There are so many things to think about when you’re pregnant. Your life has to change and depending on your previous lifestyle, it can feel like quite a dramatic change. Most people know the obvious thing to stop … drinking, but there are many more things you ought to avoid that you may not have known about.
- Pate – high in potentially toxic Vitamin A and may contain Listeria. Listeria is a bacteria found in soil, water and some animals including poultry. Listeria is killed when cooked and pasteurised. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis so it is best avoided for the duration of the pregnancy.
- Raw or partially cooked eggs – risk of Salmonella poisoning.
- Raw or undercooked meat and fish – risk of food poisoning bacteria and parasitic infection ie., TOXOPLASMOSIS which may damage the retina of the eye. Toxoplasmosis parasites can also be transferred through cat faeces and via garden soil.
- Liver products – contain high levels of vitamin A toxic to a developing foetus.
- Some types of fish – avoid shark, swordfish and marlin or any others with potentially high Mercury content. High levels of Mercury found in these fish may affect the developing nervous system of the foetus.
- Raw shellfish – risk of food poisoning.
- Alcohol – deemed as toxic to a developing foetus. (More info coming in next blog post about this)
- Caffeine – deemed as toxic to a developing foetus. Try to limit your intake to under 200mg a day which is equal to 2 cups of coffee.
- Peanuts and peanut products – a family history of nut allergy or other allergic reactions such as hay fever, asthma and eczema may place an unborn baby in a higher risk group for developing a peanut allergy later in life.
- Soft and ripened cheeses such as Camembert and blue vein cheeses. This is for the same reason as pate… listeria and risk of listeriosis! Soft cheeses are an ideal environment for bacteria with more moisture so stick to your hard cheeses during pregnancy!
All these foods are easily avoided but in the first trimester when it may not be common knowledge to everyone that you’re expecting, others will not be aware that you can’t eat certain things so keep your wits about you and make good decisions!
