Food to Avoid During Pregnancy

When going through pregnancy, you should be always keeping a close tab on what you’re eating and ensure that you’re getting the right nutrients to aid the development of your unborn child. But there are a few thing that are best to avoid completely.

Large predator fish

Bigger fish accumulate lots of mercury when they swim in the sea. Species like swordfish and marlin should be avoided completely, to ensure you don’t harm your baby’s nervous system which will be developing throughout the pregnancy. Oily fish is also a possible risk because it can have environmental pollutants which build up within you over time and affect your baby’s growth. Fish as a whole can still be extrememly beneficial, just make sure that you’re not overdoing it, perhaps keeping to one or two portions of fish per week.

Pate

Pate, even vegetable pates can contain listeria, so all types of pate should be completely avoided.

Raw or undercooked eggs

Eggs are prone to carrying salmonella bacteria, which can seriously hurt you during pregnancy. The only way to eliminate this risk is to always hard-cook eggs, and avoid things like homemade mayonaise which contains raw egg. There won’t be a direct influence on your baby if there is salmonella, but should you fall unwell from it yourself, you can become extremely ill. It must be said that eggs in the UK are very safe, with the risk of salmonella being about 1000 to 1. The odds are incredibly small, but of course, staying well and healthy for your baby will be top priority. The general advice is to avoid raw egg, just in case.

Soft and blue cheese

Most cheeses, particularly hard ones are very safe to eat, and contain essential calcium. However, you must avoid soft mould-ripened cheeses and blue-veined cheese. Examples include Danish blue, gongonzola, brie, camembert and many others.
The lack of acidity in these cheeses mixed with the moistness provide a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. This bacteria (known as listeria) can have a devastating effect on your baby who will not have yet built up enough defences to fight off the bacteria contained in such foods. Even a mild illness as a result of it can cause stillbirth or miscarriage.

Liver

All liver products should not be eaten, as they contain high levels of Vitamin A. If you have high levels of Vitamin A, this can harm your baby. Also, don’t take fish liver oil, high-dose multivitamin supplements, or any other supplements containing Vitamin A.

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