Pregnancy can sometimes cause odd cravings (pickles and ice cream?) or an insatiable appetite. And while it’s important to your developing baby to eat a healthy diet, there may be some foods you enjoyed before you got pregnant that you should avoid for now.
Pregnant women are especially susceptible to foodborne illness and certain bacteria and viruses such as listeria and salmonella can have a devastating effect on your pregnancy and your baby. For this reason, there are certain foods such as hotdogs, deli meats, unpasteurized juices and dairy products, raw fish and eggs and undercooked meat that need to be limited or avoided during pregnancy. For a full list of foods to avoid and food safety advice, refer to Health Canada’s Safe Food for Pregnant Women.
Health Canada recommends that women who are planning to become pregnant, pregnant, pr breastfeeding should limit caffeine intake to 300 mg per day. For more information about caffeine and it's sources visit Health Canada's website.