Women's Health Today

Caring and listening to the needs of women

Dietary Do’s and Don’ts During Pregnancy

Jeanne Faulkner 2/2008

You're pregnant, hungry, queasy and you just want to eat what you want. Then we go and give you a really long list of diet rules. We tell you what you can and can't eat, nag you to eat your veggies, scold you about Doritos and then, on top of all that, we yank the wine and caffeine! Not cool! We agree, and yet, it's still our best medical advice.

Dr. Desiree Bley says, "we're worried about foods that can cause harm to mothers and babies but also about women eating too much." There's a lot to think about when you're eating for two so we've broken it down into bite-sized pieces.

Eating for Two – Uh, not really

As tempting as it is to double up on dinner, too many women use pregnancy as a free pass to consume far too many calories and put on a lot of weight. Not only does that increase risks for serious health problems, it's tough to lose later on. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends gaining 25-35 pounds. If you're starting out overweight, we'll give you guidelines as to how much is safe for you.

"Believe it or not, you only need 300 extra calories to grow a healthy baby." Dr. Bley says, "That's an egg, an orange and a big glass of milk." Yep, that's all. How you spend those 300 calories is up to you but we sure hope you spend them wisely on healthy, nutrient-dense foods and not on Cheetos, a Big Gulp or a couple donuts. Your diet should be centered on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and approved fish, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes and Oh, OK, the occasional treat. You're aiming for a quart of milk a day or dairy equivalents like yogurt, cheese, and yes, even the occasional ice cream. Your diet shouldn't include lots of processed, high-fat, fast and convenience foods, sodas, and junk. Nope, Twinkies aren't anywhere on the food pyramid.

What to avoid:

According to the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women should avoid three specific foodborne risks that can cause serious illness to you and your unborn baby.

  1. Listeria – a harmful bacteria that grows on many foods. Although Listeriosis (the illness from ingesting Listeria) is rare, but pregnant women are 20 times more likely to become infected with it than non-pregnant healthy adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an estimated 2,500 persons become seriously ill with Listeriosis each year in the United States and among these, 500 die. Pregnant women account for 27% of these cases.

    Whew! Harsh, we know. That's only about 125 out of more than 4 million pregnant women in the United States but no one wants in that group. Dr. Bley calls it "Listeria Hysteria" but also says, "it's easy to avoid Listeria by avoiding the following foods:"

    • Hotdogs and lunchmeats (unless they're reheated until steaming hot)
    • Soft unpasteurized, imported cheeses like Feta, Brie, Camembert, Blue Cheese, Queso Fresco and cheeses sold at Farmer's Markets. If it says "pasteurized" on the label – go ahead. If not – don't eat it.
    • Refrigerated pate's or meat spreads
    • Refrigerated smoked seafood (unless thoroughly cooked after purchase) like smoked salmon, trout, tuna, lox, etc.
    • Raw, unpasteurized milk, ciders or foods made with unpasteurized milk.
  2. Mercury – a metal found in certain fish. Consuming too much can cause damage to your baby's developing nervous system. Here's a list of fish to avoid or limit:
    • Don't eat: shark, tilefish, king mackerel or swordfish.
    • Limit to no more than three 6-oz servings a month: yellowfin tuna, bonito, bluefin, marlin, trout, albacore tuna
    • Limit to no more than six 6-oz servings per month: crab and sea bass
    • Safe list: Enjoy two 6-oz servings a week: horse mackerel, eel, clams, abalone, shrimp, scallops, squid, salmon, Spanish mackerel
    • Sushi can be eaten if the fish is cooked and on the safe list. Uncooked fish may contain parasites that can harm your health.
  3. Toxoplasmosis: This is a harmful parasite, usually associated with cats and kitty-litter but can also be found in raw and undercooked meat, unwashed fruit and vegetables and outdoor places where cats "go." Following basic food-hygiene rules and thoroughly cooking meats should keep you safe. Avoid changing the cat box though. Get your family to do that and consider it one of the perks of pregnancy.

Are you Gonna Drink That?

Alcohol – Nope, not any. There's no amount that's considered safe in pregnancy and is directly linked to physical and mental birth defects. According to the March of Dimes, as many as 40,000 babies are born annually with some degree of alcohol-related damage. Many women don't realize that moderate and even light drinking can harm the fetus.

Caffeine – Dr. Bley says, "a cup a day is A-OK." That includes coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages like sodas and energy drinks. A new study published in January, 2008 in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, finds that pregnant women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day — the amount in 10 ounces of coffee or 25 ounces of tea — may double their risk of miscarriage. Best advice: Eliminate caffeine entirely if you can but if that's not doable – limit it to one cup.

What you feed your baby even before he/she's born may have a significant impact on his/her health for life. You wouldn't put Pepsi in the baby's bottle, don't put it in your body while you're pregnant. Check out your food pyramid, read up on nutrition and chuck out the junk food. Then follow three simple rules for food safety: Keep food clean, keep portions controlled and most of all, keep it healthy.