When you’re pregnant, what you put in your body as food is crucial for your health and strength as well as your unborn baby’s growth. Your nutritionist has probably provided you with the list of foods to eat during pregnancy to load your diet with required nutrients and vitamins, including iron, calcium, and folic acid.
However, there are also certain foods to avoid during pregnancy because they can affect you and your baby negatively. Some of these require limiting your intake while for others you must avoid completely. If you’re feeling lost or still haven’t figured out whether you’re feeding right, Malaica’s antenatal clinic includes a nutritionist’s advice and an online group of pregnant moms navigating the same questions as you.
What Foods to Limit During Pregnancy
Among the foods to avoid during pregnancy, you should limit the intake of things such as:
- Caffeine: Drinks with caffeine, such as coffee and cola, can be irritant to your gut, causing bloating and cramps. Some studies have also linked cases of uterine contractions to an unmanaged intake of caffeine during pregnancy.
- Processed foods: Overly processed foods tend to have a high volume of sugar and salt in them. High salt intake can lead to hypertension by fluid retention, while high sugar intake can cause a surge in your blood sugar which predisposes you to gestational diabetes.
- Unpasteurized dairy products: To reduce the risk of bacteria infections during pregnancy, limit your dairy intake to pasteurized products only.
What Foods to Avoid When You’re Expectant
Certain foods are outright not good for you and your baby, and you should avoid them completely during pregnancy.
- Alcohol: When you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your baby’s unmatured liver cannot process it, causing severe placenta cell damage linked to still births, low birth weight, and miscarriages.
- Undercooked meats and seafood: Meats and sea food that are not fully cooked may harbor certain bacteria that cause illnesses during pregnancy because your body’s immunity is lower than normal.
- Raw or undercooked eggs: Raw eggs contain salmonella, an infection-causing bacteria with symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, and in extreme cases, uterine cramps. Foods containing raw eggs include raw batter or dough, some types or mayonnaise, homemade eggnog, tiramisu, and lightly scrambled eggs.
What you eat will set your child up for the rest of their adult lives. Helping them to form healthy eating habits begins when they are still in the womb because that’s when they begin to form their taste buds.
The things that you eat pass through to your child so it’s important to think carefully about what you consume during pregnancy and when breastfeeding.
Nutrition Care During Pregnancy at Malaica Maternity Hospital
Your personalized pregnancy and antenatal care at Malaica will include a nutritionist specialized in maternal health care. From when you conceive till after birth, we ensure you have a proper diet plan with all the nutrients you and your baby need.
When you’re pregnant, things like nutrition can feel like a guessing game when you don’t have the right maternity care. Speak with us by booking an appointment or calling +254 746 610643 to learn how we can support you.