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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.
When you're 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. Women are advised to start taking these supplements from the time they stop using contraception because folic acid is particularly important in early pregnancy. 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.
It's fine to eat sushi, and other dishes made with raw fish, when you're pregnant as long as the fish used to make it has been frozen first. This is because occasionally fish contains small worms called parasites, which could make you ill. Freezing kills the worms and makes raw fish safe to eat. Sushi sold in shops or restaurants, whether it's ready-made or made in the shop, should be fine to eat. This is because the raw fish the shop uses to make sushi must have been frozen at minus 20°C for at least 24 hours. If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least 24 hours before using it. Some raw fish used to make sushi, such as smoked salmon, doesn't need to be frozen before it's used. This is because smoking kills any worms in the fish. Other methods, such as salting or pickling, are also used to make raw foods safe to eat.
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 trying for a baby or pregnant, apart from shark and marlin. When you’re breastfeeding, the recommendations are the same as those for all adults, you should eat no more than one portion of shark or marlin a week.
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.
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 may 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:
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, these and other cheeses such as Camembert or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), that have a similar rind, provided it has been properly cooked and is steaming hot all the way through.
You should avoid oysters and other shellfish while you're pregnant, unless they have been thoroughly cooked. This is because, when they are raw, these types of seafood might be contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses or toxins and could make you ill. These germs are usually killed by proper cooking, but if toxins are present they won't be removed by cooking. Salmonella and campylobacter, which are the most common germs that cause food poisoning, might make you ill, but it's unlikely that they will have any direct effects on your baby. It's unusual for shellfish to contain listeria, a type of food poisoning bacteria that can harm unborn babies. If you're concerned about eating shellfish, you might choose to avoid them when you're pregnant.
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.
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.
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 pâtè. 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.
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.
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 cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), and others that have a similar rind, 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.
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.
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