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for a length of time. (Note: raw fruits and vegetables are perfectly<br />
safe to eat!)<br />
Some of foods to avoid would be:<br />
• Soft cheeses<br />
• Extremely rare beef<br />
• Freshly squeezed juices<br />
• Sushi<br />
• Raw cookie dough<br />
• Raw or undercooked eggs (egg nog, Caesar salad dressing,<br />
Hollandaise sauce, etc)<br />
• Unrefrigerated casseroles/foods (such as foods left on the table<br />
at a potluck dinner or buffet)<br />
• Caffeine (high amounts)<br />
• Alcohol<br />
• Excessive helpings of sweets<br />
In addition, do not eat fish that is known to contain high levels<br />
of mercury. Mercury is a poison that can affect development<br />
of the brain. Fish with high levels of mercury include swordfish,<br />
shark and tuna (yellowfin, bigeye and Ahi), among many.<br />
Chunk light tuna is OK but limit the amounts to a serving per<br />
week. The American Pregnancy Organization has produced a<br />
list of fish with mercury levels online for more precise information<br />
www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm<br />
Vitamin Supplements<br />
Take a prenatal vitamin and be sure that you get enough calcium,<br />
Vitamin C and iron. Daily intakes should include: 1000-<br />
1300 mg of calcium, 70 mg of Vitamin C and 27 mg of iron.<br />
Vitamin A is also important to prenatal health but should be<br />
taken with caution. Excessive intake of Vitamin A (10,000 IU<br />
or more per day) can result in fetal abnormalities. Best practice:<br />
eat orange vegetables and fruit that are rich in Vitamin A such<br />
as carrots, squash, pumpkins, and cantaloupe. Skip Vitamin A<br />
supplements, unless prescribed by your obstetrician.<br />
McGarvey also suggests that you have your medical professional<br />
check your Vitamin D levels. “Recent studies support the<br />
importance of adequate Vitamin D to prevent some pregnancy<br />
complications,” she says.<br />
What about Food Cravings?<br />
Food cravings can be a real experience during pregnancy. We<br />
all remember the old TV sitcoms where the wife sends her<br />
husband out in the middle of the night to find her raspberry ice<br />
cream and dill pickles. Funny, but for some, these cravings are<br />
very real. Just as real are repulsions to food that normally would<br />
have been very appetizing. (For example, you may not be able<br />
to stomach a glass of milk where it may have been your chosen<br />
beverage pre-pregnancy.)<br />
Pregnancy truly is a unique experience. If you are having<br />
cravings for foods that really aren’t good for you, look for a<br />
substitute that is smarter but satisfying. If for instance you are<br />
craving sugary cookies, how about a slice or two of multi-grain<br />
raisin bread toast instead? Less sugar, higher nutrition.<br />
continued >>><br />
Rochester Baby Guide • Winter 2013 15