What Not to Eat During Pregnancy: A Survival Guide

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What Not to Eat During Pregnancy: A Survival Guide

December 20 2016

Diet for Pregnancy - What Not To Eat When Expecting

Ah, the irony of pregnancy: You’re constantly ravenous (if you’re not nauseated), yet you can’t eat what you want. As if the indignity of constipation, heartburn, and stretch marks weren’t enough. Coffee? Questionable. Deli meats? Suspect. Sushi? So long, old friend.

Some of this restriction is simply due to an abundance of caution, says Deb Gowen, a certified nurse midwife who’s worked in Boston hospitals for three decades. Because many of these foods and drinks haven’t been extensively studied, it’s safer to advise pregnant women to avoid them.

But while a naughty sip of alcohol at a wedding or an all-important morning coffee probably isn’t going to totally derail your pregnancy, it might leave some nagging worries in the back of your head. “Know your risk tolerance,” says Gowen. “Examine who you are. If you think you’re going to look back and wonder if [something you ate] hurt your baby, don’t do it.”

As such, I lived like a nun during my first pregnancy. This time around (yep, I've got another bun in the oven), I’m treating my welt-ridden stretch marks with the occasional Tylenol or Benadryl (bliss). I’ll have a sip of wine at a dinner party. And I have even—gasp!—enjoyed an Italian sub at a reputable deli.

If you’re pining for a spicy tuna roll or wondering how to get through your college roommate’s third wedding without a sip of booze, read on.

ALCOHOL

It's bummer that you can’t reach for Chardonnay at the end of the day. But it's for a good reason, since there’s really no solid research indicating how much alcohol pregnant women can safely drink. In the first and third trimesters especially, says Gowen, fetal defects can occur. “Why risk it?” she says. “There are enough non-alcoholic drinks out there.” Plenty of her clients enjoyed happy hour before knowing they were pregnant, but once you do know, it’s just simpler to err on the side of caution.

The fix: Drink a new indulgence when you’d normally uncork the booze, so that it feels like an (innocent) treat after a long day. I’ve substituted my favorite relaxation drink (90+ Cellars Sauvignon Blanc—weep!) with another indulgence: coffee milk (milk mixed with java-flavored syrup). More benign, but the ritual of enjoying it is the same.

CAFFEINE

Oh, dear. I made the mistake of cutting out coffee entirely early in my second pregnancy and was promptly rewarded with headaches that made contractions seem pleasant. After a week of this nonsense, I reverted to one cup of iced coffeea day, down from three, which was enough to keep me energized and headache-free. Gowen says that there are no recent known studies about caffeine in pregnancy; negative effects (such as elevated blood pressure) tend to be seen more frequently in older people. “None of that should be worrisome for a fetus,” she says.

The fix: Moderation, not withdrawal.

FISH

Fish is generally good for you thanks to its omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein, and the Food and Drug Administration recommends up to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood each week for pregnant women. But doctors worry about varieties like tilefish and swordfish, which have high levels of mercury. This is a pretty easy workaround: Try fresh and organic wild salmon, shrimp, sole, and canned light tuna. What about raw sushi, you say? The main worries are salmonella or listeria. Salmonella isn’t risky to the fetus, but diarrhea or dehydration isn’t good for mom. And while your risk of getting listeria in the United States is pretty low, with about .26 cases per 100,000 people (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it can be deadly. Again: Ask yourself if you’re comfortable risking it.

The fix: Eat cooked sushi like shrimp tempura and low-mercury fish.

DELI MEATS

When I’m not pregnant, nothing makes me jollier than an oily, condiment-slicked Italian sub piled with salami, mortadella, pickles, and hot peppers. But it’s safer to heat deli meats to 165 degrees or higher when pregnant (the CDCsays you should heat it until it's steaming), also due to listeria.

The fix: Warm up those sandies, or opt for deli stuff without the meat (but plenty of your favorite condiments). My go-to substitute? Grilled American cheese and tomato with pickles and hot peppers.

WHEN TO INDULGE

Speaking of pickles—Gowen says it’s fine to indulge your pregnancy cravings if you decipher their origin. For example: If you’re pining for salty chips, you could probably stand more hydration. You want the salt because it retains water and will make you thirsty. Sweets? You’re actually craving energy, and sugar provides a quick pick-me-up. Instead, go for protein, which will also impart energy. (I like well-cooked eggs on an English muffin.) Ice cream? You actually need calcium. Listen to those cues.

Most of all, keep things in perspective. “Remember, our bodies typically convert substances very well to nourish babies,” says Gowen. “Women give birth even in famines. Our bodies are brilliant at sorting what we need.”

And right now, I need a coffee milk.