.

With fish and seafood there is also the problem with mercury and toxins. Certain fish tend to accumulate more than others, especially fatty fish. It is recommended to limit the intake of fish to two or three times a week, and completely stay away from shark, swordfish, mackerel and tilefish. Check with the local authorities if you eat local fish. They can usually give  you an indication of the safety of the local waters.

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Research shows that both caffeine and alcohol are found in higher concentration in the baby's blood after the mother has consumed them, than in her own blood. This is because the baby's body and organs are so much smaller, it takes longer time to break down these substances. Therefore, pregnant women are recommended to completely stay away from caffeineated drinks and alcohol, especially the latter. Of course, binge drinking or excessive drinking is most dangerous, but even moderate drinking can have adverse effects on the baby.

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