What should I avoid eating while pregnant?

Angie

I am only 5 weeks pregnant, and I go to the doctor for my first appointment next week. I want to make sure I am eating the right things, and staying away from foods I shouldn't eat. Does anyone know of a comprehensive (i.e. specific) list of foods to stay away from while pregnant? Thanks for your help!

Answer
What are the foods I should avoid during pregnancy?
Raw Meat: Uncooked seafood and rare or undercooked beef or poultry should be avoided because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

Deli Meat: Deli meats have been known to be contaminated with listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which may be life-threatening. If you are pregnant and you are considering eating deli meats, make certain that you reheat the meat until it is steaming.

Fish with Mercury: Fish that contain high levels of mercury should be avoided. Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage. A sample of these types of fish include: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Canned, chunk light tuna generally has a lower amount of mercury than other tuna, but still should only be eaten in moderation. Certain types of fish used in sushi should also be avoided due to high levels of mercury. Please see Mercury in Fish for specific types of fish and further information on how to calculate mercury levels.

Smoked Seafood -Refrigerated, smoked seafood often labeled as lox, nova style, kippered, or jerky should be avoided because it could be contaminated with Listeria. (These are safe to eat when they are in an ingredient in a meal that has been cooked, like a casserole.) This type of fish is often found in the deli section of your grocery store. Canned or shelf-safe smoked seafood is usually OK to eat.

Fish Exposed to Industrial Pollutants: Avoid fish from contaminated lakes and rivers that may be exposed to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls. This is primarily for those who fish in local lakes and streams. These fish include: bluefish, striped bass, salmon, pike, trout, and walleye. Contact the local health department or Environmental Protection Agency to determine which fish are safe to eat in your area. Remember, this is regarding fish caught in local waters and not fish from your local grocery store.

Your purchase supports the APA
Raw Shellfish: The majority of seafood-borne illness is caused by undercooked shellfish, which include oysters, clams, and mussels. Cooking helps prevent some types of infection, but it does not prevent the algae-related infections that are associated with red tides. Raw shellfish pose a concern for everybody, and they should be avoided altogether during pregnancy.

Raw Eggs: Raw eggs or any foods that contain raw eggs should be avoided because of the potential exposure to salmonella. Some homemade Caesar dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custards, and Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs.

If the recipe is cooked at some point, this will reduce the exposure to salmonella. Commercially manufactured ice cream, dressings, and eggnog are made with pasteurized eggs and do not increase the risk of salmonella. Restaurants should be using pasteurized eggs in any recipe that is made with raw eggs, such as Hollandaise sauce or dressings.

Soft Cheeses: Imported soft cheeses may contain bacteria called Listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which can be life-threatening. You would need to avoid soft cheeses such as: Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco, unless they clearly state that they are made from pasteurized milk. All soft non-imported cheeses made with pasteurized milk are safe to eat.

Unpasteurized Milk: Unpasteurized milk may contain bacteria called listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which can be life-threatening. Make sure that any milk you drink is pasteurized.

Pate: Refrigerated pate or meat spreads should be avoided because they may contain the bacteria listeria. Canned pate, or shelf-safe meat spreads can be eaten.

Caffeine: Although most studies show that caffeine intake in moderation is OK, there are others that show that caffeine intake may be related to miscarriages. Avoid caffeine during the first trimester to reduce the likelihood of a miscarriage. As a general rule, caffeine should be limited to fewer than 300 mg per day during pregnancy. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it helps eliminate fluids from the body. This can result in water and calcium loss. It is important that you are drinking plenty of water, juice, and milk rather than caffeinated beverages. Some research shows that large amounts of caffeine are associated with miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and withdrawal symptoms in infants. The safest thing is to refrain from consuming caffeine.

