LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF

EATING SAFELY

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES
ALCOHOL, SMOKING, CAFFEINE AND CANNABIS
MEDICINES/VACCINATIONS
EXERCISING SAFELY
EATING SAFELY
ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS
WHAT TO EAT IN PREGNANCY
Giving up smoking
Safe exercises
Chickenpox (varicella)
TRAVEL
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Viruses, for example, rubella and chickenpox, bacteria, such as listeria, and some parasites, like Toxoplasma gondii, can pass through the placenta which supports and nourishes your baby.

Avoiding salmonella food poisoning

• Cook eggs until both the yolk and the egg are set firm.

Avoid the following while your are pregnant

• Soft, whipped ice cream sold from vans and kiosks.
• Raw or undercooked shellfish.
• Unpasteurised milk from cows, sheep or goats.

The vitamin A problem

Retinol vitamin A may harm your developing baby. Avoid liver and liver päté, which may contain dangerously high levels of the vitamin. And steer clear of vitamin or fish-oil supplements that contain the retinol form of vitamin A.

Guarding against listeria

• Re-heat convenience foods thoroughly.
• Avoid soft, ripened cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, feta cheese, all unpasteurised cheeses, and fresh päté.
• Avoid pies, pastries, poultry, and other cold buffet/picnic foods sold loose - unless they can be thoroughly re-heated.
• Wash all salad ingredients carefully - even pre-packed items.
• Avoid ready-made salads and coleslaw at buffet meals and delicatessen counters.

How to avoid toxoplasmosis

• Wash raw vegetables and store away from other foods.
• Cook meat thoroughly - there should be no pink meat and the juices should run clear.
• Avoid raw meats such as salami and pastrami.
• Wear gloves for gardening and to handle cat litter.
• Ask your GP early in your pregnancy for a blood test to check your immunity to toxoplasmosis.

If you think you have come in contact with toxoplasmosis or listeria, contact your GP or hospital doctor straight away. Infection can be confirmed with a blood test and drug treatment may limit the harm to your baby.

The peanut question

For reasons that are not fully understood, a few people experience severe allergic reactions if they eat even tiny quantities of peanut. Experts believe that this allergy may develop during pregnancy or, less likely, breastfeeding. They feel that the incidence of peanut allergy may be reduced if certain women avoid eating peanuts and peanut products at these times. This does not apply to all mothers. You do not have to avoid peanuts unless you or your partner, or any existing children, suffer from asthma, eczema, hay fever or other allergies.