News Moms Need

There is so much to pay attention to these days regarding food that sometimes you can feel spooked about putting anything in your mouth.  This stuff is “good,” that’s “bad,” even though it was good yesterday…  Try not to go crazy and remember the old adage, “everything in moderation.”

Still, it is important to watch what you eat because not all foods are safe for pregnant women. Some contain high levels of chemicals that can affect your baby’s development. Others put you at risk for getting an infection that can hurt your baby.  Here are some tips:

 
• Avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tile fish. These fish can contain potentially risky levels of mercury. The same for raw fish, especially shellfish (oysters, clams)
• Cook all meat, poultry and seafood thoroughly to kill bacteria. 
• Cook all eggs well and avoid soft-scrambled eggs and all foods made with raw or lightly cooked eggs (does that Caesar salad dressing have raw egg in it?)
• Avoid soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk. Examples are Brie, feta, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, queso blanco, queso fresco and Panela. Check the label to see what kind of milk was used to make the cheese. 
• All milk and any foods made from it should be pasteurized. So should juices.
• Raw vegetable sprouts, including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean might be sources of salmonella, so don’t eat them.

Take me out to the ball game… So maybe they’re not the most nutritious food on the planet, but once in a while they’re fun.  I like my dogs smothered in spicy mustard and sautéed onions.  I burp a lot afterward, but they sure taste good on the way down!

There is something all pregnant women, and those planning on becoming pregnant,  should know about hot dogs – and luncheon meats, deli meats and unpasteurized milk products, too.  Certain of these products can cause a form of food poisoning called listeriosis.  Listeriosis is caused by a bacterium (Listeria monocytogenes) and is especially dangerous during pregnancy.  When a pregnant woman is infected with listeriosis, she may have a miscarriage, premature delivery or stillbirth, or her newborn baby may become seriously ill and may die.

OK, no need to freak out here.  Most people do not become ill when they eat Listeria-contaminated foods. However, healthy pregnant women are more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis and more likely to become dangerously ill from it. So that’s why it’s important to steer clear of potentially contaminated food.

A pregnant woman can help protect herself and her baby from listeriosis by following these guidelines from the FDA:
• Do not eat hot dogs or luncheon meats (including deli meats such as ham, turkey, salami and bologna) unless they’re reheated until steaming hot.
• Do not consume unpasteurized milk or foods made from it.
• Avoid soft cheeses, such as feta, brie, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, queso blanco, queso fresco or Panela, unless the label on the cheese says it’s made with pasteurized milk. You don’t need to worry about hard cheeses, processed cheeses, and cream and cottage cheeses – they’re safe.
• Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. (Listeria thrives at refrigerator temperatures.) Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe.
• Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it has been cooked (as in a casserole). Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe.

You can read more about food safety on our website.