Foods to avoid in pregnancy

The moment you decide you are ready to start trying for a baby is the best time to think about your diet (your partner`s diet is important too). Did you know that the quality of your partners semen at the time of conception is whatever he ate or drunk approximately 3 months before?

Today I wanted to tell you what NOT to eat/drink in the pre-conceptual period. Apart from avoiding the obvious, such as alcohol and the necessity to refrain from smoking (this applies to men as well), there are some small dietary changes worth making before you become pregnant.

Here are some examples of foods to be avoided:

• Due to potential high levels of mercury and other contaminants avoid certain types of fish such as swordfish, marlin, tuna, shark, king mackerel, tuna (eat no more than four medium-sized cans of tuna or two fresh tuna steaks a week). Limit oily fish such as salmon and sardines to two portions as week. Mercury accumulates in the body through seafood consumption and is particularly harmful to the baby`s developing brain and nervous system.
• Due to high intakes of vitamin A (retinol) being linked to birth defects avoid supplements containing vitamin A and foods containing high levels of vitamin A such as liver, and liver products, pate, fish liver oil. If you are taking a fish liver oil supplement go for one made from flesh of the fish instead. I can recommend Pharma Nord brand.  This does not mean you should avoid it all together as some vitamin A is needed for healthy pregnancy. Our body can make our own vitamin A from carotenoids (another type of vitamin A) found in red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Carrots, sweet potato, squash, mangos and peaches are good sources.
• Caffeine. There are no guidelines for pre-pregnancy, however in April 2016, the Royal College of Midwifes published a study which indicated that pre-conceptual caffeine consumption of more than two beverages a day may increase risk of miscarriage. This study can be viewed here: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(16)30042-5/abstract

For more information see:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/917.aspx

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/eatingwhilepregnant1209.pdf