Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

ladies, i think some of you may be overly concerned about what you are eating, and i'm not sure why that is.

there are very few foods that are not safe to eat during pregnancy, and in some cases, eating those foods in moderation is fine!!

this is a list of things that pregnant women typically avoid, and the reasons why. however, there are caveats - a LOT of soft cheeses are already pasteurized if made domestically, and if you get your meat from a reputable deli the risk of listeria is very, very, miniscule.

it's really all about your comfort level - and what you discuss/agree on with your OB.


Foods to Avoid:

- Raw Meats and Seafood including sushi - all uncooked and rare meats and seafood should be avoided due to high risk of listeria and salmonella poisoning.


- Deli meats including hot dogs - these deli meats might be contaminated with listeria bacteria which may result in miscarriage or even a stillbirth. It's safe to eat deli meats if you reheat them until steaming hot.


- Refrigerated smoked seafood - for the same reason of listeria contamination. It is safe if they are contained in cooked dishes. Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe to eat.


- Raw eggs - raw eggs may contain salmonella. Some Caesar salad dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream and custards as well as Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs. It is best to check with your server in a restaurant; if in doubt, it is best to avoid it. In addition, unpasteurized eggnog should be avoided.


- Fish high in mercury - avoid high-mercury fish such as Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel and Tilefish. Also limit fish intake to no more than 2 servings per week.

- Soft cheese - avoid the following soft cheeses: Feta, Brie, and Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, queso blanco, queso fresco and Panela. They are safe to eat if they are labelled pasteurized.


- Refrigerated pâtes or meat spreads - for the same reason of listeria contamination. It is safe to eat the canned or shelf-stable versions.


- Liver - liver is a rich source of iron. However it contains a high level of Vitamin A. Large amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful to the baby.

- Unpasteurized milk and juices


- Alcohol - many documented fetal abnormalities and birth defects have been associated with alcohol use during pregnancy.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Thanks LB!

Can you also bump your post about sushi?

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

the list from my practice/ hospital is much longer than that so , I mainly just stick to carbs

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Posted by maybesoon

the list from my practice/ hospital is much longer than that so , I mainly just stick to carbs

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Posted by kahlua716

Posted by maybesoon

the list from my practice/ hospital is much longer than that so , I mainly just stick to carbs

See, and my doc told me to go easy on the carbs (to avoid extra weight gain and GD)

Easier said than done

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

I just want to add that you have to go out of your way to get unpasteurized dairy. If you buy it at a grocery store then 99% of the time it is pasteurized no matter what kind of cheese you are buying.

As for Listeria, this is a very rare disease and most practices are going to tell you to stay away from foods because of malpractice lawsuits. If you eat fresh then your risk is miniscule. And you can catch Listeria from anything, including veggies!

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

thanks for posting!!!

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Posted by maybesoon

Posted by kahlua716

Posted by maybesoon

the list from my practice/ hospital is much longer than that so , I mainly just stick to carbs

See, and my doc told me to go easy on the carbs (to avoid extra weight gain and GD)

Easier said than done

I can't live w/out carbs!!!

one thing I will personally be avoiding spinach. My friends whole family became sick from it w / ecoli

and I got sick from Salmonella so no spinach !

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

ITA with Ophelia...it's terrible how paniced some women get about this. Think of it this way..our mothers never had these restrictions...heck some even drank and smoked while pregnant (not saying it's right) but it takes a lot to "harm" the baby. We are very good and safe vessles for our LOs. Everything in moderation. limit the ones that your OB says to limit but all of these other things like Forzen Yogurt...cheescake.....I just feel so badly that people get that concerned.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

See I understand the yogurt thing, when I became pregnant I was so scared and didn't want to do anything to harm my baby. I wasn't sure if the live cultures in yogurt were ok while pregnant. Some people also don't realize that alcohol is burned off when cooked. I think this is a great reference post, but every doctor is different.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Thanks so much for posting this! I hate to be paranoid about the foods I eat...the main reason why I have avoided certain foods so far is that I keep forgetting what we can and cannot eat! Especially when it comes to fish. I worry too b/c I had a MC once and fear that if I eat the wrong things then I could cause harm to the baby.

Also....shouldnt caffeine be on there? I know we are allowed a smalll amount though.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Thank you for posting this.

I'll have to admit, I am very paranoid about what I eat mainly because this is my first and I certainly don't want to harm my DC. Things like caffeine I try to avoid since they say it can cause MC.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Posted by munchkinfacemama

Posted by Ophelia

Posted by katiebug

I just want to add that you have to go out of your way to get unpasteurized dairy. If you buy it at a grocery store then 99% of the time it is pasteurized no matter what kind of cheese you are buying.

As for Listeria, this is a very rare disease and most practices are going to tell you to stay away from foods because of malpractice lawsuits. If you eat fresh then your risk is miniscule. And you can catch Listeria from anything, including veggies!

YES.

and, you are FAR MORE LIKELY to get a food bourne illness from CHICKEN than you are from SUSHI.

I have no idea when pregnant women started to be driven apeshit by all of these food issues.

remember, just recently there was an outbreak at TACO BELL...but no one says booo about it. yet something as HEALTHY as sushi is the devil. I don't get it.

the ONLY thing I cut out of my diet completely was FISH HIGH IN MERCURY. b/c that is a poison. and it's recommended for ALL people to eat those kind of fish in moderation, not just pregnant women.

like I keep saying...don't drink the pregnancy Kool-Aid. when I see posts asking about things like frozen yogurt and penne ala vodka...my head explodes.

someone did a number someplace on pregnant women and it's just not fair.

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

I'm going to ask Kim to add this to the locked post at the top of this board

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Posted by ClientServices

Posted by DPerotti

I'm going to ask Kim to add this to the locked post at the top of this board

Done

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

I just want to also throw something out there.

When I went for my first appointment, my OB gave me a nice long list of things to avoid.

THEN I was diagnosed with hyperemesis and my OB totally changed her tune, she told me to eat and drink whatever I could keep down.

SO everything in moderation

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

BUMP just cuz

Re: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy