Foods And Drinks All Future Mothers Should Avoid | Pregnancy slideshows | Family Health center

Raw Or Undercooked Food

Women who crave sushi during pregnancy are out of luck â€” indulging their impulse is outright dangerous. When we say raw or undercooked food is OUT during pregnancy, we're not talking about veggies, but they require caution too. Fruits and vegetables either need to be washed thoroughly and inspected or cooked if you want to avoid the risk of parasites. Raw or undercooked foods of animal origin also carry the risk of parasites, in addition to numerous bacteria and viruses including salmonella, listeria, and E. coli. The products you should pay special attention to include fish, meats, eggs, cheeses and milk.

Sources & Links

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Photo courtesy of Naotake Murayama by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/naotakem/3802955388/
www.webmd.com/baby/features/foods-to-avoid-when-youre-pregnant
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nutrition/PR00109
http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/risk/pregnant/chklist_pregnancy.html
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx

Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are not out completely, but you are better off cooking them at home so you can see exactly in which condition they are prepared. They need to reach at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit â€” steaming hot, in other words! Make sure the juices don't leak onto raw foods, or you could be in trouble, and eat your hot dogs right after you prepare them. Don't indulge too often, since they are high in nitrates. Of course, wash your hands right after preparing any type of meat, and make sure your cutting board is properly washed as well.

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Unpasteurized Dairy Food

The US American Academy of Pediatrics just recently issued a warning against unpasteurized dairy products. Both children and expectant moms should stay well away from these foods, including raw milk and unpasteurized cheeses. Don't be fooled into thinking raw-milk products come with some extra special health benefits as some alternative health proponents claim, as there is absolutely no evidence that this is true. The pasteurization process saves you from nasty stuff such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli and Salmonella. They are not things you want to deal with at any time, let alone when you are expecting a baby.

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Seafood High In Mercury

Fish is one of the healthiest foods you can consume during pregnancy, but be careful â€” seafood can be ridden with mercury these days, and you definitely want to make sure not to overdose on that. Totally stay away from King mackerel, shark, swordfish and other really high-mercury fish while you are pregnant. Don't have more than 6 ounces a month of high mercury fish like tuna and sea bass, and enjoy up to 6 ounces of lower-mercury fish like carp, cod, lobster and perch. Meanwhile, you can eat as much as 12 ounces of lowest-mercury fish and seafood every week. Oysters, herring, salmon, crab, sardines, and shrimp all fall into this category.

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americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm

Unwashed Fruits And Vegetables

My kids love to watch an Animal Planet show called "Monsters Inside Me". It often features parasites. It's fascinating to watch how eating that raw, unwashed lettuce gave someone a parasite for which snails are an essential part of the life cycle. Experiencing the effects of these parasites on your own pregnant body is not that interesting, however, and it can often become life-threatening. Just make sure that your raw veggies and fruits are really well washed, and that you inspect them afterwards. Everyone should do this, but pregnancy is a wonderful time to start being careful if you don't already make sure your fresh produce is clean.

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Salads Made In A Store

Yes, store-made fresh salads are really appealing. They sure save you a lot of time. So why should you at least think about avoiding them during pregnancy? Ready-to-eat, deli-style salads, especially those that contain undercooked meats and dairy products, can be contaminated with listeria. What's more, you never really know how long the salads have been in the store and if they were properly refridgerated the entire time. Home-made salads should also ideally be consumed immediately, and refrigerated at all times if not used. Leaving your salad on the dinner table for a few hours? Bad idea!

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All Types Of Pate

Pate is a no-go during pregnancy, even, believe it or not, vegetable pate. Why? Well, there are several reasons. The first is that pate simply comes with a higher risk of listeria infection. Listeriosis isn't the worst type of food poisoning you can get, but it's dangerous during pregnancy: it can lead to premature labor, miscarriage, and stillbirth! It's not at all uncommon for pate to be made with liver, and that's another reason to stay away from it. Liver contains huge amounts of vitamin A, which pregnant women should be very careful with.

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Herbal Tea

Have you stopped drinking alcohol and coffee for the duration of your pregnancy? Almost everyone will agree that you are doing the responsible thing. Of course, you're likely to be enjoying a nice cup of tea instead. Could that be dangerous too? Actually, some herbal teas are not compatible with pregnancy. Be cautious and avoid ginger, comfrey, anise, catnip, pennyroyal, and mugwort. Consult your healthcare provider before consuming any other herbal teas you are not sure about, but do enjoy non-herbal teas like black and green tea with pleasure!

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Alcohol

You know you should not get drunk while you are pregnant, but how about a glass every now and again? One beer "for your milk production", or one glass of wine with that birthday meal? Studies into the topic have varying outcomes, but that doesn't mean you can just look at studies that show small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy are not dreadfully harmful. Think before you drink, and remember that no amount of alcohol has been proven to be safe during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can result from a surprisingly small amount of alcohol. No alcohol is truly the safest approach while you are expecting.

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Raw Eggs

Raw eggs are never a good idea. Though you may enjoy them in a high-protein smoothie or certain cakes, there is always the slim but real chance that consuming raw eggs will give you a salmonella infection. Salmonellosis during pregnancy can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and baby, including meningitis. Staying far away from raw eggs is the best idea. Washing your hands after touching raw eggs, chicken meat, or handling live chickens is almost as good. You can still enjoy egg and poultry if they are properly cooked however, so don't give up on eggs altogether.