You’ve been told of all the nutritional and yummy foods that are great to eat while you are expecting, but have you heard of all the food that needs to be limited during pregnancy. It can be tricky to know what foods you should eat in moderation and which foods you should avoid altogether.
We are going to give you all the foods that you should limit or avoid right here in one place. That way you don’t have to sort through a ton of articles or constantly call your primary care physician to keep track of foods you shouldn’t allow into your diet.
There are quite a bit of food selections that we eat in our everyday lives and would never suspect them of causing harm to us or our unborn children. Unfortunately, there are some hidden things within foods that haven’t been prepared properly or are overly processed that could cause us potential issues.
Lunch meats
There is nothing better or quicker than making yourself a turkey and cheese sandwich with a side of chips. However, unless your meat has been heated until it is piping hot it is recommended that women who are expecting need to refrain from eating deli meat.
Because deli meats have chemicals within them that keep them from spoiling it is possible for you to contract a bacteria known as listeria. This bacteria can prove to be deadly for a mother and her child so if you are going to consume it make sure it is hot and only consume it 1-2x per week.
If you wish to avoid the possibility of such a high risk you could replace deli meats with grilled chicken if you wish too.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals, especially for a mother that is expecting, however, it can prove dangerous if you don’t properly wash your fruits and vegetables. Because of where fruits and vegetables are grown( typically using fertilizers and pesticides) they may still have traces of bacteria known as e.coli and salmonella on them.
Therefore it is important to wash them thoroughly to avoid getting food poisoning. Food poisoning can rob your body of water and vitamins that it needs to sustain you and provide for your fetus. If your produce isn’t washed properly it can also cause mental issues and even blindness in an infant prior to being born.
Alfalfa, mung bean, or sprouts
We recommend that you try to avoid these sprouts because bacteria grow within the shell of the sprouts and it can be difficult to get rid of that bacteria. More often times than not the bacteria are not eliminated because their types of sprouts are typically eaten in their raw form.
The bacteria located within the shell of these sprouts can cause symptoms like nausea, cramps, food poisoning, and diarrhea. All of these symptoms can leave an expecting mothers body decorated which could mean a possible trip to the emergency room if those symptoms become severe.
If you are going to eat sprouts much like vegetables and other produce you should wash them completely and then cook them until they are done.
Unripe fruits
Fruits such as papaya that is not ripe yet contain latex. Because of the presence of this latex within the fruit, it can trigger the hormones that tell your body it is time to go into active labor. And preterm labor can be dangerous for a fetus that is not yet developed enough to make their way into the world and dangerous for a mother’s body that is not yet ready to begin active labor.
If your not sure how to tell a ripe fruit from an unripe fruit you should choose the safe pre-packaged fruits found in the fruit and vegetable aisle of your local grocery. These fruits are usually safe to eat because they aren’t packaged until they have ripened and are ready for sale.
There are many complications that can stem from premature birth like underdeveloped lungs and low birth weight. So it’s in your best interest to simply pay the dollar or so extra for fruit that you are certain is ripe.
Coffee
You don’t have to eliminate coffee completely from your daily consumption, but you should cut back on how much you drink on a daily basis. Drinking a lot of coffee can cause abdominal cramps which can put unnecessary stress on your fetus.
It can also dehydrate your body at a quicker rate because coffee tends to send people to the restroom quite frequently. So instead of consuming coffee, you may want to replace it with decaffeinated teas or the best options possible which would be water.
Water is a huge necessity during pregnancy because it helps your body to continue to function properly as well as keeps you hydrated and makes it easier to relieve constipation