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Is it OK to eat goats' cheese when I'm pregnant?
There are different types of goats' cheeses available. The type that is probably most common in the UK has a white rind similar to Brie and Camembert. This type of goats' cheese is sometimes called Chevre and is often served in restaurants, for example in a goats' cheese salad. You should avoid this when you are pregnant. However, other types of goats' cheese that don't have this kind of rind should be fine to eat, particularly hard cheeses.
Is it safe to take more than the recommended amount of folic acid when Im pregnant?
When youre pregnant, you should take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement until the 12th week of your pregnancy. Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Ideally, you should have started to take these supplements before you were pregnant.
This is as well as eating foods containing the natural form of folic acid, called folate, such as green vegetables and brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals.
It would be almost impossible to get the full recommended amount of folic acid from food, which is why we advise pregnant women to take folic acid supplements. Other people should be able to get all the folic acid (or folate) they need from a healthy balanced diet.
If you would like to take your folic acid in a supplement that contains other vitamins, make sure it doesn't contain vitamin A or fish liver oil.
The safety of folic acid was evaluated by the independent Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM). The EVM concluded that taking folic acid supplements of up to 1mg (1,000mcg) a day is unlikely to do people any harm.
Women who are at a high risk of having a baby affected by a neural tube defect might be advised by their doctor to take more than 1mg a day of folic acid and if this is the case they should follow their doctor's advice.
Is it OK to eat sushi when I'm pregnant?
Its fine to eat sushi when youre pregnant as long as any raw fish used to make it has been frozen beforehand. This is because occasionally fish contains small worms, which could make you ill if they are still alive when you eat the fish. Freezing kills worms and makes raw fish safe to eat.
Lots of the sushi sold in shops is bought in already made, not made at the shop. This type of sushi should be fine to eat, because if a shop or restaurant buys in ready-made sushi, the raw fish used to make it must have been frozen at minus 20°C for at least 24 hours.
But if a shop or restaurant makes its own sushi on the premises, the fish might not have been frozen. If youre concerned, ask the staff.
If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least 24 hours before using it.
I've heard that pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid some types of fish. Why is this?
You can eat most types of fish when you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby. But you should avoid some types of fish and limit the amount you eat of some other types.
When you're pregnant or planning to get pregnant, you shouldn't eat shark, swordfish or marlin. You should also limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks (weighing about 140g when cooked, or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can).
This is because these fish contain more mercury than other types of fish. The amount of mercury we get from food isn't harmful for most people, but if you take in high levels of mercury when you're pregnant this could affect your baby's developing nervous system. When you're breastfeeding you don't need to avoid shark, swordfish or marlin, or limit the amount of tinned tuna you eat.
When you're pregnant, you should generally avoid having more than two portions of oily fish a week, such as salmon, trout, mackerel and herring, because it can contain pollutants such as dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
Remember that fresh tuna is an oily fish, so if you eat two fresh tuna steaks in one week, you shouldn't eat any other oily fish that week. Tinned tuna doesn't count as oily fish, so you can eat this on top of the maximum of two portions of oily fish (as long as it's not fresh tuna or swordfish). But remember not to eat more than four medium-sized cans of tinned tuna a week when you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
There is no need to limit the amount of white fish you eat when you're pregnant or breastfeeding, apart from shark and marlin.
What are phytoestrogens?
Phytoestrogens are compounds found naturally in some plants, including soya. They may mimic or block the action of the human hormone, oestrogen, but they have a much weaker effect in the body than oestrogen.
Pregnant women don't need to avoid soya products if they're eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet. Some people have raised concerns that pregnant women who eat soya might affect the future fertility of their babies.
However, these concerns are based on studies in rats and mice, and it's difficult to assess what the results mean for humans. In these studies the animals had been given much higher levels of phytoestrogens than in a normal human diet containing some soya products. There haven't been any reports of problems in countries such as Japan and China, where the traditional diet includes soya.
Is it OK to eat spicy food during pregnancy?
It's fine to eat spicy foods while you're pregnant, as long as you feel OK while you're eating them.
While you're pregnant, you should eat a healthy balanced diet, to make sure that you get enough energy and nutrients for your baby to grow and develop, and for your body to cope with the changes taking place.
Try to eat plenty of foods containing iron to make sure you are getting enough of this important mineral. Good sources of iron include red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. Try to have some food or drink containing vitamin C, such as a glass of fruit juice, at the same time as an iron-rich meal because this will help your body absorb the iron.
Although liver contains lots of iron, you should avoid eating it while you're pregnant because it contains high levels of vitamin A, which could harm your baby if you have too much.
You should also take a 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement each day until at least the 12th week of your pregnancy. And try to include foods containing folic acid in your diet, such as green vegetables and brown rice, bread and fortified breakfast cereals. Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the unborn baby, such as spina bifida.
While you're pregnant, you should avoid eating the following things:
soft mould-ripened cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie, and blue-veined cheeses
any type of pâté
any food that isn't properly cooked, especially undercooked meat and raw or undercooked eggs (always make sure that food is piping hot all the way through before you eat it)
shark, swordfish or marlin
Can I eat Brie and blue cheese when I'm pregnant if it's cooked?
