Knowing what foods to avoid while pregnant is as important as knowing what foods to choose.
Most women know that pregnancy is a time when what they eat will matter more than at any other time of their life. The quality and variety of foods an expecting mother consumes can affect her baby for a lifetime. That’s why it is vital for women of childbearing age to know what foods doctors recommend they should eat, what foods or beverages they should limit or eliminate from their diet, and the consequences of cheating on a pregnancy diet.
For many newly-pregnant women, the first question after the test comes back positive is “Is caffeine safe?” Coffee-drinkers dread giving up their favorite morning beverage, but may not have to: the latest research on caffeine intake during pregnancy suggests that it is safe to consume up to 3 cups of coffee a day. However, the effect of caffeine on a developing fetus may not be completely known. Be sure to ask your doctor or nurse midwife for guidelines on caffeine consumption.
Women who get their caffeine in other forms, such as regular or diet colas, have other ingredients to worry about: sugar and sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and Splenda. Aspartame has not been researched enough to determine if it is safe for consumption during pregnancy, or in what amounts, so it is probably best to avoid this food additive or at least limit your aspartame intake.
Splenda seems to be a safer bet, as it is initially derived from sugar, but it undergoes a battery of chemical changes on its way to the finished product. You may wish to play it safe while expecting and limit your intake of all artificial sweeteners and chemical additives in general. However, this is also a decision to be made with the advice of a health care professional.
Some foods to be avoided during pregnancy are those that would seem to be healthy – for example, salmon, tuna, and feta cheese, to name a few. Salmon and tuna contain high levels of mercury, which may be unsafe for the fetus. Feta cheese, and other soft cheeses, may contain harmful bacteria. And liver, which is a good source of iron, is too high in vitamin A to be safe for the baby – and may also contain toxins, since its function in the animal’s body is to process those toxins.
Another question many women have about the optimum pregnancy diet, once they know which foods to choose, is “How much weight should I gain?” In the past several decades, women have received conflicting answers to this question. Currently, most doctors and pregnancy experts recommend a weight gain of between 25-35 pounds, with thinner women gaining more and heavier women gaining less. However, no woman should choose her pregnancy as a time to begin a new diet, a choice which might very well cheat her developing baby of vital protein and nutrients.
With new studies being performed all the time on food safety, how can an expectant mother know which other foods to avoid? If you are getting good prenatal care, your doctor or nurse midwife should be able to keep you updated on the news about which foods may present problems, and you should always check dietary supplements and herbal teas for advice on whether they are safe for pregnant or nursing women.
You never know which “healthy” foods may be the next to be found to present a danger for your growing baby, but taking a few precautions and learning more about prenatal health can help minimize the risks.
By Natalie Cooper