Alcohol: There is NO amount of alcohol that is known to be safe during pregn

what were the foods pregnant woman hould avoid?

shengteodo

Answer
Foods To Avoid While Pregnant

The Food and Drug Administration as well as the professionals in the medical field always caution expecting Moms against eating soft cheeses and certain deli meats. The reason being certain foods can become contaminated with bacteria called Listeria. . If you become sick from Listeria, the baby you're carrying could get sick or worse case scenario âit could be fatal. To protect your unborn baby, eat hard cheeses instead of soft cheeses and thoroughly cooked meats while you are pregnant.
The soft cheese made in the US are usually okay because they are made from pasteurized milk (pasteurization kills the Listeria organism.) Imported soft cheeses are usually best to avoid. Here is a short list of soft cheeses to avoid:

feta (goat cheese)
brie
Camembert
blue-veined cheeses, like Roquefort
Symptoms of a bacterial infection can develop from 2 to 30 days after you eat contaminated food. If the infection spreads to your unborn baby, you could start early labor.
Tell your doctor right away if you get any of these symptoms:
fever and chills, or other flu-like symptoms
headache
nausea
vomiting



To prevent infection, take these precautions:

Eat hard cheeses, like cheddar, instead of soft cheeses during pregnancy.
If you do use soft cheeses during pregnancy, cook them until they are boiling (bubbling).
Make sure the labels of your dairy products say "pasteurized" on the label.
Make sure you consume meat, poultry or seafood that has been cooked thoroughly!
Here is a list of meats, poultry and fish to avoid while pregnant:


Hot dogs
Sausages
Deli meat
Under cooked meat like beef and chicken
Pates
Ready to eat cold seafood
Raw eggs and raw egg dishes
Raw seafood, especially shellfish
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate the contaminated food eaten by pregnant women is estimated to cause mental retardation and blindness in anywhere from 400 to 6,000 infants, and may kill another 80 fetuses and newborns a year, according to the CSPI.

Listeria has been blamed for 2,500 illnesses and 500 deaths a year, and CSPI estimates 1/3 of the deaths involve pregnant women and their fetuses.

Please be very careful about the food you eat, and talk to your physician about the risks of food and food handling and preparation.

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Can eating too much junk food during pregnancy make my unborn baby fat?

YoungMarie

I'm 24 weeks pregnant and I'm still craving junk food. I eat healthy as well and eat things I'm suppose to, but I also eat a lot of junk food. I've only gained about six pounds so far, but I was wondering if eating too much junk food will cause my baby to be chubbier than usual. Does what you eat during pregnancy affect the weight more of your baby?

Answer
As long as you aren't only eating junk food, its fine. The size of your baby is going to be based on a lot of factors (most of them genetic). But in short, have some fritos or whatever it is you are craving...most anything in moderation is fine. Have a happy pregnancy!

pregnancy symptoms but negative test....?

newlywed07

I was on bc ( quite taking it to ttc at the end of the pack) and was spotting for 2 weeks and then dident have a period. I've never spotted or missed a period. I've been so tired, have lower back pain, starving, and slight heatburn. I took a test one week after my missed period and it was negative. Whats the deal?

Answer
Once pregnancy occurs, different effects take place in the body of the woman. Development of the baby in the womb produces many biochemical changes.

There are signs associated with pregnancy. Most common is a missed menstrual period, but since all women do not have regular menstrual cycles it is important to watch for other pregnancy signs such as: breast tenderness, nausea, heartburn, extreme tiredness and frequent urination.

Even if a woman has some or all symptoms it is important to reconfirm the diagnosis with a pregnancy test. This test will detect the presence of a hormone called chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced by the placenta and it is present in the blood and urine of the expecting woman.


Prenatal Care: Objective
The objective of prenatal care is to monitor the health of the pregnant mother and fetus.

It is important to visit the doctor as soon as you suspect you are pregnant. At each visit the doctor will examine you. This examination includes: monitoring weight gain or loss, blood pressure, circumference of the abdomen, position of the fetus and fetal heartbeat. Such variables are going to be closely followed during the course of your pregnancy.

Other tests your doctor may recommend are: Ultrasound and Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring.

