what sort of foods can't you eat?

Question

just found out im 6 weeks pregnant and i have no idea what i can and can't eat, gone from eating fried fast food, to fruit veg and more healthy stuff (which im finding really hard but worht it) please can you tell me the stuff not to eat please

Answer 1

Raw meat such as sushi, seafood, rare or uncooked beef, orpoultry 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.

Exercise Caution:

According to the March of Dimes, deli meats have led to outbreaks of a form of food poisoning called Listeriosis, that is particularly harmful to fetuses. While the risk is low, you may want to thoroughly reheat deli meats to an internal temperature of 165 degrees (including hot dogs) or avoid them altogether.

Minimize the amount of liver you eat. According to the March of Dimes, animal liver contains very high levels of vitamin A. While vitamin A is good for you, women who consume too much may risk a higher incidence of birth defects in their babies (however, studies are not conclusive). Since you're probably already taking prenatal vitamins and eating other vitamin A-containing foods, it's better to be safe and not consume liver on a regular basis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended has that pregnant woman maintain their vitamin A intake around 8,000 IU and that vitamin A be taken in the form of beta-carotene, which is not considered toxic.

According to the FDA, consumption of artificial sweeteners is safe for the general public. No studies show conclusively that it's harmful to consume artificial sweeteners during pregnancy. However, this is a personal decision, and for your peace of mind--and just to be on the safe side--you might decide to limit your consumption of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy. Instead, substitute fruit juice with sparkling water when you need a light, refreshing drink.

According to a 1999 U.S. Health and Human Services press release, raw sprouts have led to some incidents of salmonella outbreaks. They advise that pregnant women eat sprouts that are cooked, or avoid eating them altogether.

Answer 2

Sounds like you've started to make the right changes in your diet so far. Healthy eating is the key - plenty of veggies, chicken and fish. Avoid sugary foods as these are not good for you or the development of the baby - especially since some women can be affected by diabetes during pregnancy.

No offal (liver, heart etc), no soft cheese (unless it's cooked), no fresh mayo or anything containing raw eggs.

One more thing to do is carry this on after you give birth... Make sure you instill healthy eating into your child in the early years too... It will pay off... I gave my son very healthy food from the beginning and he's 8 now, very strong and has no problems eating plenty of veg, salads and fish.

Good luck and I hope all goes well.

Answer 3

you can't eat liver, pate or anything containing liver. nor can you consume raw egg, although some mayonnaises from the supermarket are ok if you check the label, as the egg in most of them is pasturised. anything with vitamin A is said to be unhealthy as it is a nutrient the baby does not require. blue veined cheese is deemed dangerous as it contains a type of mould, although soft cheese such as philadelphia or laughing cow is ok. fish is ok in moderation although tuna should be limited as it contains certain amounts of mercury. they say 3 tins a week or 2 fresh tuna steaks a week. i am going through stages like you, all i can stomach at the moment is junk food one day, then fruit and veg the next. just eat what you can i say as im sure it would b better than if you eat what makes you sick. also, don't forget you vitamins and folic acid, these are vital for the healhy development of the foetus. Hope this helps

Answer 4

Not allowed to eat shell fish or anything with raw egg in it i.e home made coleslaw etc.

also no liver or pate or raw meat and generally make sure all the meat that you eat is properly cooked (so no barbeques!!)

There are lots of websites which will give you lists of what to eat and what not to eat - but best advice i got was from a book I got from my health visitor.

Try to start drinking more full fat milk too and start taking folic acid supplement if you have already started.

Hope this helps - congratulations

Answer 5

It is fine for you to eat nuts! they are very good for you when prego, lots of protien.. and I ate mayo when I was prego.... It is ok to eat fish, just try to limit it to no more than once a week, and there are certain ones you should stay away from altogether, not sure wich ones though. (tuna and such are fine, just no more than once a week.) and soft cheese is a nono, but most people dont eat that anyway... make sure to get lots of greens, they contain folic acid, you need that to prevent birth defects..(spinach, kale ect..) and you should be taking your prenatal vitamins as well, try to get some from a health food store, they digest better than walmart vitamins. (get the capsules not the hard powdery ones) and dont worry you will get used to eating more healthy, wich is good, because then you can set a good example for your child later on... GOOD LUCK!! :)

Answer 6

I guess doctors vary on what they say. My doctor told me that I SHOULD eat liver once a week because of the vitamins it contains. Of course, no raw eggs or undercooked meat. No soft drinks or junk food and not many fried foods because they are fattening. Also I was supposed to eat two eggs every day.

Answer 7

NO to mayonaise, raw egg products, pate, soft cheese[brie], liver.
YES to chicken, fish, fruit, veg, a little red meat, milk products, yoghurt. All in moderation wont hurt.

Answer 8

You can't eat liver or any foods rich in vitamin A. also no unpasturised foods like soft cheeses. make sure all your food is cooked thoroughly and that you wash all fruit and vegetables carefully before eating.

Answer 9

Lay off the oranges and tomatos, they really upset the babe. Other than that get plenty of roughage, protien and veg. If you like fish, have it oily (salmon, mackeral etc).
For goodness sake stay away from sheep.

Answer 10

Just follow a healthy normal diet. Take a prenatal vitamin. Don't drink, smoke or take any drugs (without Dr's consent) and baby will cook just fine.

Answer 11

Some foods not to eat include pate, certain cheeses (brie, blue cheeses etc) mussels. There are others, check with your doctor.