Dr. Payal Agarwal
Helps to Eat and Not to Eat During Pregnancy
Prenatal care is very important. Follow some simple guidelines to take care of you and your baby during pregnancy.
If you are underweight when you get pregnant, you may need to gain more. If you are overweight, you may need to gain less.
What should I eat?
Eating a balanced diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Be careful of the following foods and drinks during pregnancy.- Fruit and vegetables. Wash all produce before eating it. Keep cutting boards and dishes clean.
- Dairy. Do not drink unpasteurized milk or eat unpasteurized milk products. These may have bacteria that can cause infections.
- Sugar substitutes. Some artificial sweeteners are okay in moderation. These include aspartame and sucralose. If you have phenylketonuria, do not use aspartame at all.
- Caffeine. Do not drink more than 1 or 2 cups of coffee or other drinks with caffeine each day.
What should I Avoid?
Food safety is extremely important during pregnancy. This is because bacterial toxins and certain harmful chemicals such as alcohol and methyl mercury can pass from mother to baby, and cause undesirable outcomes.
- Unpasteurized milk
- Soft cheeses
- Uncooked hot dogs
