Pregnancy is a magical and transformative period. While there are many things that become off-limits during this period, the love for food tend can continue in this time.
During pregnancy, you get to eat for two. You can stow away as much food as possible but be sure to remain within the healthy limits.
However, with the liberty to eat also comes a small caveat; there are certain things that are not allowed for pregnant women.
For women with high blood sugar levels that present the risk for diabetes or have specific health concerns, keeping to the diet plan offered by the Best Gynecologist in Islamabad is better. Otherwise, barring the following items, most foods are safe for consumption for pregnant women.
Caffeine
You might love your cup of tea and coffee, but that is neither good for you nor the baby. Consumption of too much caffeine can cause issues with fetal growth and low birth weight, which posits risks such as the death of the baby and chronic diseases during their adulthood.
Junk food
While you get to eat without worrying about calories during pregnancy that does not mean that you consume junk food without guilt. You should focus instead on consuming nutrient-dense food instead.
Junk and processed food are high in sodium, sugar, and calories, benefitting neither the baby nor the mother. Moreover, it also then can lead to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, which brings its own set of complications.
Fish with high mercury
Even though fish is healthy, that high in mercury content is dangerous for the baby; it may hamper their development. Moreover, seafood with high mercury content is also dangerous for the health of the mother as well.
Examples of fish high in mercury include tuna, swordfish, marlin, tilefish, shark, king mackerel, orange roughly etc.
Liver
Liver is high in vitamin A, which is not safe for the baby. Eating pate, liver sausage, or liver cooked in any other form is not safe during pregnancy.
Partially or uncooked food
Uncooked or partially cooked food carries the risk of salmonella, leading to food poisoning which is dangerous for pregnant women. Hence, be sure to eat well-cooked food.
Foods that are often consumed partially cooked or raw include deli meat, sushi, uncooked fish and meat spreads that include partially cooked meat. Moreover, undercooked eggs also are not safe for pregnant women. Some forms include mayonnaise, mousse, raw batter, hollandaise sauce, Caesar salad dressing, eggnog etc.
Unpasteurized dairy products and fruit juice
Unpasteurized dairy products carry the risk of Listeria bacteria that can cause infection, which carries the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and endangered health of the newborn baby. There is also risk of presence of other bacteria including salmonella and E. coli in unpasteurized cheese.
Cheeses to avoid include feta, brie, blue cheese. Similarly, unpasteurized milk is also not safe. Unpasteurized fruit juice also is prone to bacterial infection and thus should be avoided.
Unwashed fruits and vegetables
Even though fruits and vegetables are good for health, however, when unwashed, they present challenges for health. The bacteria therein can cause infections and thus aren’t safe for pregnant women. Hence, be sure to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables prior to consumption. Similarly, avoid raw sprouts like alfalfa, mung bean, etc.
You should also avoid pre-packaged salads, as you cannot vouch for their cleanliness, thus they also carry a higher chance of listeria infection.
Certain beverages
Alcohol is not at all safe for pregnant women. The risks posited by alcohol consumption are grave; from miscarriage and still birth to fetal alcohol syndrome and intellectual disabilities. To say the life of the baby is at stake will not be an exaggeration.
Herbal tea is good for health, just not during pregnancy. Certain herbs might not be safe, so consume only those approved by your OB-GYN, whom you can consult via oladoc.com.