List of dietary taboos for pregnant women

It is clear that you should not eat food that is poisonous or harmful, food that is not fully cooked, or food that you are allergic to. Most of the remaining so-called "taboos" are precautions that vary from person to person, and there is no unified standard answer.

To be honest, I have seen too many pregnant mothers become nervous due to all kinds of taboos. A while ago, my distant cousin was 3 months pregnant, and she didn’t even dare to drink the kelp soup cooked at home. She said on the Internet that cold kelp can cause miscarriage, which made me angry. This is not true.

Let’s talk about the red lines that you really can’t touch. Don’t risk yourself and your children. For example, it is best not to touch anything that contains alcohol, whether it is liquor, beer, fermented rice dumplings, drunken crabs or shrimps, even so-called "alcohol-free beer". There is no research to prove that the amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy is safe, so there is really no need to gamble. There are also deep-sea fish with high levels of mercury clearly listed by the FDA: swordfish, tilefish, and swordfish. The mercury content is so high that it may affect fetal neurodevelopment. If you want to eat fish to supplement DHA, choose regular sea fish such as salmon, mackerel, and cod, which are safe and reliable. Needless to say about moldy and spoiled food, right? Don't be stingy like the older generation. If the fruit is rotten, peel off a small piece and then eat it. The toxins from the mold have already seeped into the entire fruit, and the gain outweighs the gain in your stomach.

Then there is the food that is not fully cooked. This is really not alarmist. When I was accompanying the obstetrics department last year, I met a 22-week-pregnant mother who was addicted to raw arctic clams from a Japanese restaurant. She was infected with listeria. She had diarrhea for two days and had contractions. She almost didn't survive. She was hospitalized for a week before she stabilized. Don't touch any soft-boiled eggs, medium-rare steaks, raw pickled seafood, undercooked hot pot shabu-shabu, unpasteurized handmade fresh cheese, or freshly squeezed raw milk from farmers. Listeria is not afraid of low temperatures and can survive even in the refrigerator. If it is infected, it will have a great impact on the fetus.

There are also foods that may make you uncomfortable if you eat them. If you eat mangoes before pregnancy, you will get a rash. When you are pregnant, don’t think, “It might be fine if you try a bite.” Your immunity fluctuates greatly during pregnancy, and you may suddenly be allergic to things you were not allergic to before. If you feel itchy, diarrhea, or stomachache after eating something, don’t touch it next time. There is no need to make things difficult for yourself. By the way, I have also read that pregnant women cannot eat rabbit meat, otherwise their children will develop harelips. This is a rumor from the past. Harelips are caused by genes and environmental factors, and have nothing to do with eating rabbit meat. Similarly, there is also a saying that eating mutton will cause epilepsy, which is pure nonsense.

As for the remaining "taboo foods" that are mentioned every day, such as crabs, hawthorns, iced milk tea, and coffee, they are actually not so absolute, and the differences in different concepts are quite big. For example, old people always say that if you eat crabs that are cold in nature, you will have a miscarriage. Western medicine says that as long as you are not allergic or uncomfortable if you eat crabs before pregnancy, and they are fresh now that they are cooked, it is absolutely fine to eat one or two at a time. My colleague ate two female crabs in one go when she was 32 weeks pregnant, and there was nothing wrong except for feeling a little cramped. Of course, if you have a weak spleen and stomach and have diarrhea after eating crabs, then definitely don't touch it. There are also hawthorns. Many people say that eating them will cause uterine contractions. In fact, to reach the amount of hawthorn flavonoids that can induce uterine contractions, you have to eat two or three kilograms of fresh hawthorns at a time. You usually eat one or two candied haws and drink half a cup of hawthorn water. There is no need to scare yourself.

The most controversial thing is definitely coffee. Many obstetricians in China will tell you to quit. However, the guidelines from the WHO and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists clearly state that it is safe to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine per day, which is about the amount of a medium cup of regular American coffee, or a cup of latte. If you drank coffee every day before pregnancy, but suddenly quit it during pregnancy and got a headache and a bad mood, then drinking half a cup a day is completely fine. My best friend suffered from severe morning sickness during pregnancy and couldn't eat anything, so she relied on half a cup of iced latte every day. The prenatal check-up gave the green light, and the baby was born white and fat. Of course, if you feel flustered and insomniac after drinking coffee, then definitely don’t drink it, as long as you feel better.

There are also the most coveted iced milk tea and ice cream in summer. Old people always say that children who eat cold food will have stomachaches after birth. This is purely metaphysics. As long as you don’t have diarrhea or stomachache after eating it, how about eating a small pudding and drinking half a cup of iced milk tea on a 38-degree day in the summer? During my third trimester of pregnancy, I had a small piece of pudding every day, which made me feel very comfortable, and I had no gastrointestinal problems after the baby was born. What about instant noodles, spicy strips, and fried chicken? Don’t listen to what people say about “no junk food.” If you are really greedy, it’s totally fine to eat it once in a while. It’s better than starving yourself if you can’t eat anything. Just don’t eat it every day. After all, it has no nutrition.

By the way, don’t believe in the idea of ​​“pregnant women taking supplements”. If you go to eat some weird wild animals, it’s illegal or not. These things have not been quarantined and may carry parasites and germs. What supplements are needed? It’s not as good as eating two eggs and drinking a glass of milk. There are also various folk remedies, supplements, and miscarriage health products. Be sure to ask your prenatal doctor before taking them. Don’t take them by yourself. Many supplements contain unknown ingredients and are not good for the fetus.

In fact, pregnancy is really not that delicate. Don’t be bound by the messy lists on the Internet. The general principle is that it is fresh, clean, comfortable to eat, and nutritionally balanced. Occasionally, if you are greedy for something "nutritious", as long as it is not absolutely taboo, it is not a big deal. A good mood for the pregnant mother is the best thing for the baby.