What Can I Eat While Pregnant?? Can't Find a List....

My husband is reading over my shoulder, and he says that from what he remembers..."Anything you can catch"... lol

Nothing unpasteurized. That's all I really know. Be careful with fish. Google it. Just type in "restricted foods while pregnant". Or something like that.

Here's a good resource:

http://www.whattoexpect.com/photo-gallery/foods-to-avoid-...

Congratulations!

theres a list of foods now?? holy cow-whats next?? when i was preg.29 yrs ago-there was no lists of food or drink-of course booze was not accepted-except for a glass of wine or beer...not a big booze fan so didnt drink that-but anything else was ok-i even smoked 3 packs a day-both kids were born completely healthy...i think drs.are given way to much control in our lives-my dr.said-listen to your body-and thats what i did.both babies were born natural-no drugs-12 pounds each..so i just dont get it.

You're not supposed to have lunch meats because of the risk of listeria (bacterial contamination). Limit your consumption of fish because of the risk of mercury poisoning (see if you can find a list of fish that are more prone to higher mercury levels).

Unpasteurized cheeses (e.g. blue cheese) should also be avoided.

Raw meats (sushi, etc) should also be avoided because of the risk of e.coli poisoning.

Our OB/GYN said it was OK to have 1 Diet Coke/day as well as 1 glass of wine/week. I may have had 1 glass of wine during the pregnancy.

Here's what MayoClinic.com says:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nutrition/pr00109

I never changed my diet while I was pregnant. I ate lunch meat every day for lunch, I ate canned tuna almost every weekend, I even when out for sushi while I was pregnant. All this talk about not eating certain kinds of food is crazy. I still had coffee every morning and a pop at lunch. My doctor was not concerned with that. I was healthy and my son is healthy and above average in most everything. Of course I did not drink and I am not a smoker. In life everything in moderation. Good luck. I listened to my own doctor not anyone else when it came to my pregnancy. He knew me and my situation so that is the only advise I took to heart.

I wasn't told I couldn't eat anything. It was more to have certain stuff in mederation. Of coarse no alcohol. There was a litmit on seafood and fish, soda (caffeine)and I am unsure of what else.

I am also pregnant with my second child, just 8 weeks so far. With both pregnancies, my doctor said no packaged lunch meat and no fish that have a high amount of mercury. These include: tuna, swordfish, and king mackeral. Depending on your doctor, s/he may be more strict about what you shouldn't eat. Of course, fresh fruits and veggies are always okay!

Soft cheeses are unpasturized...not sure which cheeses those were but I stayed away from any cheese in aluminum foil (like those wedge kind).

Lunch meat is fine...if you are worried about listeria (which is the main concern which happens when meat sits out too long), heat it in the microwave or on the stove before eating it.

No raw fish or rare meats.

No caffeine or aspartame.

At least for the first three months on some of this stuff!! Besides aspartame, I ate/drank pretty much what I wanted after the thre month mark. Everything in moderation of course!

J.,
Here is a list that I give to my pregnant couples in my HypnoBirthing classes. If you have any questions, please email me. ____@____.com

Water is especially important, so drink as much of it as you can (this is what keeps your amniotic fluid levels good, especially at the end of your pregnancy)

Eliminate all unnecessary fats, french fries especially

Salt to taste, pregnant moms need salt. Sea salts are often best

75-90 grams of protein a day of Protein (Eggs, cottage cheese, lean red meats, chicken, cheese (except soft cheeses—Brie/Camembert), milk, ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese, etc.) If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you may choose to do soy milk and meat substitutes.

Greens (leafy green lettuce (not iceberg) vegetables, salads, avocado, spinach (limited quantities—it is rich in iron, but can inhibit assimilation of calcium), green beans, broccoli, asparagus, peas, squash, peppers, celery, cabbage, bok choy, kale, chard, mustard and other greens.)

Limit your intake of white foods (white rice, potatoes, white processed baked goods and breads, choose whole grains instead.

Choose foods that are orange in color (squash, yams and sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, apricots.

Fruits and berries (you may also choose dried fruit as a convenient snack)

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - this can be taken through fish oil capsules, or through chia seeds (can be found at your local health food store), flax seed, and Evening Primrose Oil capsules

More roughage -this will not only keep you regular through pregnancy, but it can fend off hemorrhoids. Most fruits, vegetables and whole grains will supply fiber and also help to keep blood sugar levels stable and lower bad cholesterol.

Liquids other than water - Fruit juices are good, and avoid carbonated drinks, and never drink caffeine, alcohol, and diet drinks.

Seeds, nuts and grains contain protein and other essential nutrients. Raw are preferred over roasted in oils.

I hope this helps! :)

T. Dellabalma, HBCE

I remember watching the amount of processed meats (luncheon meats, hot dogs, pepperoni, etc.) but nothing about soft cheeses.....

no unpasturized cheeses (most cheeses are pasturized in the US, do check the packaging though if you like the more exotic stuff!). no predatory fish because they will have a higher mercury content. I believe you're supposed to watch the amount of fish too, something like 12 oz a week. Limit caffiene, no alcohol. My OB did warn me about the lunch meat/hotdog thing because of listeriosis but said that if I'm careful about freshness it really shouldn't be a problem. I'm not into lunch meat or hotdogs so that wasn't really an issue for me.

I go with the "every thing in moderation" advice. For the first three months it was - "whatever you can stomach" :-) which in my case was lime water, fruit and yogurt, and cheese pizza. After that, the same "healthy diet" advice that we *should* follow always. The only thing I know of that can cause more potential harm during pregancy is bacteria - like that can be found in raw meat, unpateurized food, etc. An example of soft cheese would be Brie. Other than that, don't sweat it.

I remember cutting back on caffeine, but mostly because it didn't taste good, but never completely giving up tea and Diet Coke (1 a day max).

Alcohol during pregnancy is a touchy subject I know, but there is NO evidence that one beer or glass of wine per day causes any ill effects. Most medical professionals protect their liability by saying "none", but the research does not support that. If you read the published statements carefully they say "there is no proven safe amount" which translates to "we don't know what the safe amount is because no one will fund a study where we ask pregnant women to drink alcohol and most women will not admit to drinking lightly because they are afraid of the perception of being "bad"". All studies have been done on women who, after the fact, admit to binge drinking (5-6 drinks a day, drinking to get drunk, having black-outs) during pregnancy. Again, I remember it not tasting appealing at all during the first 3 months, but later in pregnancy a glass of wine occasionally with dinner was relaxing.