Expectant mums know certain foods should be avoided during pregnancy to protect the health of their unborn baby. The list of foods to avoid by pregnant mums, however, has become so much and so controversial that it’s difficult to know which foods pose a health risk and which ones are safe for consumption.
Avoid These Foods
When it comes to pregnancy, certain foods should most definitely be avoided. Foods that are too high in mercury or Vitamin A can pose a health risk to your baby, as can foods that are known to cause foodborne illness such as Listeriosis and Salmonella poisoning.
If you’re worried about what to avoid as an expectant mum, talk to your doctor to find out exactly what foods you can or cannot eat.
In the meantime, you should avoid eating the following foods which have been proven to be the most dangerous when it comes to pregnancy.
Eggs:
Raw eggs may be tainted with salmonella, a bacterium that can cause fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, so avoid any restaurant-made Caesar salad dressing, homemade eggnog, raw cookie dough, and soft scrambled or sunny-side up eggs — any dish in which the eggs (both yolk and white) are not cooked completely.
Unpasteurized Juice:
Avoid juice (like cider) sold at farm stands; it may not have undergone pasteurization, a processing method that kills bacteria and toxins. Though the majority of milk and juices sold in stores today are pasteurized, there are still some brands on shelves that aren’t, so read labels. They are unsafe due to possible contaminants that can harm the fetus
Caffeinated Coffee/Tea/Pop:
The amount of caffeine a pregnant woman can safely consume has been widely debated. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. On average, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine. If you’re unsure how much caffeine is safe, you should avoid it altogether until you talk to your doctor because caffeine can affect the heart rate of your fetus.
Liver and most liver products:
These foods contain dangerously high amounts of Vitamin A. Too much Vitamin A, especially during the first few months of pregnancy, has been linked to birth defects in babies. Monitor your intake of Vitamin A (ask your doctor how much of this vitamin is safe) and avoid high-dose multi-vitamin supplements, fish liver oil supplements and any other supplement that contains Vitamin A.
Unpasteurized milk:
Stay away from raw milk (also known as unpasteurized milk), including sheep’s milk or goat’s milk (that includes goat cheese as well). Unpasteurized milk, along with uncooked and unwashed food, is a vehicle for pathogens to enter the body and make you extremely sick. Raw milk has a high risk of being contaminated with Listeria, a dangerous infection that can lead to miscarriage, severe illness and even stillbirth.
