What food to avoid during Pregnancy!

What Not to Eat While Pregnant?
It is so important for everyone to be having well balanced meals, but even more crucial when you are pregnant. There are essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your developing baby needs. Most foods are safe; although there are some foods that you should definitely avoid during pregnancy.
If you are in doubt, rather go without!

• Raw Meat:
Raw meats including sushi, uncooked seafood, rare or uncooked beef or poultry. These should be avoided because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

• Deli Meat:
Deli meats, such as various hams, salami etc. sold over the counter at most supermarkets has been known to be contaminated with Listeria, which can cause miscarriages. Listeria has the ability to cross the placental barrier and may transmit a disease to the baby leading to infection, or blood poisoning which may be life-threatening.

• Liver:
There are some concerns regarding the amounts of vitamin A in liver. A large amount of vitamin A has the potential to create a risk to an unborn baby and cause abnormalities. It is best avoided completely during pregnancy.


• Fish with Mercury:
Fish that contain high levels of mercury should be avoided. These types of fish include: shark, swordfish, kink mackerel, fresh tuna, sea bass, and tilefish. Canned tuna is however safe, but you should not eat more than one tin a week. Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage.

• Raw Shellfish:
The majority of seafood borne illness is caused by undercooked shellfish, which include oysters, clams, and mussels. Cooking helps prevent some types of infection, but it does not prevent the algae-related infections that are associated with red tides. Raw shellfish pose concern for everybody and they should be avoided altogether during pregnancy.

• Raw Eggs:
Raw eggs or products (some Caesar salad dressings, homemade ice-cream or custards,
mayonnaise or even Hollandaise sauces) contains raw eggs should definitely be
avoided due to the high risk associated with salmonella.

• Soft Cheeses:
Listeria, a bacteria, often found in soft cheeses can cause miscarriages. This bacteria crosses the placental barrier and thus infect the fetus leading to infection, or other life threatening conditions. The soft cheeses to avoid include: brie, camembert, Roquefort, feta, and gorgonzola.

• Unpasteurized Milk:
Unpasteurized milk may contain the well known bacteria called Listeria (also found in Soft cheeses) which has been associated with miscarriages. Make sure that any milk that you drink is pasteurized, thus no drinking directly from the cow….
• Pate:
Pate should be avoided as it may contain the bacteria Listeria. Definitely no liver pate’s.

• Caffeine:
Caffeine in the early stages of pregnancy is best avoided or reduced. Often mommys natural instincts kick in and a lot of mommies are often repelled by the thought of drinking coffee. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it helps eliminate fluids from the body resulting in water and calcium loss. It is important that you are drinking plenty of water, juice, and pasteurized milk rather than caffeinated beverages. Research has shown a correlation between large amounts of caffeine and miscarriages, premature birth, low birth weight, and withdrawal symptoms in infants. The safest thing is not to consume caffeine during pregnancy.

• Alcohol:
There is NO amount of alcohol that is known to be safe during pregnancy, and therefore alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Prenatal exposure to alcohol can most definitely interfere with the healthy development of the baby. Depending on the amount, timing, and pattern of use, alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other developmental disorders. If you consumed alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, that’s fine but stop drinking NOW!

• Unwashed Fruit and Vegetables:
This is definitely the time to be eating your fruit and vegetables, but please wash all fruit and vegetables thoroughly before consuming them to avoid exposure to toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis may have polluted the soil in which the vegetables were grown in.
• Herbal Remedies:
Don't take anything without checking with your doctor or gynaecologist. Certain herbs are associated with uterine contractions and should be avoided.

If in doubt, seek advice!