Pregnant women 'are confused about their diets'

[Honey]

The majority of pregnant women are unsure about what they should eat and drink during their term, a survey has found.


Sixty per cent of women polled said there did not know which foods were safe to consume during their pregnancy.
Foods which caused particular confusion were cheese, shellfish, eggs, tuna and nuts.
Despite recent Government recommendations to cut out alcohol entirely, one in 10 mothers-to-be said they continued to drink alcohol throughout the nine months.
The average weight gain in pregnancy is 22lb to 33lb and women should increase their diet by around 300 calories a day according to the NHS direct.
However, the nationwide survey of 850 pregnant women and new mums found one in five were getting mixed nutritional messages from their midwives on exactly what they should eat. One in 10 blamed friends for their confusion, according to the Organix poll.
Lizzie Vann, founder of Organix, said: "While three-quarters of women think more about nutrition when they have children, they are clearly confused about what to eat when they are pregnant."
COMMON CONFUSING FOODS
Alcohol: The Department of Health advises that pregnant women should avoid drinking alcohol. Claire Friars, midwife for Tommy's, the baby charity said: "If women do choose to drink, they should have no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week and definitely shouldn't get drunk."
Caffeine: Drinking a lot of caffeine may also have a negative effect on the baby's health. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends having no more than 300mg per day, which is equivalent to three cups of instant coffee or six cups of tea.
Cheese: Pregnant women are advised to avoid eating soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and blue-veined types, as they increase the risk of listeriosis, according to the FSA. You can enjoy hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Cheshire. Cottage cheese, processed cheese and cheese spreads can all be safely eaten during pregnancy.
Shellfish: You should avoid oysters and other shellfish while you're pregnant, unless they have been thoroughly cooked. "When raw, these types of seafood might be contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses, such as salmonella, campylobacter and occasionally listeria," Ms Friars said.
Tuna: You can eat most types of fish when you're pregnant. But you should avoid shark, swordfish or marlin. You should also limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks or four medium-size cans of tuna a week. This is because they contain higher levels of mercury which could affect the baby's nervous system. You should also limit oily fish to a maximum of twice a week.
Nuts: Pregnant mothers may choose to avoid peanuts if they, the baby's father, brothers or sisters have certain allergic conditions such as hayfever or eczema. This is because the baby may have a higher risk of developing a nut allergy. Eggs: Undercooked or raw eggs should be avoided. "When cooking eggs, they need to be cooked enough for both the white and yolk to be solid. This is to avoid the risk of salmonella," Ms Friars said.

Pregnant women 'are confused about their diets' | the Daily Mail

[dayday]

Holy shit, it's so disguisting if a woman continues to drink throughout her pregnancy. What, does she want her child to grow up with FAS? Can people not lay off the booze for even nine months? Go to rehab if you have to, anything just don't do that to your child.

I am pregnant, it sucks and I look terribly fat even though I am a slender girl... pregnancy makes everybody feel huge and bloated. My doctor told me not to eat raw fish like sushi but I've read pregnancy books that says it is fine. I just make sure everything is cooked properly... and I crave lots of salt. Probably not healthy, but hey atleast it won't give the baby FAS.

[Honey]

I find that abit weird myself. If you want a baby giving up booze for 9 months won't kill you right (Britney)?

[darksithbunny]

I had never heard of shellfish or nuts. But I have heard of staying away from deli meats because of listeria.

[MrsDark]

A glass of wine (ONE glass) every now and then isn't exactly going to give a baby FAS. The problem is, people in general are so ignorant and all one way or another (dare I say, extremist??) in the way they perceive every little thing these days that it's just safer for docs to recommend that they abstain altogether. That's pretty much the main reason you hear from docs "You shouldn't drink while pregnant". Because people are too stupid to understand the concept of moderation or what things like "every once in awhile" or even "a glass" mean.

[MrsDark]

Originally Posted by dayday

I crave lots of salt. Probably not healthy, but hey atleast it won't give the baby FAS.

Actually, salt IS something you need to watch. Not just because it will make you bloat, but you can become hypertensive and preeclamptic. Even if no previous history of hypertension. FAS is probably not something you have to worry about unless you are seriously knocking them back and especially if you are also not eating (many people who drink large amounts on a regular basis actually eat less food, thereby less nutrients taken in). The actual "safe levels" of ingestion any of these things can't be accurately determined. But PIH can really kill you (which would definitely be bad for the baby!) or put you in the hospital on bedrest. Watch the salt, please.

[gardenofeve]

I know a lot of pregnant women are confused because the sources always seem to contradict one another. This for example says it's okay to drink in moderation, however I can go to several other sources that say even one drink can cause FAS. Or, sources will say not to eat unpasteurised cheese, which a lot of soft cheeses are, but you can buy pasteurised soft cheese (though it's not as good)

It's insane. My first pregnancy, I pretty much cut out everything. Caesar salad dressing, deli meats, benadryl, caffeine, tuna, shellfish, soft cheeses etc. This pregnancy, pretty much everything is game in moderation except alcohol, I don't really drink, so it's not a biggie anyhow. (I don't smoke either).

Even the topic of weight gain is contradictory.Last pregnancy I gained 37lbs, this pregnancy I'd like to stay at around the 25lb mark or lower. So far in 5 months, I've gained 4lbs and got a royal chewing out from my doctor's resident. Then she lectured me like a four year old about eating properly (give me a friggin break, I eat more healthy than most people). The only thing that prevented me from stuffing her in a closet was the 4 hours sleep I was operating on that day.

[darksithbunny]

^^I had the same problem. Either I wasn't gaining enough or gaining too much. And then if you gain too much, they make you do that damn second diabetes test. AND I knew I didn't have gestational diabetes!