You provide for your growing baby's nutritional needs in addition to your own during pregnancy, so your diet becomes particularly important during this time. You need to make sure you eat healthy foods, and you also need to avoid foods that can harm your baby or damage his development. Most foods can be eaten safely during pregnancy, with a few exceptions.
Healthy Foods
The best foods to eat during pregnancy contain plenty of nutrients relative to their caloric content. These foods should form the vast majority of your diet while you're pregnant. This will help ensure that you're getting enough vitamins and minerals. In her book "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth," Dr. Miriam Stoppard recommends fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, plant-based oils such as olive oil, and whole grains as the basis of your healthy pregnancy diet.
Sources of Bacterial Contamination
Some of the foods you must avoid are potential sources of bacterial contamination. Your immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, so it's easier for you to get an infection. Also, some species of bacteria can cross the placenta and damage your baby. According to "What To Expect When You're Expecting," you need to avoid uncooked or undercooked eggs, meat and fish -- including sushi. Don't eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products or sliced deli meats, because these can harbor bacteria.
Sources of Toxins
There are many potential toxins that can cross the placenta and damage your unborn baby, but they are typically not food-borne. The two most common toxins you might encounter in your diet are mercury and nitrates. Mercury is a neurotoxin, meaning it harms the nervous system and developing brain of an unborn baby. Avoid large predator fish like swordfish, and limit your intake of tuna. Nitrates can cause cancer and brain tumors in developing babies, and are present in bacon and other preserved and processed meats.
Alcohol
It is very important to avoid alcoholic beverages when pregnant. Consumption of large quantities of alcohol during pregnancy -- or smaller quantities of alcohol on a regular basis -- can damage your developing baby in very significant ways. According to "You: Having A Baby," many developmental disorders are caused by maternal alcohol use. Collectively, these are called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. To be safe, avoid all alcohol and alcohol-containing foods during pregnancy.
References
- "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth"; Miriam Stoppard, M.D.; 2008
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
