Why Are There Certain Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy?

On the surface, it would appear that foods to avoid during pregnancy would be anything that could directly harm the unborn child. That is true of course, but certain foods can cause problems for the mother-to-be as well. We're talking about feeding two people here, and we want to ensure that both are protected against harmful agents that could arise from certain food items.

In some cases, foods ingested contain substances that are passed directly through the placenta. In other words, what you eat, the baby eats as well. One of the foods to avoid during pregnancy, which the baby "eats" as well, is alcohol. It's recommended that alcohol be avoided completely during the first trimester, and consumption be kept limited during the second and third trimesters. While an occasional social drink may do no harm, it isn't helping the baby either, and too much can cause problems in a child's development following birth. Eating foods containing harmful bacteria can also harm the baby directly.

The other reason to avoid certain foods is to protect the health of the mother-to-be, and by extension, protect the baby as well. When a woman becomes pregnant, her immune system generally is weakened, and she becomes more susceptible to bacteria-caused diseases or infections. A woman's metabolism also may undergo changes, making her more at risk of contracting food poisoning. While vitamins are usually associated with good health, a pregnant woman needs to avoid an overdose of certain vitamins, especially vitamins A and E. For these reasons, certain foods are either considered to be off limits, or should be eaten infrequently or in small amounts, and vitamin A and E supplements should either be avoided, or taken only if the doctor says it will be OK to do so.

Can't I Eat Anything That Tastes Good? - Anytime we are told that there are a number of foods we should avoid, and the list is fairly long, we immediately assume that the list contains all the good foods we enjoy, and what we will be left with is a bland or uninteresting diet. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we progress through the list of foods to avoid during pregnancy, you'll find that, for the most part, these are foods we might be better off with anyway. In short, fresh foods are usually much better for us than processed foods, and processed foods are one of the things we need to watch out for. Not all processed foods of course, but some.

Caffeine - Let's start with breakfast and the breakfast cup of coffee. Some studies say that a couple of cups of coffee a day will be perfectly OK (a pot or two a day, probably not so good). Others indicate a possible link between high doses of caffeine, and the risk of miscarriage, with two or more cups of coffee a day being considered a high dose. In addition, caffeine prevents the body's absorption of folic acid and iron, and interferes with the body's use of calcium, three elements essential to good health. Coffee is hard to do without it you have it everyday. It probably isn't going to hurt to have an occasional cup, or even a coffee mocha (chocolate also contains caffeine by the way), but it would seem to be a good idea to either cut back, or switch over to decaf. You might not like the idea at first, but after awhile you'll probably agree that decaf can taste pretty good. The same applies to colas and energy drinks. Drink decaffeinated soft drinks and consider abandoning the energy drinks while pregnant. You can get the energy you need from a healthy diet.

Eggs - You don't have to avoid eggs, just raw eggs or eggs which have not been completely cooked (that includes eggs cooked sunny side up). Hard-boiled eggs are obviously safe. The reason to avoid raw eggs is that they may contain salmonella, a bacterium which can be a real bad customer. Avoiding raw eggs means also avoiding dishes that may contain raw eggs, such as certain salad dressings, or anything that includes raw eggs and is not cooked. By all means, keep eggs, the cooked variety, in your diet, especially Omega-3 eggs if available. They're good for you, and your baby.

Cheese - The usual advice given as far as cheeses are concerned is that when pregnant, hard cheeses are fine, soft cheeses should be avoided. Another bacterium is in play here, one called listeria. Hard cheeses are OK as the aging process (for cheddar for example) naturally kills off listeria. Cheeses to be avoided then would be such delicious times as Camembert, Brie, and Blue cheese. That's no fun at all, but, if a soft cheese has been pasteurized, it's OK to eat. So just read the label, and if you want your Camembert, make certain it's pasteurized, otherwise it's off limits. The potential problems trace back to the woman's weakened immune system, and therefore a greater potential for listeria to cause problems.