19/10/2022
🍣 Unsafe foods in pregnancy 🍣
Third pregnancy, and I had to remind myself of these again!
Everything in moderation, right? Not exactly when it comes to pregnancy. Sure, many people will tell you they ate these foods, and nothing happened to them. If you want to take a chance, it's on you, but remember, you must think about your baby!
Everything you eat gets shared with your baby. Something that won't harm you might harm your baby.
There are some foods to avoid or take care of when you're pregnant, as they might make you ill or harm your baby. Make sure you know which foods to avoid or take precautions when pregnant.
🧀Cheeses🧀
It's advised that pregnant women avoid some soft cheeses because they're less acidic than hard cheeses and contain more moisture, which means they can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria, such as listeria, to grow in.
Mould-ripened soft cheeses (cheeses with a white rind), such as Brie and Camembert, should preferably be avoided. It would be best if you also avoided soft blue- cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
If the label says it's pasteurized, it is safe to eat.
🍳 Raw or partially cooked eggs 🍳
Always ensure eggs are thoroughly cooked until the whites and yolks are solid. Skip the sunny side up for now to prevent the risk of salmonella food poisoning. And please don't do raw egg challenges. Salmonella infections can lead to stillbirth or premature labour.
🥩 Raw or undercooked meat 🥩
Eating raw or undercooked meat can increase the potential risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly so it's steaming hot, and there's no trace of pink or blood.
Many cold types of meat, such as salami, prosciutto, chorizo, and pepperoni, are not cooked; they're just cured and fermented. This means there's a risk they contain toxoplasmosis-causing parasites.
You can reduce any risk of parasites by freezing cured or fermented meats for four days at home before you eat them. Freezing kills most parasites and makes the meat safer to eat.
🅰️ Liver 🅰️
Take care when eating liver or products containing liver, such as liver pâté. They may contain a lot of vitamin A, and too much of it can harm your baby.
🐠 Fish 🐠
Luckily you can eat most types of fish when you're pregnant. Rather avoid eating shark, swordfish, or marlin. Most of which aren't readily available in South Africa anyway.
You should also limit the amount of tuna you eat to 2 cans of tuna a week. This is because tuna contains more mercury than other types of fish. Mercury is toxic to your kidneys and nervous system.
Smoked fish, which includes smoked salmon and smoked trout, is considered safe to eat during pregnancy.
Oily fishes like salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and pilchards can contain pollutants and should also be limited in the diet.
You might want to avoid eating sushi containing raw fish, such as tuna and salmon. The safest way to enjoy sushi is to choose the fully cooked (like prawn) or vegetarian varieties.
Always cook shellfish thoroughly until the shells open. Avoid raw shellfish like oysters.
🥛 Milk 🥛
Stick to pasteurised or ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk, sometimes called long-life milk. If you drink unpasteurized milk, instead boil it before drinking it. Soft ice creams are okay to eat when you're pregnant.
☕️ Caffeine ☕️
High levels of caffeine can result in babies having a low birth weight, which can increase the risk of health problems in later life. Too much caffeine can also cause miscarriages.
Unborn babies cannot process caffeine because they lack the enzymes to break down caffeine molecules. The caffeine then builds up in their systems.
You don't need to cut caffeine completely, but don't have more than 2 cups of coffee daily. Remember that some teas also contain caffeine, as well as some soft drinks like Coca-Cola. Even chocolate contains caffeine.
You are allowed about 200mg of Caffeine a day. The following shows the average caffeine content of certain products:
⭕️1 cup instant coffee = 100mg
⭕️1 cup good quality filter coffee = 140mg
⭕️1 can Coca-Cola = 30mg
⭕️Ceylon/Black tea = 50mg
⭕️Rooibos tea = 0 mg
⭕️1 chocolate = 50mg
⭕️1 can Red Bull = 30mg
Try sticking with decaf coffee during pregnancy.
🍵 Herbal teas 🍵
There's little information on the safety of herbal teas in pregnancy, so it's best to drink them in moderation. Readily available herbal teas such as peppermint, ginger, and chamomile are safe to drink.
🥭Unripe papaya🥭
Unripe papayas may contain a substance that can cause premature contractions of the uterus and induce premature labour. Ripe papayas, on the other hand, are very healthy for pregnant women!
🍚 Artificial sweeteners 🍚
It is best to avoid artificial sweeteners as there is no long-term evidence of their safety during pregnancy.
🍷 Alcohol 🍷
There is no known safe amount of alcohol you can use during pregnancy, and all types of alcohol are equally harmful. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects, especially Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, in your baby and should be avoided at all costs.
🍖 Cold meats 🍖
Avoid perishable, ready-to-eat meats, such as ham, polony, and viennas, when pregnant. Listeria can grow at temperatures inside your fridge; therefore, it is best to avoid these foods or cook them thoroughly before eating them.
🐄 Biltong 🐄
Moist biltong and droëwors should be avoided. It has a high fat content, which can support the growth of organisms. Small amounts of dry biltong are occasionally acceptable, but only if obtained from a credible source.
🥜 Peanuts 🥜
You can eat peanuts or food containing peanuts, such as peanut butter, during pregnancy unless you're allergic to them or a doctor advises you not to. The increased chance of your baby developing allergies when you eat allergens during pregnancy has been disproven in research.
🥤 Energy drinks 🥤
Energy drinks are not recommended during pregnancy. They may contain high levels of caffeine and other ingredients not recommended for pregnant women.
Though there are some restrictions on your diet while pregnant, these restrictions help ensure the health of both mommy and baby.
If you have eaten some of these foods, and they did not make you ill, then you are lucky, and it most likely did not affect the baby. However, if you are unsure, it's always safest to chat with your healthcare provider.
Photo by Viviana Rishe on Unsplash.
