Now that you're eating for two, you think that you can eat just about anything. But you're wrong. Pregnant women have special dietary needs, and this means improving the quality of their diet. They need to follow a healthy diet not only for their body, but more importantly for the development of their unborn child. Pregnant women should avoid or reduce their intake of certain foods, because they can have unexpected and sometimes harmful effects on both mother and child. What foods to avoid during pregnancy has been a source of confusion for many pregnant women, but now doctors and nutritionists stress that the most important thing to remember is to practice moderation and good sense when it comes to your diet.. However, there are some things that all women should reduce intake or avoid altogether while pregnant. Among these are caffeine, artificial sweeteners and flavorings, alcohol, raw or undercooked food, sodium and nicotine.



Most women are already sensitive to caffeine especially during the first three months of pregnancy. The mere whiff of coffee has sent many pregnant women scurrying for the bathroom because of nausea. But that's not the only reason why it should be avoided. Health care providers are now asking pregnant women to limit their caffeine intake to around three cups per day. This is because caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby's heart rate and breathing. Some studies suggest that heavy caffeine intake may be associated with a small decrease in birth weight or an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. It is also a stimulant, which can prevent the pregnant woman from getting enough sleep at night. Caffeine can be found not only in coffee and tea but also in colas and chocolate.

Excessive ingestion of artificial sweeteners and flavorings should be limited in favor of foods with higher nutritional value and contain less sodium, such as fruits and vegetables. Excessive intake of salt can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) and may lead to excessive weight gain. These artificial ingredients as well as high sodium content can be found in junk food such as chips and fast food favorites such as greasy burgers and fries.

Alcohol consumption should be limited to two to three glasses a week or avoided altogether. Studies have linked excessive alcohol consumption as a cause of physical defects, learning disabilities, and emotional problems in children, so many experts recommend that you give up alcohol while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant and still smoke, please stop right now. As with alcohol, nicotine has been found to cause birth defects in children.

To avoid the possibility of contracting bacterial infections such as listeriosis, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella and suffering from food poisoning, extreme care must be taken during food preparation. Raw meat and chicken can also be a source of salmonella, so make sure all meat - and especially poultry - is thoroughly cooked. It's also important to avoid contamination of other foods by washing your hands after touching raw meat and by preventing raw meat and poultry from touching or dripping onto other food, especially that which is already cooked or will be eaten raw. As a safeguard, pregnant women shouldn't eat raw or undercooked meat or seafood (such as sushi), unpasteurized goats' milk or cheese, or unwashed raw fruit and vegetables. Pregnant women are advised to avoid those foods where high levels of the bacteria are occasionally found: pat?, prepared salads such as potato or coleslaw, and soft and blue-veined cheeses such as brie, camembert and stilton. These bacteria may cause miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in the newborn baby. The possibility of mercury poisoning must also be kept in mind when eating seafood, although it should not be completely removed from a sensible diet. The US Food and Drug Administration suggests that women completely avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish because of their toxic mercury levels. In line with this, consumption of canned tuna must also be limited to two cans weekly. Other seafoods with little mercury content such as shrimp, salmon, pollock and catfish can be safely ingested in as much as twelve ounces a week.

To clear the confusion about pregnancy nutrition and a sensible diet, don't hesitate to discuss your concerns with your doctor.