Eating for two can be a challenge, especially when you are experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy. Most women feel its symptoms when they reach their 6th week. Nausea and vomiting is common in the first trimester, but will start to subside during the 12th week of pregnancy. Nevertheless, it is important to eat well while you are pregnant. Carrying a baby requires you to eat more nutritious food. It is important to eat well-balanced meals, in order to supply your baby with essential nutrients.
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Avoid
dieting when you are pregnant, as this can put you and your child at risk. Dieting isnt necessary as long as you make smarter choices when eating. Avoid eating sweets if you want to maintain a healthy weight. Sugary desserts and chocolates are high in calories but low in nutrients. Ask your doctor for tips on how to keep your weight down without dieting. Taking dietary supplements is not advised unless advised by your doctor.
You can eat almost anything when you are pregnant, except for a few food items that may put you and your
babys health at risk. Stay away from raw meat and eggs. Raw eggs are found in some homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise. If you must eat any of these foods, be sure to buy commercially made variants from the grocery store. Unlike their homemade counterpart, store-bought salad dressings contain pasteurized eggs.
Stay away from rare or undercooked beef or seafood. Raw meat is more likely to get contaminated with salmonella, coliform bacteria and toxoplasmosis. Raw or undercooked shellfish should be avoided as well. Most water-borne diseases can be prevented by cooking shellfish thoroughly. Nonetheless, it is still recommended to avoid all types of shellfish while you are pregnant. Algae-related contamination, for instance, cannot be prevented even with thorough cooking.
Listeria is a type of bacteria that is present in unpasteurized milk. It is also found in some types of soft cheeses. Refrain from eating brie, feta, gorgonzola, Roquefort and camembert cheeses while you are pregnant. Mexican cheeses, like queso blanco and queso fresco should be avoided as well. Choose pasteurized milk when buying from the grocery store. Listeria infection can be dangerous, especially when it enters the placenta and causes blood poisoning. It can cause fetal infection and even death.
Refrain from eating fish that are caught in contaminated rivers and lakes. Some freshwater fish have been found to contain dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, which make them unsafe for consumption. The Environment Protection Agency may help confirm the safety of eating these types of fish. Get in touch with your local health department to know more about unsafe fishing waters in your area. Generally, you should avoid eating salmon, pike, bluefish, pike, and striped bass if you are
expecting a baby.
Alcoholic consumption is greatly
discouraged during pregnancy and lactation. Alcohol is passed on to your baby, increasing the risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS. Babies who are born with full-blown FAS usually have physical deformities and are less intelligent than normal babies. Heart murmurs, meningomyelocele and hydrocephalus are common side effects of alcohol
consumption during pregnancy.
