Right Foods For Healthy Pregnancy | Video

Juli McDonald | 8/4/2010

There are lots of worries on a woman`s mind throughout her pregnancy. Getting ready for a baby takes a lot of work.

But, women also need to remember to keep themselves healthy as well.

Alcohol and too much caffeine are some of the obvious things to avoid during pregnancy, but during that time, women are at risk of illness from other everyday foods as well.

Pregnancy is a crucial time to give a baby a healthy start. Everything a pregnant woman is exposed to or ingests, her baby gets, too. But, some normal foods that are okay for everyone else are risky for growing babies.

"Undercooked meat or raw meat or fish should be avoided during pregnancy due to the concern of listeria or food borne illness," explained Amy Davis, Medcenter One dietitian. "So pregnant moms should be cooking their foods to proper temperature, washing their hands often."

Listeria is the bacteria responsible for listeriosis, a rare infection that may cause miscarriage. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to contract listeria than non--pregnant individuals are, and the bacteria is more harmful to a fetus than it would be to a child or adult.

Even if expectant mothers plan to consume hot dogs or deli meats, they should still reheat those foods until they are very hot to kill bacteria. Mothers-to-be should also avoid fish high in mercury, soft cheeses or dairy products made with unpasteurized milk.

And, pregnancy is definitely not a time to live it up. Too much weight gained poses health risks for both mother and baby.

"We often say when we`re pregnant that we`re eating for two now, actually calorie needs are increased, but not until the second trimester. Calories are increased by 300 calories," said Davis.

"Remember the baby`s halfway over the pregnancy before it even weighs a pound. So, how much does it really need to eat? Not that much," said Medcenter One OB/Gyn Dr. Shari Orser.

When expectant mothers do reach that second trimester point, 300 calories can be filled with simply an additional serving or two of dairy or protein.

If you have questions about maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy, or even if you`re not pregnant, talk to your primary care physician or visit mypyramid.gov.

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