When you get pregnant, you have to take all sorts of precaution to keep the baby safe and healthy. You must be starting off with what you can do and what you cannot during pregnancy. The first step starts with food. The nutrients you take during this time are very crucial for your baby. You might need to avoid few foods that can put you at risk.
While there are certain foods and drinks that you need to refrain from completely and some that you can eat in moderate. Even if the food you take may not pose any threat, but you must make sure that it is safe to consume. Use clean and hygienic products. Let us look at some foods that you would like to avoid during pregnancy.
Foie Gras
Fresh or half-cooked foie gras and any other type of pâté is absolutely not good for a pregnant woman. It may contain many germs and bacteria like toxoplasma that causes toxoplasmosis. However, you may eat foie gras preserve without worrying as it goes under sterilisation process. Pregnant woman can intake it in moderation. You can get the best product from Foie Gras Gourmet. They supply their products all over the world. Their foie gras is popular in kitchen and it is a good source of nutrients such as vitamin A, B12 and copper.
Undercooked Egg
You should avoid recipes that have raw or undercooked eggs like poached egg, scrambled egg, mouse or homemade mayonnaise. It may contain the bacteria salmonella, which is a common cause of food related illness. You can have diarrhoea, fever and stomach pain. This can be quite harmful for the baby and the mother.
Raw or Undercooked Fish or Meat
Raw meat and fish can cause infection very easily. They may contain virus, bacteria or parasite like Salmonella, Listeria,E. Coli, Norovirus, and Toxoplasma. All these infections can cause serious damage to the foetus health – still birth, miscarriage, premature delivery, epilepsy, intellectual disability or any other neurological problem.
Unpasteurized Dairy Products
Just like raw meat and egg, dairy products also contain many harmful bacteria. With pasteurization you can avoid contamination and also get full nutrition. Apart from that you also need to take care of hygiene and store your food properly.
Caffeine and Alcohol
It may hardly seem that caffeine can be harmful, but high consumption of caffeine can lead to low birth weight and cause chronic illness in future. There is a high risk of infant death. Thus, you must limit your caffeine consumption to less than two cups of coffee a day.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy poses greater health problems for both mother and the child. It impacts the brain development of the child and increases the risk of miscarriages. If a pregnant woman continues drinking alcohol, the baby may be born with a serious condition called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The child shows visible facial deformations, intellectual disability and heart problems.
No matter what, take serious note of what you are eating and give your baby a healthy start in life.