Frequency of Visits to the Doctor
Your doctor may schedule your visits monthly during the first two trimesters (from week one to week 28 of pregnancy), every two weeks from 28 to week 36 of pregnancy and weekly after week 36 (until the day of delivery that could be between week 38 and 40 weeks).

Pregnancy associated discomforts

As the fetus grows, the uterus increases in size effecting other parts of your body. Some changes are triggered by the hormones your body secretes for nurturing the fetus to prepare both you and your child for birth.

During your pregnancy you will expect some discomforts such as:

Constipation and hemorrhoids
One of the reasons for constipation may be changes produced in the digestive tract due to hormones slowing down the movement of food. Added to this, during the last trimester of pregnancy there is more pressure on your rectum from your uterus. To avoid these try to drink plenty of liquids and eat fruit and vegetables with a high fiber content. Some pregnant women experience relief drinking a glass of tepid water before breakfast.

Nausea
As well as constipation, it is due to metabolic changes. In the morning before getting up try eating crackers and stand up very slowly. Try to eat in small quantities every three hours (fractionated diet). During your pregnancy it is good to eat proteins (meat, eggs, cheese) before going to bed at night.

Heartburn
This can occur when stomach acid from digesting food is pushed into your esophagus. As stated before, during pregnancy all digestive process is slowed down and in addition, the engrossed uterus presses up on your stomach. To avoid heartburn, eat in small quantities, several times a day. Avoid spicy and greasy foods and do not eat at least one hour before going bed. Some pregnant women experience relief resting at night by elevating their heads with two or three pillows.

Fatigue
Your body is doing a big job while you are pregnant. Try to sleep 8 hours daily and if you can take a nap during the day. Avoid hard work and eat a balanced diet throughout your pregnancy.

Headaches
You may have headaches during your pregnancy. Possibly because you are tense or in some cases it is cased by the higher level of blood in your body now that you are pregnant. Lay down and try to relax. Some women experience relief walking outside. Do not take medication while you are pregnant unless directed by your doctor.

Frequent Urination
During your pregnancy, your uterus is pressing down on your bladder and even if your bladder is almost empty this pressure produces the same sensation as if it were full. Do not avoid the urge of urinate.

Cramps
They are due to circulatory problems associated with the weight gain as you progress in your pregnancy. Ask your doctor to recommend some exercises to alleviate these discomforts

Chloasma
These are obscure marks in the skin caused by the hormones secreted during pregnancy and tend to disappear after delivery. Avoiding sunlight can help prevent them.

Stretch Marks
Skin tissue that has to support extra weight causes these marks. They appear on the abdomen and breasts and in most cases slowly disappear after delivery.

Varicose Veins
They are produced by the pressure of the uterus to the lower part of the abdomen that causes difficulty in circulation during the 9 months of pregnancy. They usually appear in legs especially if you must stand or sit for long periods of time. If you do need to stand or sit for long periods, move frequently to improve your circulation. Elevate your legs when possible or lie in bed with a pillow under your feet. While you are sitting try to keep your feet up. Do not wear tight clothing. Your doctor may recommends support stockings for you.

Breathing Difficulties
This happens during the third trimester of pregnancy because the fetus is occupying more space in your abdomen. Breath deeply several times a day (you can ask your childbirth instructor to teach you the correct way) but avoid hyperventilation. Sleep propped up and avoid crowded places and smoggy environments.

Backaches
This is a consequence of the growing of your abdomen and your weight increase. If you are suffering from backaches wear low-heeled shoes, try to keep your back straight and avoid lifting heavy weights. It is good to practice some relaxation exercises that will help to lower the tension in your muscles. Remember to stay as calm and serene as possible during your pregnancy.

Swelling
Due to the retention of water in your tissues, swelling has a high occurrence in your feet. Try to elevate your legs whenever you can and avoid tight clothes that bind your legs. It is important to notify the doctor if you notice that swelling is taking place in uncommon areas or if you register a sudden rise of your weight
http://www.helponpregnancy.com/Signs-of-Pregnancy.html

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