Pregnant At Christmas: What To Eat And Drink

Christmas is a hard time to navigate with a baby bump. No matter how much you might be tempted to sip on wine or eggnog, you have to withhold these cravings this festive season as you have a life growing inside you.

Pregnancy comes with a list of dos and don’ts. So don’t be disappointed if you cannot munch on some of your favorite treats this Christmas; there is a whole list of yummy treats that you can still enjoy when pregnant. Continue reading our post as we list down what you can eat and drink this festive season.

Make The Switch To Mocktails

Since alcohol is not safe to consume during pregnancy, it’s best to avoid any drinks with alcohol in them (1). Granted, it might not be the easiest transition for everyone, but it’s the least you could do for the safety of your little one. And if you feel like you might miss out on all the booze fun with your family, you can brush up on a few mocktail recipes that will provide you with the same festive warmth. But if you’re too lazy to make a mocktail yourself, you can simply have a soft drink in a flute wine glass.

Know What To Eat And Avoid In Cheeses

You don’t have to completely stay away from cheese platters and deprive yourself of the joy of the cheesy wonder in your mouth when pregnant. However, it’s important to be aware of what’s safe and not (2).

• All hard cheeses such as parmesan, stilton, and cheddar are safe to consume.
• Pregnant women can eat soft pasteurized cheeses such as halloumi, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, paneer, ricotta, goats’ cheese, and cottage cheese without a white coating on the outside (rind).
• Soft unpasteurized cheeses can only be eaten if they are thoroughly cooked until piping hot.
• Soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside can be eaten when thoroughly cooked until steaming hot.
• Soft blue cheeses should also be thoroughly cooked until steaming hot so that it’s safe to be consumed.
• Pasteurized milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cream are safe to be consumed during pregnancy.
• Any cheese that is prepared from unpasteurized milk, such as soft goats’ cheese should be avoided.

Runny Eggs: Safe Or Not?

You probably know that raw eggs are not a safe option during pregnancy as it may contain Salmonella and increase your risk of getting food poisoning (3). Hence, it’s best to avoid these food options as they may contain raw eggs in them:

• Homemade mayonnaise
• Milkshakes and smoothies
• Caesar salad dressing
• Hollandaise sauce
• Homemade ice cream
• Homemade eggnog

If you choose to eat eggs, make sure you thoroughly cook the whites and yolks to be on the safer side. Raw or partially cooked eggs can be eaten if they have a safety mark in them that states that they are vaccinated against Salmonella, such as the British Lion Eggs.

Fish And Seafood: What To Eat, Limit, And Avoid

Dishes made with fish are a festive staple at many dining tables. They are a great source of vitamins and minerals and taste absolutely delicious. Below we list down what fish you should eat, limit, and avoid when you’re expecting (4).

Fishes you can eat:

• Cooked seafood and fish.
• Smoked fishes such as smoked trout and salmon.
• Cooked shellfish such as crab, lobster, mussels, clams, prawns, and scallops.

Fishes to limit:

• If you’re pregnant, you could eat up to two portions of oily fish a week. This includes trout, mackerel, herring, and salmon. Oily fish is recommended to be eaten in limited amounts because of the pollutants they contain, such as polychlorinated biphenyls or dioxins.

• During pregnancy, the consumption of tuna steaks should be limited to 2 steaks or around 140g when cooked per week. Four medium-size cans of tuna can be consumed in a week. Eating too much tuna is not safe during pregnancy as it contains mercury, and too much mercury can be harmful to the baby.

Fishes to avoid include shark, marlin, swordfish, and raw shellfish. Raw shellfish should be avoided because of the harmful viruses, bacteria, and toxins it may contain, leading to food poisoning during pregnancy.

Caffeine

There is a common misunderstanding that pregnant women have to completely avoid caffeine during pregnancy. But this is a myth. Caffeine can be consumed when pregnant, but in limited amounts (5). Pregnant women can have up to 200mg of caffeine in a day. The caffeine present in various beverages and food sources may vary, so you may have to watch out for your everyday caffeine intake to make sure you don’t go overboard. For example, a cup of instant coffee contains approximately 100mg of caffeine, whereas a 50g bar of dark chocolate may contain around 25g of caffeine or less.

Cold Meat

When it comes to meat and poultry, ensure that they are thoroughly cooked (6). Raw and undercooked meat should be avoided during pregnancy as there is a risk of toxoplasmosis, which may lead to miscarriage.

Eating too much liver during pregnancy may not be safe because it is high in vitamin A and can be harmful to the unborn baby. Cold cured meats such as pepperoni, prosciutto, and salami should also be avoided unless they are thoroughly cooked as they may carry the risk of toxoplasmosis.

With so much variety of food on offer during Christmas, it’s hard to stick to a healthy and safe diet plan. However, always be aware of what you can and cannot eat and stick to those limits.

If you’re dealing with heartburn or morning sickness, try not to overindulge as it can lead to some unpleasant consequences. You can also seek help from your friends and family to ensure you stick to a preggo-safe diet plan.

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