Five Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a really exciting life stage for everyone involved and a key time to think about our health and wellbeing. Did you know that, from the moment of conception, the foods a pregnant mother eats can impact the development of her baby not just in the womb but for years to come? 

Although this might sound daunting, eating well during pregnancy is actually much easier than you think. It comes down to that age-old message of a healthy balanced diet. 

There are just a few foods that should be avoided during pregnancy. Take a look at the table below so you know what not to include….

Foods to Avoid	Reason
Soft blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Danish blue – theses cheese have veins of mould through them which are usually blue in colour.  Soft cheeses with a mould rind such as camembert, brie or chevre or other cheeses with a similar mould rind	The mould in these cheeses can contain listeria – a type of bacteria which causes food poisoning and can be harmful to your unborn baby
Liver, liver products, fish liver oils or other supplements containing vitamin A	Liver is very high in vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can be toxic to your baby
Swordfish, Marlin or Shark	These types of fish contain very high levels or mercury which may be harmful to your unborn baby
Pate, including vegetable pate	Pate can also contain listeria bacteria
Raw or undercooked foods including meat, cured meats, fish, shellfish, eggs or ready meals. Unpasteurised foods or foods which may contain raw eggs such as home-made ice cream, home-made mayonnaise or home-made cheesecake	These foods may cause toxoplasmosis, salmonella or other types of food poisoning. Pregnant women are more susceptible to food poisoning and should be careful to cook all foods thoroughly. Foods should be piping hot throughout and meat should have no pink or undercooked patches

Some foods can be eaten in small quantities during pregnancy. They only become harmful if we have too much of them. For example…..

Food to Limit	Reason	How much can I have?
Oily fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, pilchards, herring, mackerel.	These types of fish contain omega 3 fatty acids which are helpful during pregnancy as they can aid the baby’s brain and retina development however they also contain small amounts of pollutants and mercury which can be harmful to the unborn baby in large amounts. Tuna is not an oily fish but still contains some mercury and should also be limited.	No more than 2 portions of oily fish or fresh tuna each week. A portion is approximately equivalent to 140g or the size of a pack of playing cards. Tinned tuna it will still contain small amounts of mercury and pregnant women should consume no more than 4 tins of tuna each week.
Caffeine	Too much caffeine can increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight babies	No more than 200milligrams per day 2 mugs of instant coffee (100mg each)  1 mug of filter coffee (140mg each)  2 mugs of tea (75mg each)  5 cans of cola (up to 40mg each)  2 cans of 'energy' drink (up to 80mg each)  4 (50g) bars of plain chocolate (up to 50 mg each). Caffeine in milk chocolate is about half that of plain chocolate
Alcohol	Alcohol can increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight babies. If consumed in large amounts it can cause foetal alcohol syndrome	no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week and don’t get drunk.A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units.

Besides the things listed here, enjoy a healthy balanced diet and look forward to welcoming your nourished little bundle into the world!

Catherine