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Food & Medicine to avoid during pregnancy
poshniallo
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi.
My wife and I are trying for a baby, and just today she took tylenol for a headache (her period is a bit late, but we're not getting our hopes up at our age) (paracetamol/acetominophen) and then we wondered - Is that OK?
Some net-digging seemed to say that paracetamol is OK, aspirin so-so, and ibuprofen not a good idea. Is that right?
And what other medicines might be dodgy? She's Japanese, and they take medicine for pretty minor things. For all I know cream for a skin-rash might be bad.
In the same vein, what about food and drink? I started looking, and then realised that people seem to think just about everything is bad. There seems to be a real culture of 'pregnant women are incredibly fragile' around, which I'm a bit sceptical of. Women seem to be expected to cut so much out of their life, and it wasn't always that way.
Of course, infant mortality was a lot worse in the old days, so is all this worry about eggs, fish etc modern faddism or good science?
Cheers.
My wife and I are trying for a baby, and just today she took tylenol for a headache (her period is a bit late, but we're not getting our hopes up at our age) (paracetamol/acetominophen) and then we wondered - Is that OK?
Some net-digging seemed to say that paracetamol is OK, aspirin so-so, and ibuprofen not a good idea. Is that right?
And what other medicines might be dodgy? She's Japanese, and they take medicine for pretty minor things. For all I know cream for a skin-rash might be bad.
In the same vein, what about food and drink? I started looking, and then realised that people seem to think just about everything is bad. There seems to be a real culture of 'pregnant women are incredibly fragile' around, which I'm a bit sceptical of. Women seem to be expected to cut so much out of their life, and it wasn't always that way.
Of course, infant mortality was a lot worse in the old days, so is all this worry about eggs, fish etc modern faddism or good science?
Cheers.
I figure I could take a bear.
poshniallo on
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You want to limit fish intake, especially of top predator/top of the food chain fish like tuna. It's otherwise a pretty healthy foodsource, and in small amounts it wont pose a huge threat to the fetus, but mercury contamination is definitely something to worry about, if only a little.
However, one study I've read concludes that the benefit to mother/unborn of Omega-3's from fish outweigh the risks of contamination, so if fish is important, at least try to stick to the ones that are lower on the food chain.
I hear bad things about eating lots of carrots during pregnancy. Caffeine bad, too. Uh, does anyone know anything about the goitrogens in things like sweet potatoes & rutabagas and how that affects the unborn?
- caffeine, in excess of what you would get from one coffee/chocolate bar a day. Small amounts are fine.
- fish that can have high mercury levels, as mentioned
- chamomile (tea)
- processed meats (deli meats, pepperoni, hot dogs, bacon, etc.), limited but did not cut out completely
We also cooked meats a bit more than normal, in particular pork, to lower the chance of food poisoning.
We don't take medication unless prescribed for a significant ailment, so I can't comment on over the counter drugs. Anything your wife consumes is going to make it to the baby in some form, so if she can cut out all non-essential medications that would probably be best. Or just check with your doctor.
a good rule of thumb for if something is safe for a pregnant lady is if it's safe for kids, if there a warning or it's contraindicated for kids, then she should ask her GYN what to do (if it's safe, or if there is a better alternative).
if she takes a lot of OTC medicines, then she really should talk to her GYN about them. if you're serious about having a kid, air these questions to an OBGYN.
the FDA line on children and pregnant women and fish: they should avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish due to possible high mercury levels; they should eat no more than 12 oz. of low mercury fish/shellfish per week (including canned light tuna); no more than 6 oz. of canned albacore tuna per week (it has more mercury than canned light tuna). Here's a list of fish/shellfish classified by the level of mercury present: http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp
I'll pass on what my wifes OBGYN said about various other foods.
Caffeine: limit to one unit per day
Alcohol: if consumed take with food, and limit to one unit per day
Chocolate: treat one serving like it's one unit of caffeine
Raw meat: avoid
Unpastuerized Dairy products: avoid
Especially reduce exposure to anything questionable during 1st trimester as that stage has highest risk of miscarriage.
If she talks to an OBGYN, they are going to talk about risk. Consuming things like alcohol, raw meats, unpastuerized dairy products carry a risk that is pretty much absent if she chooses not to consume them. Whether she can have the occaisional half-glass of wine or lox on her bagel is for yall to decide. For anyone thinking that these things must absolutely avoided, I would draw their attention to Japan and France.
She should supplement her diet with folate/folic acid, and DHA.
Asking an OB/GYN is well and good but they're usually pretty busy and if you're sitting there with a bottle of pills in your hand wondering if they're okay for your wife to take, it can be annoying having to wait hours for an OB to get back to you. You can just call your favorite local pharmacy and get a pharmacist on the line within minutes, and pharmacists know just as much as physicians (if not more) about medicine safety and side effects.
Extra bonus points if you always get your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy, that way they can look up your history in the computer and make sure you're not taking anything that interacts badly with your prescription medications.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Also here is the website for Motherisk with a variety of meds and if they are safe or not:
http://www.motherisk.org/women/drugs.jsp;jsessionid=578C25870A6437D6C9902D1D9F7F5CA8
As for foods some have already been mentioned:
- Avoiding processed meats as much as possible.
- Raw meats (such as sushi) should be avoided. (As an aside, Ontario (not sure if it's all of Canada) does have food regulations that all fresh raw meat needs to be frozen for a certain amount of time which kills any bacteria or parasites which are the cause of concern.)
- Small amounts of caffeine are fine.
- Fish with high mercury levels.
