Congratulations on your pregnancy! A new life is growing inside you, and you want to ensure you are doing all you can to protect and nurture your baby’s health (because you’re already a great mum).

During pregnancy, women become more susceptible to food poisoning, and you’re probably already aware that there are some adjustments you’ll need to make during this season. However, in this information age, it can be overwhelming and often confusing as to what actually is and isn’t suitable, and it doesn’t help that new evidence is constantly appearing, which also results in guidelines regularly changing.

Nevertheless, through this blog post, I aim to lay out for you, clearly and concisely, 9 foods and/or drinks that are best limited or avoided during your gestation, along with the reasons why.

1 — Certain Soft Cheeses (e.g., Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola, Danish Blue)

You’ll want to avoid soft cheeses with a white mouldy rind or blue veins because these types of cheeses can harbour a bacterium that is harmful to unborn babies (Listeria). It’s not common for Listeria infection to take place; however, if it does occur, it can be really serious, so it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid this type of cheese altogether.

If you REALLY love cheese though, you’ll be happy to know that hard cheeses are totally safe, even if they’re blue-veined or unpasteurised (examples include Cheddar, Parmesan and Stilton). There are also a variety of other cheeses that are unharmful during pregnancy, so long as they are made from pasteurised milk (e.g., Goats cheese, Mozzarella, Feta, Ricotta).

2 — Oily Fish (e.g., Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Trout)

Oily fish is a great source of protein and Omega 3 (vital for your developing baby’s brain development); therefore, if possible, oily fish shouldn’t be avoided completely, and most experts do agree that the pros of eating fish outweigh the cons. However, oily fish also contains small amounts of environmental pollutants (Polychlorinated Biphenyls or PCBs for short), so you’ll want to limit your consumption to a maximum of 2 portions per week to avoid overexposure to these PCBs (which could produce developmental and neurological issues for your unborn child).

3 — Swordfish, Shark, and Marlin.

Nearly all fish and shellfish contain some mercury; however, the levels in Shark, Marlin, and Swordfish (predator fish that eat other fish!) are unsafe and should be completely avoided during pregnancy.

4 — Tuna

Tuna gets its own category as it is not classed as oily fish, nor do you need to avoid it altogether during pregnancy. Whether tinned or fresh, tuna can be consumed during gestation, but in moderation as it also contiains high levels of mercury. Guidelines suggest you shouldn’t eat more than 2 tuna steaks each week, which is equivalent to around 140g cooked or 170g raw. Tin-wise, you don’t want to consume more than four medium-size tins of tuna a week (with each tin roughly a drained weight of 140g).

5 — Raw Shellfish / Fish

Consuming raw shellfish can lead to food poisoning during pregnancy as these contain viruses and bacteria. Raw shellfish should be avoided completely, but cooked shellfish is safe.

The parasitic worms in raw fish are killed by cooking or freezing. Shop-bought Sushi is generally safe as those options containing fish would have been frozen beforehand.

6 — Liver

Preformed Vitamin A (animal sources of Vitamin A) can cause birth defects and are therefore unsafe for pregnant women to consume. Liver contains high amounts of this Vitamin A, so liver and liver products should be avoided during pregnancy.

All other meat is safe to eat during pregnancy but to reduce the risk of infection, you’ll want to make sure that hands, surfaces, and meat are properly cleaned, and that the meat is cooked thoroughly (i.e., avoid rare meat).

7 — Eggs

Eggs can be consumed during pregnancy but with certain precautions/limitations.

To avoid Salmonella food poisoning, only consume eggs under the British Lion Code of Practice (they’ll have the red lion stamp logo on them) as these eggs come from flocks that have been vaccinated against Salmonella. These eggs are safe to eat, even if raw, partially cooked, or even in desserts.

If you are eating out, remember that many dressings, ice creams, or mousses contain eggs, so if you’re unsure whether the eggs used are safe, you should always ask the waiter or chef.

Shop products usually contain pasteurised eggs, so these are safe to eat.

8 — Caffeine

The recommended caffeine limit for pregnant women is 200mg per day. This is roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee per day. High caffeine intake can increase the risk of a miscarriage or a low-weight birth (which in turn increases the risk of your baby having health risks later in their life).

Although caffeine is highest in coffee, it’s important to remember that caffeine is not only found in coffee, but also in tea, milk chocolate, and cola too. As much as possible, try to replace caffeinated drinks with water, fruit juice, or even the decaffeinated version of your favourite tea.

9 — Alcohol

When it comes to alcohol, the safest option is just to avoid it completely. Alcohol can pass through the placenta to your baby, which can impair their development.

If you didn’t know you were pregnant and you were still drinking alcohol, try not to worry too much, but now that you’re aware, it would be best to leave alcohol behind for the rest of your pregnancy.

I hope this post has helped you to identify exactly what foods/drinks to limit or avoid during your pregnancy. If now, you’d like some ideas about how to add more fruit and vegetable into your meals, providing those all-important nutrients for you and your unborn child, then be sure to check out this post HERE.

About The Author: Torema Thompson is a 100m sprinter, qualified personal trainer, UKA speed athletics coach (& nutrition coach in training). She is passionate about helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts go from newbies to masters in their athletics and/or fitness.

Connect with Torema on YouTube and Instagram, or subscribe to her email list.

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