What foods/drink are you avoiding? Supplements?

[debra_lea]

I'm curious, what foods/drink are you avoiding? What supplements are you taking?

My midwife gave me a list with my DS, but that was years ago and I can't find it. Last night when we went out to dinner I was trying to rack my brain making sure I remembered everything on the "no" list. I'm sure I can look it up online while I wait for my 9 week appointment, but I thought it would be fun to hear what different people have been told by their health care provider.

Avoiding:
Lunch meat
soft cheeses (only unpasturized?)
shellfish, raw fish
albacore tuna
Down to 1-2 cup of coffee/tea

Taking:
prenatal
DHA

[gizzyntaz]

I'm avoiding just about everything right now because I have such strong food aversions! :( As far as the duration of the pregnancy:

- caffeine
- raw fish
- alcohol (that's the toughest!)

I think the lunchmeat thing is overrated, so if I want it, I'm going to eat it. I'll also eat all the cheese I want. I'll try to limit the tuna sandwiches to once per week. I'm trying to eat less sugar and refined carbs than I do when I'm not pregnant, and as high protein as I can.

Supplements:
-Prenatal vitamin
-50 mg B6
-Calcium supplement (I'm going to drop these when the bottle runs out because I have increased my dairy intake)
-Magnesium supplement (I'm going to drop these when the bottle runs out because I have increased my dairy intake)
-Fiber supplement (I started this when I was pregnant with DS, and it really helps me)

[LacieD]

Avoiding:
caffeine
alcohol
lunch meat
medium or rarer meat

Supplements:
prenatal
extra calcium/magnesium
50mg B6 if my nausea gets bad

I may also start a DHA supplement if I can find one that's not fishy - possibly Expecta? I was prescribed Duet prenatals with DHA but they're hella expensive!

[moodyred01]

Last time I didn't pay much attention to any of the warnings... I ate sushi on my birthday (from a well known reputable restaurant that I had frequented) drank caffeine (Dr. Pepper was my BIGGESGT craving), had brie cheese and even had a couple of glasses of champagne and a beer or two over time.


This time...

Avoiding:
Ibuprofen (the heart defect thing scares me)
Alcohol (unless I am very near my due date)
Refined Sugar (fewer donuts this time, I hope!)

Breaking the rules:
lunch meat
some caffeine

Taking:
I'm gonna try to take my prenatals this time but usually I just try really hard to eat the right foods... this time that will be more difficult since I am in school!

[major bedhead]

Avoiding: fish ( I should eat it, and I will later, but right now it just turns my stomach), alcohol, excess caffeine, soft unpasturized cheese, excess sugar.

Supplements: prenatal vitamin
1 mg folic acid
low-dose aspirin (to prevent clotting issues)
calcium
prescription iron supplement (uggg.....the worst!)

Mostly, I'm trying to ensure I eat well. I'm craving fruits and veggies, which is good, and I've had no trouble cutting sugars and alcohol out of my diet. I'm also allowing myself my morning coffee; I'm sure one cup will be ok.

[cbmr777]

I asked on the other thing but what is the deal with luncheon meat? Curious since I've eaten it twice since being pregnant.

Anyway, avoiding:
alcohol
shellfish
medium/rare meats


"breaking the rules":
Pepsi (what coffee is to some people, Pepsi is to me. I don't drink tea or coffee... but instead of drinking a 12 pack within 2 days, I'm limiting myself to 1 glass.)

Supplements:
Prenatal vit.
Omega 3 purified fish oil
B-complex


I don't have a MW yet, so I may be adding more to the lists when I get one. :)

[rach03]

I never heard the lunch meat thing until after my last pregnancy...someone told me that to ensure the meat is free of bacteria you have to heat it up...yuck, hot lunch meat? I think I'll pass!

Avoiding:
caffine
raw/undercooked meat
soft unpasteurized cheeses
alcohol
sugar subsitutes
any medications but Tylenol

Supplements:
Prenatal vitamin
Extra calcium
Soy protein shakes
Ground flaxseed

[danaalex]

my plan is to eat like i usually do. i don't do coffee or things like that, and caffeine free is fine. i don't normally eat soft cheeses or raw fish :)

for supplements i'm taking mulitvit 2x/ day, flax seed oil 2x/ day, and b6-- which i'm switching back to b complex i think. i'm hoping the b6 helps keep the nausea and vomitting at bay. i was sick for 16 weeks with number 3.

