What to Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy brings excitement, change, and a whole new set of questions. While focusing on what to eat, how to stay active, and how to prepare for your baby is important, knowing what to avoid during pregnancy is just as essential.

Certain food and exercise habits can affect both your health and your baby's development. Below, we have highlighted which foods, drinks, and types of exercise to avoid during pregnancy to help you make informed choices throughout your journey.

Food and Drinks to Avoid

What you do eat can be as important as what you don't eat when you're pregnant. Be sure to avoid these potentially dangerous foods while you are pregnant:

• Seafood high in mercury – Seafood is a reliable source of protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids that it contains promote your baby's brain development.
  
  Some fish and shellfish, however, contain potentially dangerous levels of mercury, which could damage a growing baby's nervous system. Pregnant women should avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish.
  
  Safe fish include shrimp, crab, salmon, pollock, catfish, cod, tilapia and canned light tuna.
  
  Make sure that your seafood is cooked thoroughly. Avoid raw fish including sushi, shellfish and refrigerated smoked fish like lox.
  
  
• Unpasteurized foods – Low-fat and nonfat dairy products can be a healthy part of your pregnancy diet. What you need to avoid, however, are products containing unpasteurized milk, which could contain bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
  
  Similarly, avoid brie, feta, camembert, blue cheese, and Mexican-style cheeses like cojita and queso blanco unless they are labeled pasteurized.
  
  In addition, do not drink unpasteurized juice.
  
  
• Too much Vitamin A – Vitamin A is good for you, too much of a good thing can be bad for your baby. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women get 2,565 IU per day, but more is not necessarily better, because too much vitamin A may cause birth defects.
  
  Naturally occurring vitamin A is in the form of beta carotene. This form poses no risk to humans, so you do not need to shy away from carrots or sweet potatoes.
  
  Most women can get enough vitamin A by eating the right foods, such as bright-colored fruits and vegetables, lettuce and cantaloupe, and should not need to take a supplement.
  
  
• Caffeine – Studies linking caffeine to miscarriage have produced mixed results, March of Dimes recommends limiting caffeine consumption to 200 milligams per day, or about the amount in a 12-ounce cup of coffee or an 8-ounce cup of tea.
  
  Caffeine can also cross the placenta into the baby's bloodstream and affect the heart rate, so consume it with caution.
  
  
• Alcohol – Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, impair your baby's brain development and lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.
  
  No level of alcohol is considered safe for your baby, so it is best to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy.
  
  
• Deli Meat – Avoid deli meats like ham or pepperoni, even if you're craving a sub sandwich. While uncommon, Listeria, a bacterial infection occasionally found in certain foods, can pose a risk. Instead, try cooked chicken breast or a vegetarian option for your sandwich.

Can you exercise safely during pregnancy?

Unless instructed not to by a doctor or exercise instructor, women really can do almost any exercise while pregnant, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

However, there are specific conditions that require pregnant women to be cautious. These include:

• Existing conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes
• Pregnancy-related conditions, such as bleeding or spotting, low placenta, weak cervix, or previous premature births

In these cases, it is always best to consult your ob-gyn or primary care provider first before exercising.

If you have any questions regarding your pregnancy journey, please contact your ob-gyn or visit the Pregnancy & Birth section of the EvergreenHealth website.