Foods To Avoid During First Trimester

So you just found out you are pregnant. Congratulations. The first thing that comes to your mind is food right. What to eat what not to eat. Your mother is telling you one thing. Your mother in law is telling you something else. Your friends are giving their own advice. It gets confusing.

Look the first three months are when your baby is just starting to form. The brain is forming. The spine is forming. All the important parts are coming together. This is why you have to be careful. Your body is also changing. Your immunity goes down. You catch colds faster. You feel tired all the time.

I remember when I was pregnant with my first child. I was so confused about what to eat. My mother said don't eat this. My doctor said don't eat that. I had to figure out what was actually true. So let me tell you what I learned from my own experience and what doctors told me.

10 Foods to Avoid During Your First Trimester

Eggs

Eggs are good for you. They have protein. They have vitamins. But here is the thing. You cannot eat raw eggs when you are pregnant. Raw eggs have salmonella. This is a germ that gives you food poisoning. Food poisoning is bad enough normally. But when you are pregnant it is worse. You get vomiting. You get loose motions. Your body becomes weak.

So what foods have raw eggs. Homemade mayonnaise has raw eggs. Some desserts like mousse have raw eggs. Cake batter has raw eggs. I know you want to lick the spoon when you make cake. But dont do it. foods to avoid during first trimester.

Always eat eggs that are fully cooked. Boiled eggs are fine. Omelettes are fine as long as they are cooked well. The white should be solid. The yellow should be solid. No runny parts.

Read Also: Iron Rich Foods During Pregnancy

Milk and Cheese

Milk is important for you. It gives calcium. Your baby needs calcium for bones. But you have to be careful about the milk you drink.

In India we get milk from the local vendor. This milk is not pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process that kills germs. Raw milk can have a bacteria called listeria. Listeria is very dangerous. It can cause miscarriage. It can make your baby very sick.

So what should you do. Boil the milk. Boil it until it bubbles. Then let it cool. This kills the germs. It is safe to drink after that.

Cheese is also tricky. Soft cheeses are often not safe. Brie is not safe. Feta is not safe. Even fresh paneer can be risky if it is made from raw milk. Always check the packet. Look for the word pasteurized. If it does not say pasteurized dont buy it.

Meat and Fish

I know you love your chicken and mutton. But you have to be careful now. Raw meat has many germs. Salmonella is one. E coli is another. Listeria is also there. These germs can make you very sick.

Do not eat raw fish. Do not eat sushi. Do not eat undercooked chicken. When you cook meat make sure it is cooked properly. There should be no pink color inside. The juices should be clear. If you are eating outside ask for well done.

In some places people eat raw meat dishes. Like some communities eat raw or semi cooked meat. This is not safe during pregnancy. Please avoid it.

Fish is good for you. It has omega fats that help baby brain. But some fish have mercury. Mercury is bad for baby. It harms the brain. Shark has mercury. Swordfish has mercury. King mackerel has mercury. Tuna also has mercury but less. You can eat tuna sometimes but not everyday. Salmon is good. Catfish is good. Shrimp is good. These have less mercury.

Sprouts

Sprouts are healthy normally. But during pregnancy you need to be careful. Sprouts grow in warm wet places. These are the same places where bacteria grow. Salmonella and E coli love sprouts.

The problem is you cannot wash these germs away. You can wash them ten times and still the germs stay. So what do you do. Cook them. Fully cook the sprouts. Add them to soup. Fry them with vegetables. Do not eat raw sprouts in salad.

Papaya

This is a big topic in Indian homes. Every elder will tell you not to eat papaya. And they are right. Unripe papaya is dangerous. It has a substance called latex. This latex makes your uterus contract. In early pregnancy this can cause miscarriage.

Unripe papaya also has papain and pepsin. These chemicals mess with baby growth. So do not eat raw papaya.

What about ripe papaya. Ripe papaya is generally safe in small amounts. The latex goes down as it ripens. But many doctors still say avoid it completely. It is better to be safe. There are many other fruits you can eat. Mangoes are in season. Bananas are always there. Apples are good.

Pineapple

There is also talk about pineapple. Pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain. In large amounts bromelain can soften the cervix. This can trigger labour early.

You would have to eat a whole lot of pineapple for this to happen. Like many many pineapples. But still many women avoid it. I personally avoided it in my first trimester. I did not want to take any risk. You can eat it later in pregnancy if you want.

Organ Meats

Liver is very nutritious. It has iron and vitamins. But it has too much vitamin A. Vitamin A is good but too much is bad. Too much vitamin A harms the baby.

