Okay so I am being told by a bunch of people all of these foods that aren't safe to eat while pregnant...am I crazy or did people eat everything back 30 years ago when they were pregnant and had healthy babies?...This seems weird to me..my mom had 6 of us and ate whatever she felt like eating(in moderation of course) and had 6 healthy babies
The only thing I would totally veto is alcohol. Not one drop, not a sip, nada. I don't know of any foods that are dangerous in moderation. Just don't go overboard. Kathi
well... there is something about soft cheeses... they haven't been fully pasturized. But, I seem to remember that you are a veggie, so I guess that wouldn't apply. Also, make sure you eat pasturized honey. There are sometimes spores in the unpasturized kind that can cause some issues.
Trust your intuition, momma! Generally, what you crave is what you need. Your body intuitively knew how to accept sperm, create a baby, and it intuitively knows what it needs in order to nurture that baby in a healthy way. Women have been having babies for ages, and generally they ate what they wanted, when they wanted, in the amounts that they wanted... And it was what the baby needed. You're vegan, right? So long as you get a wide variety of diverse food, you'll be getting plenty of nutrition. And be sure that you get plenty of beans and nuts... Protien. As for foods to avoid? Well, there are a few things that "they say" ought to be avoided... Theraputic doses of some herbs and spices, such as pepper, but common culinary amounts are no problem. Being vegan, you probably already stay away from many of the things on the no-no list, like fish. All in all, trust your instincts and your body. And when you do get an insane craving for something weird, try to pick a nutrient dense variation.
In response to IcedTeaPrincess' post: They do say to avoid unpasturized dairy, and unpastuerized honey. The honey bit, I believe, is more geared towards babies, as they have underdeveloped immunes systems. This probably doesn't apply to SweetDreadLover, but for any other momma's who read this, my opinion and personal experience on the matter... I ate raw dairy products, as well as raw honey throughout my entire first pregnancy, and gave birth to an extremely healthy, vibrant baby. Raw dairy is, number one, easier to digest because the enzymes haven't been killed. Number two, raw dairy products have beneficial microbes that help strengthen your intestinal flora as well as your immune system. And three... Any bad microbes that are in there will most definitely be zapped by your own immune system, further building your immunity to such organisms... These immunities you will pass to your baby in utero, and through your breastmilk. Same deal with honey... Raw honey has TONS of beneficial organisms and enzymes that aren't present in the pasturized version, and they do nothing but help strengthen your bodies defenses. And the immunities your body gains by exposing yourself to microbes, both good and bad, will be passed to your baby. Why not let your strong, adult body do the work for your baby? There is a lot of scientific evidence that proves babies and children stuck in super clean, super sanitary environments with limited diets and limited exposure to naturally occurring microbes are more prone to illness, allergies, and disease. This is because their immune systems haven't had a chance to build any defense against them. I say chow down on that brie and then go have a peanut butter and honey sandwich. For you, SweetDreadLover, I'd recommend finding fermented vegetable products like saurkraut or kimchi, or make your own. They also have lots of beneficial bacteria that will help strengthen your immune system and digestive system... Good things to have going on when you are baking a little one.
do not eat non-organic fish. there have been many studies linking the mercury in some fish to neurological disorders.
What are they telling you to avoid? The only thing I advise my clients against are simple carbs (white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugars, etc), too much fish (mercury content) and raw shellfish, and if you eat deli meats (very, very sparingly!) make sure the deli is super clean. If you love sushi (you're vegan so I doubt it!) make sure it's from a reputable place so it's nice and fresh. Raw honey is fine for an adult, as is raw dairy products. Eat what you like, as long as it's health promoting.
well i was told to avoid peanuts if i had asthma eczema or a history of heart disease and to avoid soy yogurt with live cultures because live cultures is bacteria based
The peanut thing is a little paranoid but based in some form of truth, but the yogurt thing is simply ridiculous. Not all bacterias are bad! In fact, you can't have a healthy digestive tract, vagina, or mouth without good bacteria! And the best way to do that is eat yogurt. Live cultures are our friends!
I actually was wanting to ask about this I LOVE LOVE LOVE sushi and I crave it insanely! I stayed away from it the whole time with Leane (it was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY hard, esecially since I craved sushimi so bad) and I was hearing mixed messages from people...some were saying that I shouldn't eat it, others were saying that it was fine. The palce I go to I have never had a problem with, very clean great food. Hell, for the price I pay, it'd better be clean and great. But yeah, do you think I can still have it? I still ate the cooked maki, but stayed away from the tuna, salmon, squid, etc...I just really want some sushi! lol and as for sweetdreadlover's post: when i was pregnant the first time, I generally just tried to eat healthy, no booze, and watched my pop drinkin (which was hard cuz I craved coke slurpees insanely bad), and yeah, that was about it. Well, besides the sushi thing, but yeah....you don't even need to worry about that.
Kirstyn, you can eat sushi, as long as the place is clean and the fish is fresh (do you think pregnant Japanese ladies stop eating sushi? ). I recommend that pregnant mamas limit the amount of fish to 4 ounces per week, because of the mercury, and to avoid the larger, fattier fish, because they are older and have been absorbing more mercury, and store more mercury in their fatty tissues. Definately avoid raw shellfish, because of the risk of hepatitis A (shellfish are nasty bottom feeders that like to hang around dead things and sewer pipelines). I hate having to tell pregnant women to limit their fish consumption, because fish is such a wonderful food; high protein, low fat, rich in Omegas, etc. But the mercury levels are dubious, so better safe than sorry.
thankyou sooooooo much brighid!!!!!! so i had to suffer through leane's pregnancy for nothing...lol! I'm goin out and gettin me some sushi! lol
