This question was submitted to our community via our Facebook page and/or our Answers forum. Responses are also taken from the community. If you have your own parenting or relationship question you would like answers to, submit on Facebook or Answers.
QUESTION:
“I’m newly pregnant and it has come to a complete surprise. My first pregnancy and would really just like some advice on foods to stay away from and foods that are very beneficial! I’d mostly just love a list of foods to stay clear of. Or just any activities in general. When searching, I discovered you should even stay clear of taking very hot baths, which I was completely unaware of. Any and all advice is great. Thank you!”
Community Answers
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
“Don’t excessively worry about what to do/not do. I did that and I put my body under so much stress I had to be put on bed rest at only 13 weeks (for 4 weeks) be watchful but don’t obsess over what you think is safe/not safe.”
“Congratulations!! No sushi No undercooked meat/eggs No hot dogs or cured meats No deli meat unless you heat it in the microwave to steaming before eating. Only pasteurized cheeses. Try to eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and drink milk. But also indulge your cravings!!”
“Your meat needs to be fully cooked. That one killed me because I lovvveeee steak done medium rare.”
“No raw fish or soft cheeses and no cleaning the kitty litter.”
“Try to stay away from things that give you heartburn.”
“No pregnancy advice….that part sucks. But when it comes to babies, best piece of advice I ever got was…when baby is crying and you’ve done everything you can think of and nothing is working, put him in water (bath/pool) or take him outside. For me, this has worked approximately 95% of the time.”
“Download an app that’s free, I use one and it tells me what medicine [is] safe and foods as well! It helps keep track of how many weeks and gives really helpful tips on everything! I’ve used it for all three of my pregnancy and love it! But everything above is helpful as well!”
“Get a list from your Dr. Recommendations literally change all the time. My kids are 17 mos apart. There’s foods I was told not to eat with her that were allowed with him & vise versa. Really weird how much difference those 9 mos made.”
“You can eat whatever you want but raw fish, anything else make sure it’s cooked all the way, and any lunch meats make sure you heat up to kill any bacteria that may be on it.”
“Your OBGYN should give you a packet/ folder with a ton of info in it. It will have everything from safe/ unsafe OTC medications, food choices and what to expect at what stage of your pregnancy. I can tell you that recommendations change frequently… my 3 kiddos are 3.5 year apart and the booklets they give you has some changes. Don’t stress about food especially with food aversions in your future. Take your prenatals and ask your OB all the silly questions that’s what they are there for.”
Have a parenting, relationship, or other family-related question? Submit it on Facebook or Answers!