The moment you find out you are pregnant; your mind instantly becomes a marketplace. Too many mixed feelings, anxiety, shock, confusion and worse still you could be upset. These may be coupled up with hormone level changes that may leave you worried. Many go through this transition in total silence and in the end fail to observe the necessary measures.
Being pregnant is a step but maintaining a healthy pregnancy is the end goal. Well, regular antenatal visits and exercise is a good way of keeping a healthy pregnancy, but then that’s just a fraction of what’s expected of you as an expectant mother.
There is a little human developing inside you, so as much as care is needed, food plays a major part in ensuring you and your baby are healthy. But then not every food is good for you and your baby and a lot of caution should be put into this. Thankfully for you, there is more to what you can than what you can’t eat. All it takes is a good navigation through it.
Going by the pregnancy nutrition guide, there are a number of foods that can be consumed minimally while others avoided completely hence the questions what’s not suitable for a pregnant mother and why: –
- Seafood with high mercury content
Seafood is a great source of protein with fatty omega-3 acids which helps in developing the baby’s eyes and brain. However, not all seafood is good as some contain a ridiculous amount of Mercury which is harmful to the baby. Findings by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) states that bigger and older fish are more likely to contain higher mercury content since they are found in more polluted seas. It further explains that consuming such fish can be toxic to the kidney, immune and nervous systems.
In relation to this pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are advised to keep off seafood like: –
- Shark
- Marlin
- Tile fish
- Bigeye tuna
- Orange roughy
- King mackerel
- Swordfish
However, it’s important to note that not eating low mercury fish during pregnancy is very healthy just make sure you get them from a trusted source.
- Raw or Undercooked Fish
This may not go down well with Sushi lover, but then it’s essential to know that raw or uncooked fish and shellfish may cause viral bacterial and parasitic infections. They may also bring about dehydration mostly in women susceptible to listeria infection which in the end can lead to either premature delivery, miscarriage or still birth.
- Processed, Undercooked or Raw Meat
While bacteria are mostly found on the surface of meat a fraction of it lingers inside the muscle fiber as well. This may be harmful to a pregnant mother as pregnancy comes with higher risks of bacterial infection. Unlike fish this infection may stretch over to cause either blindness, epilepsy or intellectual disability on the baby.
On the other hand, processed meat may also store bacteria either during processing or storage and more so if kept for long. Medics advice on cooking processed food until steaming hot before consuming, but this too is not a confirmed safe option
- Raw Eggs
Raw eggs are the mother of salmonella bacteria which announces its presence in a more confusing way ever. If it’s not inform of fever, then it’s either vomiting, diarrhea, nausea or stomach cramps all of which can be confused as extended pregnancy signs. This if not detected in time may cause premature or still birth.
Raw eggs are knowingly or unknowingly consumed in foods like: –
- Poached eggs
- Homemade mayonnaise
- Lightly scrambled eggs
- Homemade Ice cream
- Homemade salad dressing
- Hollandaise sauce
- Cake Icing
Make it a habit of reading the labels on the commercial products you purchase before use as most of them contain pasteurized eggs.
- Caffeine
It’s okay to love your cup of caffeine, tea or hot chocolate but then when it comes to pregnancy then a little caution has to be implemented. Research put together by the American College Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that due to its quick absorbing nature, caffeine easily passes into the placenta and because babies and their placentas don’t have the main enzyme needed to metabolize caffeine, high levels can build up.
They further explain that high caffeine intake during pregnancy has been shown to restrict fetal growth and increase the risk of low birth weight at delivery, infant death and a higher risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.
Not much information is provided on this but alongside caffeine is herbal tea. So it’s a better safe than sorry sacrifice.
- Alcohol
It goes without saying that alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome, which leads to intellectual disability, facial deformities and heart defects in newborns. There is no trusted alcohol levels proven to be safe on pregnant women hence the need to stay away from it completely.
- Junk Food
There is never a better time to concentrate on nutrient dense foods than during pregnancy because by doing so you get the much-needed nutrients to aid your journey towards delivering a healthy baby.
When they say you are eating for two, it’s never a myth but a reality and this comes with increased intakes in all sectors’ food, calories name them. Therefore, your optimal eating plan should consist of high nutritional foods to cater for your baby’s needs. Junk foods are known for excess fats, sugar, calories and unnecessary weight gain. They also increase your risk of contracting gestational diabetes.
Your plate should consist of foods rich in protein, healthy fats, rich carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits.
A pregnant woman is like a baby, susceptible to many things. It is essential to take extra care of yourself and health during pregnancy and this starts from your plate. Avoid foods and drinks that maybe harmful to you and your baby.
There is a lot that is safe to enjoy, but then there is also quite a number that’s toxic to you and your baby. The strength is in the ability to resist. Know what your plate consists of before consuming to avoid causing harm to either you or the baby.