Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in a mother's life, and it is easy to get overwhelmed by all of the information being thrown at you. Here is a simple guide of foods to eat in moderation or avoid completely during your pregnancy.

.   Seafood: There are many different kinds of seafood that you may be craving and most of it is okay during pregnancy. However, you should discuss the types of seafood and frequency of consumption with your doctor. Some types of seafood may and it can only be eaten once or twice a week due to the high levels of mercury in them.

.   Unpasteurized Foods: Pregnant women and nursing mothers need to avoid any foods or drinks that are unpasteurized. Foods that you need to double check include cheese, milk, and fruit juice. Unpasteurized foods have not been thoroughly heated to a high enough temperature to prevent the growth of harmful pathogens.

.   Avoid too much caffeine: During pregnancy you need to avoid having too much caffeine. Excessive consumption of caffeine has been known to lead to miscarriages. Caffeine is found in coffee, energy drinks, sodas, and chocolate. The current recommendations for pregnant women are to have 160 mg or less of caffeine per day. Remember even decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine in it.

.   Cook proteins thoroughly: During pregnancy you need to make sure that the eggs and meat that you consume are properly prepared and cooked to a safe temperature. Now is not the time to indulge in a rare steak or runny eggs. Making sure that your proteins are properly cooked lessens the chances that you will get sick, and let's face it what pregnant woman wants to run the risk of vomiting anymore than they already do?

.   Eat healthy: Even though you are pregnant and certainly free to indulge some of your cravings most of the food that you eat needs to be healthy. The more healthy foods you eat, the more energy you will have throughout the pregnancy. You also don't want to gain a bunch of unnecessary weight that you will have to worry about losing once the baby arrives.

Enjoy your pregnancy and discuss any food concerns that you may have with your doctor. Make healthy choices and avoid or limit the consumption of the foods mentioned above and you will be well on your way to a healthy pregnancy.