Saying that a pregnant woman is eating for two is one of the oldest clichés about pregnancy – it is often used to encourage expectant mothers to eat more. But the quantity that you eat isn’t as important as the quality of the food you’re taking in. Just as eating the best foods that are chock full of nutritional value can help your baby’s development, eating the wrong things can have a negative impact. Make sure that you are well aware of what the danger foods are, and why you shouldn’t be eating them, in order to make sure that you are protecting your unborn child.

Foods To Avoid While Pregnant First Trimester

During pregnancy, and especially during the first trimester of your pregnancy, all of your baby’s vital organs and systems are forming.

This is the most critical stage of your baby’s development, although you should be conscientious about what you’re eating throughout your pregnancy, and if you choose to breastfeed, while you’re breastfeeding as well. It is important that you are well aware of the foods to avoid during pregnancy so that you give your baby the best chance in life.

Foods To Avoid While Pregnant List

One of the most important things for you to be aware of is not actually about a food, but a beverage. It is essential that you stay away from drinking alcohol while you are pregnant, as drinking during pregnancy can cause severe long-term effects on your baby’s development and intelligence, and cause a specific birth defect called fetal alcohol syndrome.

Beyond that, your pregnancy diet should be loaded with healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but even those fruits and vegetables are things you should be cautious about.

Make sure that everything that you eat is washed well, because fruits and vegetables are often exposed to bacteria and viruses during their growing period and during shipping.

Seafood is high on the list of foods to be cautious about; although fish can be good for you, certain fish are more likely to have high levels of mercury, and those should be avoided. These include swordfish, shark, and other larger fish.

Raw and smoked fish and shellfish should also be avoided during pregnancy, and it’s a good idea to be aware of any environmental concerns about local waters if eating fish that is from your area. Other raw foods to be avoided are undercooked or raw eggs, beef and poultry, and processed and smoked meats should be avoided entirely.

Any cheeses that are unpasteurized, such as brie, blue and feta also run the risk of dangerous bacteria. Other causes for concern are herbal medications and too much caffeine.

Foods To Avoid While Pregnant and Why

Many women are aware that their pregnancy diet is important, but are now aware of the specific dangers involved with eating the wrong foods. The reasons that certain foods need to be avoided are as varied as the foods themselves.

Mercury in fish can have a dangerous impact on your baby’s nervous system, which can lead to death, brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities. Eating unpasteurized, undercooked and unwashed foods all can expose you to bacteria that might impact you to a greater degree then would be the case if you were not pregnant.

Not only is it bad for your baby if you get sick, in some cases food poisoning and viruses can cross the placenta and directly impact the baby.

Although caffeine is not strictly forbidden, pregnant women are cautioned to only take in moderate amounts of caffeine because it can cause the baby’s heart rate to accelerate; some studies warn that an accelerated fetal heart rate can lead to miscarriage. Finally, alcohol can cause a range of birth defects, fetal death, facial deformities, and retardation.