Some Things to Avoid During Pregnancy

It is a very exciting time once you conceive.  You should continue with healthy nutrition and lifestyle behaviours you adopted while trying to get pregnant.  See my previous post for more information on: http://couplefit.blogspot.ca/2012/04/5-lifestyle-changes-to-make-before-you.html . As well, to help ensure a healthy pregnancy outcome, you should make a few more diet and lifestyle changes again at this time.

Limit Fish Intake

While it is important to consume fish for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids (which are critical for your baby’s central nervous system and visual development), you need to avoid excessive consumption due to the potential for mercury exposure.  Larger fish species (e.g. fresh or frozen tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel) can contain high levels of mercury that are not ideal for a developing fetus. For this reason, limit your intake of these types of fish to once per month. Smaller fish (e.g. salmon, haddock) can be consumed once per week.  If you like canned tuna, try varieties that contain less mercury (e.g. skipjack and yellowfin), but be cautious of consuming too much due to bisphenol-A (BPA) which is found in the cans they are packaged in.  For more details, see my previous post: http://couplefit.blogspot.ca/2012/01/is-it-safe-to-eat-fish-during-pregnancy.html

Avoid unpasteurized products and deli meats

During pregnancy, you should avoid unpasteurized products and uncooked deli meats. Unpasteurized products include some soft cheeses (e.g. brie, camembert) and occasionally honey.  Read the labels carefully - if the products are pasteurized, they are safe to consume.  Well cooked deli meats (i.e. on pizza) are also safe. The risk with consumption of these foods in pregnancy is exposure to the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is killed by the processes of pasteurization and cooking, so also make sure all meat and fish you consume is well-cooked.  Infection during pregnancy can potentially cause miscarriage, preterm delivery, infection or even death to your newborn baby.

Avoid Bisphenol-A (BPA)

BPA is a chemical used primarily to make polycarbonate plastics (e.g. bottles, food containers, processing equipment) and epoxy resins (e.g. protective linings in cans and bottles).   Exposure during pregnancy can negatively affect reproductive outcomes. To limit your exposure to BPA, avoid using plastic with recycling codes 3 and 7, minimize intake of canned goods and minimize handling of cash register receipts.  For more information, see my previous post: http://couplefit.blogspot.ca/2012/01/how-to-avoid-bpa-endocrine-disruptor.html

By avoiding these harmful things during pregnancy, you can increase the probability that your baby will be born healthy.  Of course, it is always helpful to continue all of the healthy lifestyle practices that you adopted before becoming pregnant.