- Folic Acid is very important. to quote the Canada food guide: "Good or excellent sources of folic acid (called folate when it is naturally occurring in foods) include dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, peas and brussel sprouts), corn, dried peas, beans, lentils, oranges and orange juice. Whole grain breads and foods fortified with folic acid also provide significant amounts of the vitamin."
- It's generally advisable to have meats cooked well done.
Not related to food but if she has cats it's usually advisable for her not to clean the cat litter if she is pregnant or to wear gloves while doing so due to toxoplasmosis (albeit it seems most sources say it's a small chance that it will be a problem).
Ground Flax seed and yogurt makes a tasty and filling breakfast, and has more Omega-3's per serving than fish oil supplements. You can find it at most health food stores, and Costco sells a large container of it for 10.00.
Listen, most 'high risk foods' aren't - the odds of catching shellfish toxins or whatever the fuck is in unpastuerised blue cheese are insanely low. The mercury thing is probably the only one worth paying attention to, and even then you may both be getting a higher dose of icky badness (not mercury, but other stuff) from city air.
A healthy diet following any half-decent government's nutrition guidelines (lots of fresh foods and whole grains, don't fry things, dip them in sugar, and wash them down with a pint of spirits, etc etc) plus maybe a folate supplement is all you need. Both of you, mind, because that stuff is good for you whether you're trying to grow a mini-me or not, and you'll need your energy
Don't let people scare you out of the fad Evil Food Of The Month, most of that stuff is pretty much unjustifiable, given that the biggest statistical danger to your lady and her pregnancy is actually traffic accidents. Well, those roughly tie with domestic violence in terms of risk, but that's just statistically. You seem nice :P
Secondly, OTC medications wouldn't be OTC if they had a shadow of a chance of affecting a fetus even when mildly abused. Even suggested doubts about a drug's effect on the unborn will lead it to be taken off the OTC list, and there will be big honkin' warnings all over the packaging. Medical authorities are wicked paranoid about that kind of thing, especially since good old thalidomide. Paracetamol won't hurt.
HOWEVER. Herbal remedies aren't as closely regulated as pharma medicine, and some are very much contraindicated for pregnant women who want to stay pregnant. Don't just buy herbal shit because you think its safer - if you think you want to try alternative medicine, see a well qualified practitioner with a good reputation first, and make sure they know you're aiming for kids. In addiction, some acupunture points need to be avoided, because they stimulate oxytocin production, which in turn helps induce labour when pregnant (when you're not, it just makes you feel good). You don't want that happening at 4 months. If she goes for the needling, the practitioner again needs to be qualified and experienced, and you need to make sure they know she's either pregnant or aiming for it. Sign of competence: they ask first!
Thanks - good advice about the herbalism and acupuncture - both are considered pretty mainstream here, so my wife might take them without worrying about it.
We eat a LOT of fish, so the mercury worries us. I need to read up on how much fish and what kinds are best, as she needs protein, of course, and replacing it with meat wouldn't work well.
I'm 5 months preggo myself and really my body craves or rejects the foods I should or shouldn't be eating. AN example, I love Chinese (and any asian food really) the baby does not. Even though I could eat it 3 meals a day I haven't been able to eat but twice in 5 months and both times didn't taste that great.
When I was pregnant with my first daughter i had a period of 3 weeks where i craved bananas. I couldn't get enough of them. Doesn't sound too weird right? It was for me. I hate Bananas and think it's the most disgusting think a person can eat. However my body must have been low on Potassium so I loved them. One day I literally went from eating 3 a day to the next where I took one bite and nearly threw up.
There's lots of good advice and info out there but in the long run, people have been having babies for hundreds of years. Don't sweat it too much.
After she's confirmed pregnant schedule that first pre-natal checkup and they will help you out on what to avoid.
Good luck and enjoy! Kids are great!
I would imagine the US government has a site like this but since I'm in Canada I can link you to the governments Health Canada info on how much fish, which are best, etc.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/environ/mercur/cons-adv-etud_e.html
General Discomforts
Tylenol/Acetaminophen (regular or extra strength)
Bengay or Icy Hot
No Ibuprofen or Aspirin
Allergies
Actifed
Chlortrimeton
Benadryl
Cold Symptoms
Sudafed
Robitussin
Chlorosepic spray
throat lozenges
Vicks vapor rub
normal saline drops
Constipation
Metamucil or Citricel
Colace
Milk of Magnesia
Mild Diarrhea
Kaopectate
Immodium
Heartburn
Mylanta or Maalox
Tums
Gaviscon
Hemorrhoids
Preparation H or Anusol HC
Dibucaine ointment
Tucks or Witch Hazel
Itchy Skin
Calamine Lotion
Benadryl
Aveeno bath products
Nausea
Emetrol
Vitamin B-6 alone, less than 200mg per day
Vitamin B-6 25-50mg and half tablet of Unisom (sleeping pill)
Seabands
Yeast Infections
Monistat Cream or Gyne Lotrimin
I hope this helps! Good luck!
That's very useful - a couple of them she takes sometimes (Japanese people take pills at the drop of a hat, quite shocking to a Brit) so it's good to know they're OK.
As for the food stuff, I'm starting to realise how different our food culture is (we live in Japan), so I think we're also going to have to ask some Japanese docs or websites what they say. For example, raw shellfish is a pretty everyday food for my wife, and there are various fermented/preserved seafood and vegetable products (natto, miso, tsukemono, battera and loads of random stuff) that Americans wouldn't eat. I mean, for all I know, Japanese docs say avoid raw shellfish during pregnancy too, or they think its normality in our diet means we have a resistance... God knows.
I am learning tons though, so thanks everyone.