You can eat liver but very little. Like a small piece once a month. Not every week. Not everyday. Choose chicken or fish instead.

Tea Coffee and Cold Drinks

I know you need your morning tea. I was the same. But you have to limit caffeine. Caffeine goes through the placenta to the baby. It affects baby heart rate. It is also linked to low birth weight.

You can have one small cup of coffee. Or two cups of strong tea. Less than two hundred milligrams per day. Remember chocolate also has caffeine. Cold drinks like cola also have caffeine. So count all of these.

I switched to green tea sometimes. Or just had one cup of milk tea in the morning. It was hard but I managed.

Alcohol

This is simple. No alcohol. None. Not even a little. Alcohol causes birth defects. It causes fetal alcohol syndrome. This means the baby has learning problems. Growth is affected. There is no safe amount. So just do not drink.

Street Food

Oh the struggle is real. When you are pregnant you crave all the things you should not eat. Gol gappe. Dahi bhalle. Chowmein. Samosas. The smell gets to you.

But street food is risky. You do not know how clean the water is. You do not know how fresh the ingredients are. The oil may be reused many times. The spices can give you heartburn.

I know it is hard. I used to crave gol gappe so much. My husband would bring me packets from the store and I would make them at home. It was not the same but it was safer. You can do this too. Make your favorite street foods at home.

Related: Foods To Avoid During Early Pregnancy First Trimester

Fenugreek or Methi

Methi is used in many Indian dishes. It is also used as medicine. During first trimester you should be careful. Methi has chemicals that can make your uterus contract. It can also lower blood sugar. If you have diabetes or low sugar be extra careful.

You can eat a little in food. Like a few leaves in dal. But do not take methi seeds as medicine. Do not eat too much.

Tulsi or Holy Basil

Tulsi is very healthy normally. But during early pregnancy some doctors say avoid it. Tulsi can thin your blood. It can also cause uterine contractions. It is better to avoid tulsi in these three months. You can start having it later.

Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables

This is a simple one. Wash everything before eating. Fruits grow in soil. Soil has germs. There may be pesticide on the skin. Scrub potatoes and carrots. Peel apples and pears. Wash greens well. This removes most of the bad stuff.

What I Did When I Was Pregnant?

Let me tell you what I did during my first trimester. I was very careful. I did not eat outside food. I made everything at home. I boiled milk every morning. I washed all vegetables twice. I cooked eggs fully. I did not eat raw papaya or pineapple. I reduced my tea to one cup. No alcohol obviously.

I ate small meals often because I was feeling sick. I kept biscuits near my bed. I ate them before getting up. This helped with nausea. I drank a lot of water.

I listened to my body. If something did not feel right I did not eat it. I asked my doctor about everything. She was very helpful. She told me what was safe and what was not.

Every pregnancy is different. What worked for me might not work for you. But these are the basic rules that everyone should follow.

Signs That Something Is Wrong

Sometimes you might eat something and feel unwell. You should know what to look for. Fever is a sign. Stomach pain is a sign. Vomiting is a sign. Loose motions are a sign.

If you have any of these call your doctor. Do not wait. Do not take medicines on your own. Let the doctor tell you what to do. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Foods You Should Eat

I have told you what not to eat. But you also need to know what to eat. Eat fruits. Eat vegetables. Eat whole grains. Eat good protein. Chicken is good. Fish is good. Dal is good. Eggs are good.

Eat things rich in folic acid. This is very important in first trimester. Green leafy vegetables have folic acid. Spinach is good. Methi leaves are good. But wash them well.

Eat iron rich foods. Your blood volume increases during pregnancy. You need iron. Red meat has iron. Spinach has iron. Apples have iron. Eat these.

Eat calcium rich foods. Your baby needs calcium for bones. Milk has calcium. Curd has calcium. Paneer has calcium and foods to avoid during first trimester.

Conclusion

Being pregnant is a beautiful thing. But it comes with responsibility. The first three months are the most important for your baby's development. You need to be careful about what you eat.

Do not eat raw eggs. Do not eat raw meat. Do not drink raw milk. Avoid unripe papaya and pineapple. Limit caffeine. No alcohol. Be careful with street food.

Follow good habits. Wash your hands. Wash your vegetables. Cook food properly. Eat small meals. Drink water.

I know it is hard sometimes. You crave things you cannot have. But think about your baby. This is a small sacrifice for their health. It is only three months. You can do this.

Talk to your doctor. Talk to your mother. Talk to your friends who have had babies. Get all the advice you can. But in the end follow what your doctor says. They know best.

And take care of yourself. Rest when you feel tired. Eat when you are hungry. Your body is doing a big job. You need to support it.