Thanksgiving is a gigantic food-fest, and you can enjoy most of the fare during your pregnancy unless it doesn’t settle well in your stomach. This doesn’t mean you should go crazy and eat everything on the table, however. There are some Thanksgiving foods that should be avoided by pregnant women. Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN lists what they are below and explains why these foods are no-no’s.
Alcohol
The argument that one glass of wine doesn’t hurt during pregnancy is falling flat in new studies, so it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether. It’s also a good idea to avoid caffeinated or sugary beverages, as well, to prevent agitation and an increased risk of pregnancy diabetes.
Desserts
Speaking of sugar and pregnancy diabetes, choose moderation when it’s dessert time. Avoid eating a ton of sweets over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, even though the temptation is there. A small piece of pumpkin pie after the meal is okay, but don’t go crazy.
Salty Foods
Excess salt is also bad for you and your baby, so avoid salty foods. If the stuffing came out of a box, it will have excess salt, as will anything else that isn’t homemade. Don’t salt your food, either, to avoid the puffy legs and feet and blood pressure spike that comes with salt.
Stuffing Inside the Turkey
Don’t eat any of the stuffing that was cooked inside the turkey. Rather, dish yourself some stuffing from the excess that was cooked in a casserole dish. Stuffing cooked inside a turkey has a high risk of bacteria growth that can cause food poisoning, so be safe and avoid it.
Undercooked or Cold Meat
Undercooked turkey can contain the salmonella bacteria. Ingestion of this bacteria causes salmonella poisoning which, in severe cases, can be fatal to you and your baby. Do not eat the turkey if you suspect at all that it is undercooked. Don’t eat it cold the next day, either.
Unpasteurized Dairy
A scary trend took hold some years back and that was consuming unpasteurized dairy again. Like uncooked turkey, unpasteurized dairy can contain salmonella bacteria, but that’s not all. It can also contain E.coli, listeria, cryptosporidium, brucella, and campylobacter, as well.
Unsettling Foods
Finally, don’t be shy to reject any foods on the table that you know will not sit well with you. Perhaps you’ve always loved yams in the past but since you became pregnant, you cannot stomach them. Put you and your baby first and only eat what you feel like eating.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from Eagles Landing OB/GYN in Stockbridge, GA. If you have additional concerns about the Thanksgiving meal, call our office today.
