Dangerous Foods All Pregnant Women Should Avoid

 

There are a lot of foods that may be good for you, but bad for your baby. Over nine months it is essential that you put the needs of your baby first and only consume food that you know will be good for the baby, and when you do have a treat you must ensure that you are not risking your child’s health.

Here are the top 10 dangerous foods that every pregnant woman should avoid until the day after birth.

 Mackerel                    

Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for pregnant women. This kind of fish is known for being particularly high in mercury, like tuna fish, which can pose a health risk to your baby. The health risk comes not from eating just one mackerel, but from eating a number of them on a regular basis.
The best thing to do when pregnant is to avoid fish that are rich in mercury. When you consume too much, your child’s nervous system will become damaged before it’s even had the opportunity to grow and develop fully.
Caffeine

Pretty much everyone knows how important it is to avoid caffeine during pregnancy, but not many actually understand why it’s so important. Caffeine raises your heart rate and, when you’re pregnant, it raises your baby’s heart rate as well. This means whenever you drink a cup of tea, coffee, or even a can of soda you are giving your baby a caffeine rush.

This is not healthy for a child that is growing because it effects the development of the heart and puts strain on its tiny body.
Doctors say you don’t have to quit drinking caffeine altogether, but they do suggest that you consume no more than 200mg each day. This means that you can have two small cups of coffee each day without causing your baby any harm.
Under-cooked meat

If you’re a fan of eating your steak rare, it’s time to change your habits. While your adult body can handle your meat being slightly under-cooked, your baby cannot. When you consume meat that has not been cooked fully, you will be eating a collection of different bacteria that can be hugely damaging to your baby.

At restaurants, ask for all meat to be cooked thoroughly (including steaks), and when you’re at home be sure to cook your meat so that it reaches 145 degrees F. If you’re cooking a whole joint, make sure it reaches 160 degrees F. Finally, if you’re cooking chicken, make sure it reaches at least 165 degrees F.
Fresh fruit juice

Freshly-squeezed orange juice can be dangerous to consume for a similar reason as unpasteurized cheese. The juice from a fresh piece of fruit is completely unpasteurized, meaning that you could be consuming bacteria. Fresh juice could even contain salmonella, so be sure to skip the freshly-squeezed juice and instead go for pasteurized juice drinks which won’t taste too much different.

Cookie dough
This is a treat that’s largely only consumed in the United States, so you probably won’t be too worried about this one if you’re British. Cookie dough is a great treat, but it could pose a risk of giving you salmonella. This is a bacteria that is found in many eggs which is of course an essential ingredient of cookie dough.
Eating a cooked cookie, however, is fine. Any salmonella that may be in the mixture will have been cooked out of the eggs.
Smoked fish

Finally, smoked fish is dangerous in the same way that raw fish and under-cooked meats are dangerous. Smoking the meat or fish makes it perfectly fine for an adult to eat, but it can carry the risk of causing an infection and effecting your child.