Foods to avoid when trying to get pregnant
NUTRITION is a key component of general health and well-being and will impact every aspect of a woman’s health, including conception.
In fact, a woman’s diet may impact her ability to conceive a child if she has conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) that impairs ovulation.
Plus, according to obstetrician gynaecologist (ObGyn) Dr Jordan Hardie, consumption of some food items in the pre-conception and early pregnancy period, before a woman even recognises she is pregnant, may increase the risk of having a child with an abnormality.
Dr Hardie said the greatest concern is women consuming from harmful food groups early in their pregnancy, before they realise they are pregnant.
Such foods to avoid include:
High glycaemic index foods
These include sweet drinks and candies. Dr Hardie said women with PCOS should try to limit their intake of simple sugars and instead eat complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat rice and ground provisions. This is important as PCOS increases one’s risk of diabetes and if pregnant, gestational diabetes, which can lead to the full blown disease.
Fish with high mercury content
Examples of these are king, mackerel and marlin. Dr Hardie said high concentrations of mercury can impair the development of the foetal brain and peripheral nervous system and so should be avoided prior to conception and during pregnancy.
Uncooked fish
The ObGyn said sushi should be avoided as this increases the risk of developing illnesses such as listeriosis which can lead to miscarriage.
Dietary supplements with excessive vitamin A
“Dietary intake should be less than 10,000iu (international units) per day. Most multivitamins have a breakdown of the vitamin content on their labels. It is best to avoid multivitamins with greater than 5,000iu per dose,” he said. Dr Hardie added that dietary supplements are also associated with birth defects when taken in excessive amounts early in pregnancy.
Excessive caffeine
Beverages like coffee, teas and caffeinated sodas are on this list.
“Consuming more than 300 milligrams per day, which is approximately three cups of coffee a day in the pre-conception and early first trimester, may increase a woman’s risk of having a miscarriage or having an infant with an abnormality,” Dr Hardie said.
