The first trimester is a crucial time for your baby’s growth. Some types of food can be harmful to you and can affect your baby’s health and development.
You should avoid the following foods in your first trimester:
Reading: Best food to eat in first trimester
Seafood Containing Mercury
Eating fish with high levels of mercury can cause mercury poisoning. If you eat fish that contain mercury during pregnancy, it can pass on to your baby. Mercury is a metal that can delay your baby’s development, cause brain damage, and affect their hearing and sight.
Avoid eating fish like:
- Swordfish
- Tilefish
- King mackerel
- Shark
- Marlin
- Ahi and bigeye tuna
- Orange roughy
Raw or Undercooked Seafood and Meat
Raw foods can contain harmful bacteria that can cause infection and food poisoning. This infection can pass on to your baby during pregnancy. Eating undercooked seafood and meat can increase your risk of toxoplasmosis, salmonella, or listeria infection.
Make sure you cook these foods properly. Heat seafood and meat to over 145 Fahrenheit, and cook poultry to over 160 Fahrenheit. This will help kill the bacteria and prevent you and your baby from getting infected.
Avoid eating these foods:
- Smoked seafood
- Refrigerated seafood
- Raw deli meats
- Undercooked shellfish
- Sushi
- Pâté
Raw or Undercooked Eggs
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Raw or lightly cooked eggs may contain salmonella. Try and avoid eating foods containing raw or undercooked eggs.
Avoid eating these foods:
- Raw cake batter
- Raw cookie dough
- Soft scrambled eggs
- Lightly cooked omelets
- Salad dressings or mayonnaise with egg
- Eggnog
Unpasteurized Milk and Other Dairy Products
Before use, milk is often pasteurized or heated to kill germs and improve its shelf life. Unpasteurized milk and dairy products like cheese may contain bacteria such as listeria. Consuming unpasteurized milk can cause food poisoning like listeriosis. This can affect you and your baby and can even lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Check the label to ensure that the product you’re buying is pasteurized. You should avoid having unpasteurized soft cheeses like:
- Moldy blue cheese like Danish blue or gorgonzola
- Brie
- Feta
- Camembert
- Chevre
Raw Sprouts
Raw sprouts may contain bacteria inside, which can be difficult to wash away. Avoid having raw sprouts to prevent any infection. Before you eat deli sandwiches or other prepared foods, check to see whether they contain raw sprouts. Make sure you thoroughly wash and cook the sprouts to destroy any infection-causing germs.
Avoid these raw sprouts:
- Alfalfa
- Mung beans
- Radish
- Clover
Unwashed Vegetables or Fruits
Vegetables and fruits are an essential part of your diet. Before you eat them, make sure that they are properly washed. Unwashed vegetables and fruits may contain dirt and germs such as toxoplasmosis, which can harm you and your baby.
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Also, avoid having pre-packaged salads, buffet salads, or those at open salad bars, as they can be contaminated with listeria.
Excess Caffeine
Although a moderate intake of caffeine is allowed during pregnancy, high caffeine intake can affect your baby’s development. Research has shown that excess caffeine can increase the risk of a miscarriage during the first trimester.
Your daily caffeine intake should be less than 200 milligrams, which is equal to a 12-ounce cup of coffee. Check the labels of sodas, energy drinks, teas, or chocolate, as they may contain caffeine.
Alcohol
No amount of alcohol is safe for consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Completely avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy. Exposure to alcohol can affect your baby’s development and result in fetal alcohol syndrome.
Excess Vitamin A
In your first trimester, avoid having vitamin A supplements and liver products like pâté as they may contain high vitamin A levels. A high dose of vitamin A can be toxic for your baby and cause birth defects. This is because your baby’s liver has still not developed and can’t process a lot of vitamin A.
Other Foods
Avoid having nuts if you are allergic to them. Limit your intake of herbal teas and licorice. And drink only pasteurized fruit juices.
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For more information please see the list of Best food to eat in first trimester
Source: https://www.medicinenet.com/foods_avoided_during_the_first_trimester_pregnancy/article.htm