[lunamegn]

I know I'm not supposed to eat sushi but it sounds sooooooo good right now. Yummy. It's one of the few things that sound good.

I'm taking my prenatal vitamins, drinking super food smoothies my awesome dh has been making and really making an effort to drink lots of water and to get my recommended daily amount of protein (80 grams seems like a lot!)

[MCsMom]

I am eating my normal diet. But I am avoiding alcohol. I already avoid white sugar, white flour, processed foods of all kinds. I am trying to keep my coffee consumption down (my one big vice). I have been trying to follow a combination of the WAPF pregnancy diet and the Brewers Diet. I must say, I feel wonderful.

I do take a prenatal, Cod Liver Oil, and Sodium Ascorbate Vit C daily.

[pianojazzgirl]

I do take a prenatal, Cod Liver Oil, and Sodium Ascorbate Vit C daily.

Mama - just wanted to let you know - I've been doing a lot of research about fish oil during pg and I've learned through various sources (online) that it is not a good idea to take fish oils produced from the liver of the fish because they contain high amounts of vit A (too much vit A is not good during pg). Instead it's recommended that you take fish oil made from the flesh of fish. The one I'm taking is http://www.healthfromthesea.ca/en/mega-omega-plus-lipase-30-20.html

[lnitti]

Mama - just wanted to let you know - I've been doing a lot of research about fish oil during pg and I've learned through various sources (online) that it is not a good idea to take fish oils produced from the liver of the fish because they contain high amounts of vit A (too much vit A is not good during pg). Instead it's recommended that you take fish oil made from the flesh of fish. The one I'm taking is http://www.healthfromthesea.ca/en/mega-omega-plus-lipase-30-20.html

Now that totally depends on who you get your data from:
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html

Here is a quote:

Vitamin A Dosage

We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated. While some forms of synthetic vitamin A found in supplements can be toxic at only moderately high doses, fat-soluble vitamin A naturally found in foods like cod liver oil, liver, and butterfat is safe at up to ten times the doses of water-soluble, solidified, and emulsified vitamin A found in some supplements that produce toxicity.(1) Additionally, the vitamin D found in cod liver oil and butterfat from pasture-raised animals protects against vitamin A toxicity, and allows one to consume a much higher amount of vitamin A before it becomes toxic.(1-3) Liver from land mammals is high in vitamin A but low in vitamin D, and should therefore be consumed with other vitamin D-rich foods such as lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, egg yolks, and oily fish, or during months in which UV-B light is sufficient to provide one with adequate vitamin D.

As a general guideline, we recommend the following doses of vitamin A from cod liver oil, along with a nutrient-dense diet that contains other vitamin A-rich foods:

Children age 3 months to 12 years: A dose of cod liver oil that provides about 5000 IU vitamin A daily
Children over 12 years and adults: A maintenance dose of cod liver oil that provides about 10,000 IU vitamin A daily
Pregnant and nursing women: A dose of cod liver oil that provides about 20,000 IU vitamin A daily

Individuals under stress or wishing to use cod liver oil to treat a disease condition may take much larger doses, even up to 90,000 IU vitamin A per day, for a period of several weeks.

[pianojazzgirl]

Thanks for the info Initti. :) I don't even remember where I read to avoid fish liver oils - I came across that advice in several articles I read when I was researching fish oil in general. Good to know that it isn't necessary, and that in fact much higher doses of vit A are safe if from a natural source. Very interesting! Thanks again!

[dctexan]

AVOIDING
soft cheeses
raw/undercooked meat & fish
deli meat
hotdogs
smoked meats/meat spreads
raw/undercooked eggs
alcohol
all meds other than prenatal vit & my allergy pill (Claritin - tried to go without it and the postnasal drip made me soooooo sick)
unpasterized juice or dairy
saccharin
bean spouts
any fish that might be high in mercury (Grouper, Marlin, Orange roughy, Tilefish, Swordfish, Shark, Mackerel, Saltwater Bass, Croaker, Halibut,
Tuna, Saltwater Trout, Bluefish, & Lobster)

I am minimizing, but not avoiding, caffeine. Some days when I am feeling really sick, a coke is the only thing that helps.