Pregnant women are advised against eating these types of cheese because of the risk of listeria. However, thorough cooking should kill any listeria, so it should be safe to eat food containing soft mould-ripened or blue-veined cheeses, provided it has been properly cooked and is piping hot all the way through.
Should I avoid eating shellfish while I'm pregnant?
You should avoid oysters and other shellfish while you're pregnant, unless they are part of a hot meal and have been thoroughly cooked. This is because, when they are raw, these types of seafood might be contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses. These are usually killed by proper cooking.
It's unusual for shellfish to contain listeria, a type of food poisoning bacteria that can harm unborn babies. Salmonella and campylobacter (the most common foodborne illnesses) might make you ill, but it's unlikely that they will have any direct effects on your baby.
If you're concerned about eating shellfish, you might choose to avoid them when you're pregnant.
Is shop-bought mayonnaise safe for pregnant women to eat?
Shop-bought mayonnaise is generally made from pasteurised egg and therefore should be safe for pregnant women to eat, but make sure you follow the storage instructions on the jar.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid home-made mayonnaise because it can contain raw unpasteurised egg and so there's a potential risk of salmonella. Occasionally you might see fresh mayonnaise in shops. It will be kept in the chilled section and have a 'Use by' date. Unless you can check that it doesn't contain raw egg, it would be best to avoid this during pregnancy.
Why can't you eat runny cheeses when you're pregnant?
In order to avoid the risk of listeriosis pregnant women are advised to avoid eating ripened soft cheeses of the Brie, Camembert and blue-veined types, whether pasteurised or unpasteurised.
This is because ripened soft cheeses are less acidic and contain more moisture than hard cheeses, and are therefore more inclined to allow growth of undesirable bacteria such as Listeria, which may harm your unborn child.
You can enjoy hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Cheshire. Cottage cheese, processed cheese and cheese spreads can all be safely eaten during pregnancy.
Can I take cod liver oil supplements when I'm pregnant? I've read about the benefits of fish oils and I'm worried I'm not getting enough. Usually I enjoy fish, but now I'm pregnant it seems to make me nauseous.
When you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you shouldn't take supplements containing cod liver oil, or other types of fish liver oil. This is because fish liver oil contains high levels of vitamin A, like liver and liver products such as liver pâté. If you have too much vitamin A, levels could build up in your body and may harm an unborn baby.
People generally take fish-oil supplements because of the omega 3 fatty acids they contain. These fatty acids can help protect against heart disease. Some people think that having omega 3 fatty acids while you're pregnant can help an unborn baby's cognitive development. But at the moment there isn't enough evidence to draw any firm conclusions.
It's better to eat fish than take fish-oil supplements, because as well as containing omega 3, fish is an excellent source of other nutrients that are good for your health and your baby's development.
We should all try to eat at least two servings of fish a week, including one serving of oily fish, as part of a healthy balanced diet. Oily fish, such as salmon, trout and mackerel, contain more omega 3 than white fish. But generally you should avoid having more than two portions of oily fish a week, because it can contain pollutants called dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
It's important to remember that when you're pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, you should avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin. This is because these types of fish can contain relatively high levels of mercury. You should also limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks (weighing about 140g when cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can).
If you're suffering from nausea, you could try eating fish at a different time of the day when you don't feel so unwell, or try disguising it in other dishes. It often helps if someone else can prepare and cook the food for you! Eating small amounts of food often, rather than large meals, and drinking plenty of fluids can also help to reduce nausea. The good news is that the nausea usually disappears around the 12th to 14th week of pregnancy.
Are hard cheeses safe in pregnancy?
The scientific literature has shown that listeria is present in very low numbers (less than 1 bacterium per gram of cheese) in these types of cheeses and they are therefore not considered a risk to health during pregnancy.
Can I eat cold meats and smoked salmon when I'm pregnant?
Some countries advise pregnant women not to eat cold meats or smoked fish because of the risk of listeria. In the UK, we don't advise women to avoid these products because the risk is very low. The risk of listeria is much higher with soft mould-ripened cheeses (such as Brie and Camembert) or pâté, which you shouldn't eat during pregnancy. However, if you are concerned, you might also choose to avoid cold meats and smoked fish while you are pregnant.
How long should a woman take folic acid before conceiving?
There isn't a recommended length of time before conception that women should start taking folic acid supplements. The important thing is for women to make sure that they consume adequate amounts of folate the natural form of folic acid from the foods they eat, and take a daily folic acid supplement (400mcg) from before they conceive until the 12th week of pregnancy. It's a good idea for women of childbearing age to follow this advice if there's a possibility of an unplanned pregnancy.
Folate helps to reduce the risk of babies developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Women who have already had a child with a neural tube defect should consult their GP for individual advice.
Brussels sprouts, asparagus, black-eyed beans, spinach and kale are rich sources of folate. Broccoli, spring greens, cabbage, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, parsnips and oranges also contain significant amounts, but folate is destroyed easily when cooked and tends to be lost in the water used for boiling. You can increase your intake of folic acid by eating foods that are fortified with it, for example, some breakfast cereals.
Hopefully that should cover everything!
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