What is not safe to eat during pregnancy?
1 min read
When pregnant there are some foods you should give up or cut down on because they could cause food poisoning or harm your baby.
What's not safe to eat in pregnancy?
Cheese:
- Mould-ripened such are Brie and Camembert
- Soft blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort.
- Any unpasteurised soft cheeses/dairy
Eggs:
- Raw or runny eggs should be avoided as they can contain salmonella
- Fresh mayonnaise, should also be avoided
Meat:
- Liver is high in retinol (Vitamin A) which can be harmful to your baby (many face/beauty creams also contain retinal and should be avoided)
- Cook all meats until they are hot throughout with no pink bits and they should be fine
- Pâté
Fish:
- Raw fish (cooked is fine and so is smoked salmon)
- Shellfish (cooked is fine)
- Shark and swordfish contain high levels of mercury and should be avoided
- Tuna - limit intake to two fresh steaks or 4 small cans a week
Drinks:
- Limit your caffeine intake to 200mg a day. Drinking lots of caffeine on a regular basis in pregnancy has been linked to miscarriage and babies who have a low birth weight.
- Government advice is that you stop drinking alcohol completely during pregnancy.
A healthy balanced diet is the best way to consume all the nutrients we need. Sometimes however this isn't possible and then supplements can help. This article isn't intended to replace medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional before trying any supplements or herbal medicines.