Foods to avoid when pregnant

First, congratulations on your bundle of joy that’s on the way. Second, I don’t know how you are keeping up with your diet but it’s time to be a little bit careful with what you eat. Cravings are there and you might crave for all the wrong foods.

When it comes to pregnancy, some foods may be harmful to the baby and you should avoid them by all means. There are also those that need to be eaten in moderation.

For instance, here are a few foods that you will need to avoid during the crucial period of pregnancy:

Some fish

Fish (meconomictimes) Pulse Live Kenya

Despite being a good source of nutrients during pregnancy, not all types of fish are safe for consumption during pregnancy. Some of them are high in mercury yet mercury is a toxic element that may affect the development of the fetus. High doses of mercury during pregnancy increases the risks of brain impairment as well as cerebral palsy.

To be on the safe end, avoid eating king mackerel, swordfish, and, shark. But don’t give up eating fish as there are safer varieties which are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Salmons, sardines and freshwater trout are some of the fish you should be eating during pregnancy.

Still, you can get omega 3 fatty acids from other sources such as; walnuts, soybeans, canola oil, flaxseeds, milk, and eggs.

ALSO READ: Why drinking too much milk is bad for you

Coffee

coffee BusinessInsider USA Images

If you can’t control your coffee intake, then you can as well avoid it altogether for the sake of the health of your baby. It’s not bad if taken in moderation. But when taken in large amounts, caffeine affects the baby. One particular study concluded that high maternal intake of caffeine during pregnancy resulted in an increased risk of delivering babies with low birth weight.

Unpasteurized milk

Benefits of drinking milk(The Mirror) Drinking milk daily Pulse Live Kenya

Research shows that raw milk and milk products are a source of several bacterial such as listeria, salmonella, brucella among others. These bacteria cause life-threatening infections in pregnant women and their unborn fetuses. Apart from that, some of the infections cause miscarriages.

Pasteurization is one of the best ways to make milk safe from drinking without altering its nutrition value. Also make sure that you only drink pasteurized juice to prevent food-borne illnesses.

3 foods to avoid when pregnant

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