11 Foods To Avoid In The First Trimester Of Pregnancy
Looking for Foods to avoid in the first trimester of pregnancy? The first trimester begins on the first day of your last period and lasts until the end of week 12. This means that by the time you know for sure you’re pregnant, you might already be five or six weeks pregnant! A lot happens during these first three months.
Your doctor gave you good news today!! Congrats. Pregnancy is a beautiful and overwhelming stage of every women’s life. You have landed on the video, which means you are craving food and want to know what to avoid during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Craving for tangy snacks is very common at this time. However, that doesn’t mean you go for everything you like. Diet plays an important role from the first trimester of pregnancy.
Below are the foods that you need to avoid in the first trimester of pregnancy
11 Foods To Avoid In The First Trimester Of Pregnancy
1. Unpasteurized Products
Any foods made from unpasteurized milk should be strictly avoided in the first trimester of pregnancy. Consuming unpasteurized products can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and affect the health of newborn babies.
However, food made from pasteurized milk is safe during pregnancy. If you are unable to distinguish between pasteurized and unpasteurized food, you may consult a specialist. However, it’s better to have brief information before you visit a Dietician.
2. Packaged Foods
We all enjoy snacking processed and packaged food. If you are pregnant and love snacking chips, biscuits then you need to stop it right away. Some processed food can have bacteria that can cause food poisoning. And you definitely don’t want to get ill during pregnancy.
Rather than eating packaged food, you may consume homemade dishes. Freshly cooked dishes are
way better than packaged food.
3. Seafood
Of course, we love eating seafood. But pregnant women must eliminate it from their diet. Seafood contains high mercury, which can harm the fetal brain.
If you are a tuna lover, limit its consumption as it has high mercury than in any other kind of seafood. Also, avoid eating raw shellfish. It’s not good during pregnancy.
4. Unripe Papayas
You definitely want to cut off unripe and semi-ripe papayas from the diet. Consuming unripe or semi-ripe papayas contain latex which can cause preterm labor and even miscarriage. Papaya contains several minerals, so can be consumed moderately if your doctor allows it.
5. Pineapple
Fruits are rich in minerals and are good for pregnant women. But unripe papaya and pineapple are not. These are the two fruits that you need to avoid in the first trimester of pregnancy. Just like papaya, pineapple can also cause miscarriages and preterm. Pineapple contains bromelain, which can lead to unwanted health issues in pregnant women.
So, skip pineapple.
6. Raw Eggs
Pregnant women are suggested to avoid raw eggs or undercooked eggs. Even consuming lightly cooked eggs can increase the chance of salmonella. Salmonella is bacterial that can upset the stomach, cause diarrhea, and cramp in your belly.
7. Undercooked Meat
Anything undercook or raw should be kept away from pregnant women. Undercooked meat is contaminated by bacteria, salmonella, and listeria that can affect the development of the baby.
Your diet in the first trimester determines the course of the pregnancy. So, having a proper first-trimester diet chart ensures the healthy growth of the child.
8. Alcohol
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has a high risk. It increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and the baby might even have low birth weight. The risks are more when you drink more. You especially want to cut off the consumption of beverages during the first trimester of pregnancy.
9. Sugary Foods
Consumption of sugar is beneficial as well as harmful for pregnant women, depending upon how much you consume. Watch out, exceeding the amount of sugary food can hamper the growth of a baby.
10. Liver Products
Pregnant women should not eat liver or any food that has lived in it. Liver sausage or pate must be avoided by pregnant women. The liver contains very high retinol, which can hamper the growth of the baby. You must not include the liver in the diet during the first trimester of pregnancy.
So, Next time you see liver products on the table, move your hand to something healthier.
11. Caffeine
According to the study, eating more caffeine during pregnancy can cause miscarriages. Completely avoiding caffeine during pregnancy can cause sleeplessness, irritability, and nervousness.
Finally, Try limiting unhealthy food during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor to prepare a pregnancy diet plan. So, we are done with the food to avoid during pregnancy.
Food To Include During Pregnancy
Don’t get fed up if our list has some of your favorite food. There are some delicious foods you can include in your diet. You can eat foods rich in vitamin B6, folic acid, and iron.
Talking about these nutrients. Vitamin B6 can strengthen the immunity system and promote the growth of red blood cells. Folic acids help in the development of the nervous system in a baby. And iron helps to carry oxygen in the body.
Are you wondering which food consists of vitamin B6, folic acid, and iron? Don’t worry, we have few delicious foods that are good in the first trimester of pregnancy. Chicken, peanuts, bananas, oats, soya beans are rich in vitamin B6.
Red meat like pork, leafy vegetables like spinach, and Dried fruits like raisins and apricots are loaded with iron. Asparagus, beets, oranges, broccoli, avocado, whole-grain cereal, and legumes are excellent sources of Folic acid.
Conclusion
Hence, The first trimester begins on the first day of your last period and lasts until the end of week 12. so, In this period you can eat delicious foods like oranges, avocado, vitamin B6, Folic acid, iron, etc.
If you want to know about blood pressure lowing foods we have an article on that as well.
