What are you not supposed to eat during pregnancy?

Question

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and can't seem to get a straight answer about what foods to avoid during pregnancy. I heard that I can't eat deli meat, asparagas, garlic, egg nog and a whole bunch of other stuff. My practitioner told me not to be paranoid and that I can pretty much do anything but smoke, drink and skydive. What's the real deal?

Answer 1

You can eat pretty much anything that your stomach can tolerate. I would avoid undercooked me I.E. have your steaks well done instead of medium. Do not take herbal supplements without consulting your ob first some have harmful effects on your baby. Relax, be glad you are able to eat. Many women during pregnancy eating is a very hard thing to do.

Answer 2

Go to a regular OB/GYN, not a normal doctor. They do not have the extra medical training to help a woman through a pregnancy. You can eat deli meats, but only if they are re-heated. Soft cheeses such as Chamberet (SP), Feta, blue-veined cheese, Brie are not safe. You can drink Egg Nog if the one you buy is made from pasteurized eggs. Canned smoked fish is safe, but refrigerated smoked fish is not safe. Any unpasteurized juice, or dairy is not safe. Eating or drinking any of the above things without proper cooking can cause Listeria, which, while it has little or no symptoms for the mom, can seriously harm and even kill the baby.

Answer 3

Ok let me shine a little light on the situation for you....you CAN eat ANYTHING! However when pregnant it is often recommended staying away from raw or undercooked meat, fish, poultry, etc....excessive amounts of caffeine, alcohol, although my doc said a glass of wine a week was actually good if I wanted too, saccharin which is found in sweet & low, no swordfish, shark, king mackerel, & tilefish because of high amounts of mercury, & finally soft cheeses such as brie, feta, blue veined cheeses due to the unpasteurized nature it can harbor many bacteria....hope this helps & congrats!

Answer 4

You can eat those foods, but be care full. They say no deli meat because of bacteria. I eat it but in small quanties. Make sure any meat or eggs that you do eat is fully cooked. You should stay away from coffee, soda, mushrooms (fungi), and very surgery foods. You are supposed to stay away from anything with NutraSweet. I've never heard anything about asparagus, garlic, or eggnog.

Answer 5

listen to your doctor!!
it's very hard to follow all the pregnancy "rules"
the book "what to expect..." can help you with diet questions, but the simplest rules to follow with your diet are:

-no big fish, like tuna, swordfish, etc...they can contain higher levels of mercury from eating lots of little fish and therefore can influence brain development. if you love tuna, then eat a small amount on occasion...it's not going to kill ya, but it's best to try and steer clear.

-no unpastuerized fodo products. they can cause lysteria posioning. so, watch your soft cheeses, ciders and raw eggs. these are popular food products that can be bought as unpastuerized. just read the label. if it says unpastuerized, then ditch it...if it says pasteurized or nothing at all, then it's o.k!

-as for all the other stuff....i wouldn't worry too much. i've heard the lunch meat thing, but i, personally, never paid any attention to is and neither do most of the moms i know:)

take care and you'll be fine mom!

EDIT:
oh and try to limit your caffeine. i tried to cut it out all together, but i drank a pepsi every so often;)

Answer 6

There are certain foods you should avoid. The best bet is go to the library or bookstore to the pregnancy section. There are many resources available and gives you a list of things you should avoid. Herbal supplements, foods, chemicals & even general drugs (like ibuprofen). My doctor gave me a packet with each of my pregnancies.

If you don't feel comfortable with your ob, you can definitely change, you are not required to stay with the same doc unless you are happy.

Answer 7

you can eat whatever you crave nothing can really hurt the baby its more the fact that you can get gas pains from eating some things belive me if had 4 my self just dont like eat anyting raw and you will be fine... eat what ever your in the mood for.. and stop worrying no need to give your self high blood preasure just go for alot of walks so that you stay in shape and you will feel alot better...

Answer 8

Be careful on seafood

Don't eat:


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. \

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

Answer 9

You can eat just about anything you want as long as it doesn't bother you. The main thing is to limit your intake of caffeine, no alcohol, and no smoking. But other than that, you should be fine.

Answer 10

i know tuna cause if some kind a diease, egg nog is no good and i know that alpha is no good either.. i would just prob eat as healthy as possible. lots of yummy calories! good luck