Dos and Don’ts of Pregnancy
Last Thursday, I started a series on WINK-TV’s CW 6 on Pregnancy Dos and Don’ts. We were hoping to get through 2/5 categories but only got to discussing Beauty and Hygiene. The link for part 1 is:
http://www.winknews.com/Eye-on-Health/2011-09-22/Healthy-Kids-Pregnancy-Questions-Part-1
In doing the research, I found that the whole question about eating fish warranted some further explanation. I’ll summarize it as follows:
Tuna: chunk light canned tuna and no more than 6 oz/wk
Shellfish: look for low mercury content – shrimp is fine.
Sushi or raw fish: Not ok to eat.
Farm raised fish: Not ok to eat.
Wild salmon: ok to eat, but limit to 12 oz/wk.
Canned salmon: ok to eat.
Avoid: swordfish, shark, mackerel, tile fish, smoked lox, trout, whitefish.
The big concern is the mercury content in fish. This can cause developmental delay in your child.
Other meats/concerns while pregnant:
Avoid alcohol and smoking.
Do not eat raw or rare-cooked beef. Beef and pork are fine to eat if fully cooked to medium or well. Cold cuts are safe to eat if reheated first to steaming hot.
Cheese is also a complex issue when you are pregnant:
Hard cheeses are ok. Avoid soft cheeses unless pasteurized.
Peanut butter is ok to eat so long as there is no family history of peanut allergy.
Coffee should be limited to a maximum of 300 mg of caffeine per day = 2 cups of coffee.
Herbal tea should be limited. Most herbs have not been tested. Stick to black or green tea.
The verdict is still out for artificial sweeteners.
Take home message is moderation and avoid if not fully tested, if possible.