Food During Pregnancy

You will want to maintain a healthy diet when you are pregnant so choosing food that is good for and good for your unborn baby is essential. You may be worried about gaining weight but most women do not put on excessive amounts. You should always try to eat your five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, this is the best advice that everyone should take notice of, but it can include one glass of juice. You will probably be aware that an iron deficiency can be quite common in pregnant women so try to include some red meat, leafy green vegetables and pulses but bread and fortified cereals are also a good source. What you may not know is that sometimes our bodies need a little help to absorb iron, anything that contains vitamin C can help. Choosing food during pregnancy is often confusing -you may have thought that liver will be a good source of iron but pregnant women are advised to avoid liver because it contains Vitamin A – something you should avoid in large quantities and definitely not include in any supplements you may be taking.

If you manage to eat your '‘five a day' then you will be eating some fibre but the addition of wholegrain bread , pasta and rice are also recommended, unfortunately constipation is often a problem during pregnancy and it makes sense to try and avoid it.

Making an effort to eat two portions of fish each week will be good for you both but you should not eat shark, swordfish or marlin because they could contain mercury, also do not eat more than two portions of oily fish each week. Generally you can eat most types of fish including well cooked shellfish. But all food during pregnancy should adhere to the well cooked rule – shellfish, fish, meat and eggs should never be underdone or raw.

The next group of food during pregnancy that is sometimes confusing is cheese and dairy products, avoid Camembert and brie or any other cheese that has a similar rind, and also avoid all blue cheeses. These contain special types of bacteria and you could contract Listeria. You can eat most types of hard cheeses, mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese and mascarpone. You can also enjoy soured cream, fromage frais and live or bio yoghurts.

Try to stick to lean meat and do not be tempted to have a ‘rare’ or undercooked steak, all meats must be cooked thoroughly. Always wash your hands after preparing meat to remove any potentially harmful bacteria.
Take advice from your midwife or general practitioner about drinking alcohol, the advice has changed recently and you may want to avoid it altogether. Similarly, with coffee and tea, a couple of cups a day should be fine, filter coffee is stronger than instant and high energy drinks should probably be avoided. A little word of warning – you may not realize that your favorite chocolate bar contains caffeine (50gms is equal to half a mug of instant coffee) and will contribute toward your recommended daily allowance.

Choosing healthy food during pregnancy is not too difficult, concentrate on the foods that you can have and look forward to enjoying the others after you have delivered your new baby.

This information is for general advice and if you have any specific questions you should ask your midwife or other qualified medical professional.