Question for moms!?

Question

I know that when you're pregnant, you shouldn't eat fish due to the mercury content, but what are other foods that you should stay away from? I have a list that's a million miles long about all the drugs that aren't healthy for your baby while you're pregnant (like NyQuil, alcohol, narcotic-based pain killers, etc), but what about foods?

I also heard that honey has an enzyme that can cause brain damage. Is this true?

Answer 1

I think honey is ok during pregnancy, but NOT for babies.

FOODS TO AVOID:

There are certain foods that you should avoid when you�re pregnant, because they might make you ill or harm your baby:

Some types of cheese
Avoid cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or ch�vre (a type of goats� cheese), or others that have a similar rind. You should also avoid blue cheeses.

These cheeses are made with mould and they can contain listeria, a type of bacteria that could harm your unborn baby.

Pâté
Avoid all types of pâté, including vegetable. This is because pâté can contain listeria.

Raw or partially cooked eggs
Avoid eating raw eggs and food containing raw or partially-cooked eggs. Only eat eggs cooked enough for both the white and yolk to be solid. This is to avoid the risk of salmonella, which causes a type of food poisoning.

Raw or undercooked meat
Make sure you only eat meat that has been well cooked. This is especially important with poultry and products made from minced meat, such as sausages and burgers. Make sure these are cooked until they are piping hot all the way through and no pink meat is left.

Always wash your hands after handling raw meat, and keep it separate from foods that are ready to eat. This is because raw meat contains bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Liver products and supplements containing vitamin A
Make sure you don't have too much vitamin A. This means you should avoid eating liver and liver products such as p�t� and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which contain high levels of vitamin A). You need some vitamin A, but having too much means that levels could build up and may harm your unborn baby. Ask your GP or midwife if you want more information.

Some types of fish
You can eat most types of fish when you�re pregnant. But there are a few types you should avoid and some others where you should limit the amount you eat.

Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system.

Have no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout.

But remember that eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby, so you should still aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish.

Undercooked ready meals
Avoid eating ready meals that are undercooked. Make sure you heat them until they are piping hot all the way through.

Raw shellfish
Avoid raw shellfish when you�re pregnant. This is because raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning. And food poisoning can be particularly unpleasant when you�re pregnant

Answer 2

Fish is the only thing I've eve heard to stay away from as far as food, because like you said, of the mercury content.

Answer 3

Re: fish, I believe it's mainly freshwater fish that have the mercury content problem.

You should stay away from high-sugar items (they can worsen or help bring on gestational diabetes) and high salt items (especially in the third trimester...you'll puff up like a marshmallow, and it might trigger preeclampsia.)

Best foods for your baby are whole foods; plenty of lean proteins, dark green leafy vegetables, and LOTS of water.

Answer 4

Anything that is not good for you normally is a little bit worse PG. Raw chicken is potentially going to make you sick. It could cause you to become so sick you could become dehydrated...not good for the baby!! Also if you get sick, doctor must give meds that could be dangerous, so stay away from food cooked in restaurants, chips (salt) canned soups (salt), french fries (salt and an antinutrient), junk food (salt and antinutrient). Eat a variety of cooked veggies, fresh fruit, well cooked meats, benas, grains, stay away from ready-made junk. Enjoy your baby.....

Answer 5

Limit caffeine beverages, like soda, coffee, tea. Talk to your OB about how much caffeine you should have.

This is odd, but I ate HUGE amounts of cinnamon while I was pregnant. I never did before. My daughter was allergic to cinnamon during toddler years..got red streaks all over her face! Figure that!

Your OB should have a list of nutrition guidelines readily available for you.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

Actually honey has botulism spores in it that can cause bad things to infants and even toddlers.

Raw meat such as sushi, seafood, rare or uncooked beef, or poultry because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

Raw eggs, or foods containing raw egg such as Caesar dressing, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custard, unpasteurized eggnog, or Hollandaise sauce because raw eggs may be contaminated with salmonella.

Soft cheese such as blue cheese, feta, Brie, Camambert, and Latin-American soft white cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco because they may harbor harmful bacteria.

Fish containing accumulated levels of mercury in their fatty tissues such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish. When a pregnant woman consumes large amounts of mercury, her baby may suffer brain damage resulting in developmental delays (for example, delays in learning to walk or talk).

Fish containing high levels of an industrial pollutant called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their fatty tissues such as bluefish and striped bass, and freshwater fish such as salmon, pike, trout, walleye from contaminated lakes and rivers.

According to the March of Dimes, consumption of large amounts of PCBs by pregnant women is linked to decreased attention, memory, and IQ in their babies. Check with your local Health Department to determine which fish in your area are safe to eat.

Answer 7

Make sure that you cook everything fully. You know undercooked eggs and meat is a no no.

Answer 8

everything that's been said before, plus:

- luncheon/deli meat, hot dogs, (refrigerated) smoked meats/fish
- bean/brussel/alfalfa sprouts
- freshly squeezed juices (not pasteurized)
- herbal teas

Answer 9

listen to linda she knows her stuff

Answer 10

ASK A DR