Foods to avoid ;
Sure, what you eat is important when you're making a baby — but just as important is what you don't eat
From juicy fruits and crunchy vegetables to healthy muffins and hearty breads — at 13 weeks pregnant there are plenty of tasty and nutritious baby-friendly foods to choose from when you're expecting. In fact, when it comes to pregnancy eating, not only is the world your oyster but oysters can be part of your world (and they're full of iron and zinc). Look before you open wide, though, and make sure safety's on the menu (you can have that oyster only if it's fully cooked, for instance). Some foods (and beverages) must be tabled until after you've delivered.
Alcohol: The warning labels on the sides of beer, wine, and alcohol bottles are there for a reason. Drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can have serious consequences for your baby, including birth defects and complications. Even moderate drinking can cause problems, so it's best to abstain entirely until after delivery. (Don't worry, however, if you had a couple of drinks before you found out you were pregnant.)
Raw fish and seafood: Say sayonara to sushi for now — uncooked or seared seafood is off-limits, thanks to pesky bacteria and parasites that can lurk within. Always cook (or order) fish until it flakes; shellfish must be firm. Steer clear of seviche or other uncooked marinated seafood — no amount of citrus juice or hot sauce is capable of killing dangerous bacteria. Also, cold smoked fish should stay off the menu because of the danger of Listeria (it's okay if cooked, as in a casserole).
Other fish: When it comes to some fish, even cooking doesn't do the trick. Certain fish contain high levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), or other toxins that can be dangerous to your baby. When you're fishing for dinner, steer clear of shark, swordfish, king mackerel, fresh tuna, tilefish, mahimahi, grouper, and amberjack. And limit your consumption to 12 ounces a week of shellfish, smaller ocean fish, farm-raised fish, canned light tuna, and freshwater fish. Limit canned albacore to six ounces per week.
Undercooked or raw meat and poultry: This is no time to see red (or even pink) — at least when you're cutting into a hamburger, steak, other meat, or poultry. To keep bacteria and parasites, such as E. coli, Trichinella, and Toxoplasma off your plate (and away from your baby), always cook meat and poultry until they're well done. Save that juicy red porterhouse for the postbirth celebration dinner, and stick to less luscious (but safer) grays and browns for now.
Soft cheeses: Saying cheese is one of the tastiest ways to score calcium. But to make sure you don't also score Listeria, which are bacteria that can easily be passed on to your fetus, say no to any cheese that's unpasteurized (or "raw") — including soft cheeses like queso fresco, Brie, Camembert, feta, goat cheese, or Roquefort. Any pasteurized soft cheeses are fine, but if you're desperate for a chunk of Brie, make sure it's domestic and pasteurized — or cook it until it's bubbling before you dig in (for the same Listeria reason, heat cold cuts until steaming before serving, too). The ban on anything raw also applies to other unpasteurized dairy products and juice (including fresh-off-the-farm-stand cider).
Raw eggs: You'll have to skip the real Caesar (with the real eggs), stop licking the cake batter off the spoon for now, and run from the runny yolks (cooked through only, please). That's because raw or undercooked eggs can carry Salmonella bacteria. (It's in the egg before the shell forms, so don't waste time scrubbing.) Also look out for raw eggs in homemade ice cream, cookie dough, mayonnaise, and eggnog, which often contain raw eggs. Can't stay away? Head to the store to purchase these favorites: Commercial varieties always contain pasteurized eggs, which are safe. Or buy pasteurized eggs yourself for home use and your Caesar fix.
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