There are many foods that you might have heard you need to avoid during pregnancy because they pose a risk to your developing baby. Thankfully for fans of soft-serve ice cream, there's no reason not to continue to enjoy this treat occasionally -- it simply isn't a danger to you or your fetus.
Food Safety
The reason you have to be careful with the things you eat and drink during pregnancy is that some foods can contain toxins that pose a threat to your developing fetus. Others have the potential to be contaminated with bacteria, some of which can cross the placenta and infect your fetus, causing harm. Common foods you should avoid during pregnancy include unpasteurized dairy and soft cheeses, which might be why you think you need to avoid soft-serve ice cream.
Soft-Serve Ice Cream
Soft-serve ice cream in the U.S. is made with pasteurized milk as long as it's from a commercial manufacturer or restaurant. As such, it's safe to eat and doesn't carry the same risks as those posed by unpasteurized milk and dairy products, which can be contaminated with Listeria bacteria. Listeria cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms in adults, but infection can be very severe in pregnant women, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
Unsafe Sources
While soft-serve ice cream made by commercial processors in the U.S. is safe to eat, you need to be careful in other countries. For instance, in many parts of the world, ice cream and other dairy are made from unpasteurized or "raw" milk, which can be contaminated with Listeria. Furthermore, be wary of ice cream and other dairy products made by individuals and sold in non-commercial settings, such as at roadside stands; be certain the dairy used to make the ice cream was pasteurized.
Other Considerations
While soft-serve ice cream made with pasteurized milk is safe to eat during pregnancy, you might want to keep your indulgence in ice cream and other high-fat, high-sugar treats occasional. This is because if you gain too much weight during pregnancy -- more than 25 to 35 lbs. for most women -- you risk gestational diabetes and other complications, note Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in their book "You: Having A Baby." Go ahead and enjoy ice cream, but do so in moderation.
References
- "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
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