7 Foods to Avoid when You're Pregnant ...

Photo Credit: requiemjp

Raw and undercooked food, like rare steaks and sushi, can harbor nasty bacteria, viruses, and parasites, so always make sure to cook your meat thoroughly. It’s also a very good idea to wash your hands and work surfaces thoroughly while handling and cooking meat, too.

Photo Credit: Shay Aaron

Unpasteurized cheeses, like feta and brie, can contain deadly Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, which in turn often leads to miscarriages. It’s best to avoid these cheeses, because is a little feta on your Greek salad worth the risk? No.

Photo Credit: mooshee85

Hot dogs and other pre-cooked meats are safe to eat if they’re thoroughly cooked again, by you, just prior to eating, but never eat them cold. They can also contain Listeria, so always, always heat your hot dogs, and even your bologna, before you eat it.

Photo Credit: Splat Worldwide

Did you know that large fish, like swordfish (one of my favorites!) can contain dangerously high levels of mercury? While you’re pregnant, then, it’s best to avoid eating large fish, since mercury poisoning can lead to developmental damage of your unborn baby. Doctors recommend eating no more than 12 ounces of small fish per week while pregnant, to avoid mercury contamination.

Photo Credit: try to touch

Not only will caffeine make you jittery even when you’re not pregnant, it can be much worse when you are, and it can even cause an early miscarriage. If you’re a coffee devotee, then, switch to decaf, or skip it altogether.

Photo Credit: *Peanut (Lauren)

It’s this simple — there is no known safe limit on alcohol consumption while pregnant, and the damage caused by fetal alcohol syndrome is life-long and irreversible. The absolute safest thing you can do while you’re pregnant is cut out alcohol altogether. It’s that simple, really.

Photo Credit: d_v_b

Some popular dietary and herbal supplements, such as Echinacea, wormwood, pennyroyal, and St. John’s wort, have never been tested to see if they’re safe for pregnant women, so it’s best to avoid these as well.

These are just a few of the many things you can avoid eating to ensure a safe and happy pregnancy, but the rest are mostly a matter of you yourself suffering some discomfort (so avoid spicy foods if you have to!)… this can be one of the happiest times of your life, as long as you’re not suffering from a belly-ache from too much spicy food! Is there anything else you know of that pregnant women ought to avoid eating? Please let me know!

Top Photo Credit: emmasaur