By

― Dr. Nisha Aggarwal- Gynaecologist & Obstetrician‍

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More foods can affect your health or your baby's than you might realize. Some of the food which should be avoided during pregnancy are listed below: 

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Avoid seafood high in mercury

Seafood can be a great source of protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can promote your baby's brain and eye development. However, some fish and shellfish contain potentially dangerous levels of mercury. Too much mercury could harm your baby's developing nervous system.

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Fish you to avoid:

• Bigeye tuna
• King mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Swordfish
• Shark
• Tilefish

You can Consider:

• Anchovies
• Catfish
• Cod
• Herring
• Light canned tuna
• Pacific oysters
• Pollock
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Shad
• Shrimp
• Tilapia
• Trout

However, limit white (albacore) tuna to 6 ounces (168 grams) a week.

Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood

To avoid harmful bacteria or viruses in seafood:

• Avoid raw fish and shellfish.
• Avoid refrigerated, uncooked seafood.
•  Understand local fish advisories.
• Cook seafood properly.

Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs

During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. 

To prevent foodborne illness:

• Fully cook all meats and poultry before eating.
• Cook hot dogs and luncheon meats until they're steaming hot — or avoid them completely.
• Avoid refrigerated pates and meat spreads.

Cook eggs until the egg yolks and whites are firm.

Avoid unpasteurized foods

Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no. These products could lead to foodborne illness.

Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables

To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria. Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly.

Avoid excess caffeine

While caffeine can cross the placenta, the effects on your baby aren't clear. To be safe, your health care provider might recommend avoiding or limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 milligrams (mg) a day during pregnancy.

Avoid herbal tea

There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK.

Avoid alcohol

No level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy. The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely.

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