Are You Pregnant During Christmas? Here's What To Eat And Drink
The Christmas season can be such an exciting one. There are multiple parties to attend, from work gatherings to family gatherings and everything else in between. Then there are the people you may need or want to visit, and the presents you want to buy and look forward to receiving.
Most of your activities for the season are going to involve food and drinks. If it's your first time being pregnant, especially at Christmas, you may be a bit unsure about how to approach food and drink choices. You may also be getting conflicting advice on what to eat and drink. So we have put together the latest advice on eating and drinking during pregnancy for you to use as a guide.
Nuts
All nuts are safe during pregnancy. One study showed that women who ate nuts actually had a 20 to 25% decrease in their child being diagnosed with asthma within their first 18 months of life.
Cheeses
Safe cheeses are those made from pasteurized milk and that are cooked well. The calcium found in cheese is good for the bone development of your baby. While it's true that some cheeses should be avoided during pregnancy, there are still a lot of cheeses you CAN eat.
Enjoy all hard cheeses, even those made of unpasteurized milk. These include:
Cheddar
Gouda
Emmental
Edam
Enjoy all soft cheeses made with pasteurized cheeses except mold ripened ones. Cheeses that are safe to eat in this category include;
Cream Cheese
Mozzarella
Cottage Cheese
Feta
Avoid mold-ripened soft cheeses. These may contain Listeria but with thorough cooking they will be safe to eat. Cooking thoroughly means you have to cook these cheeses until they are piping hot. Here are a few of these cheeses;
Danish Blue
Camembert
Brie
Avoid uncooked mold ripened goat cheese known as Chevre. It is safe to eat if cooked for example in a cheese tart or on a pizza.
Avoid goat’s cheese without the white rind.
Meats
Meats that are cooked well are safe to eat while pregnant. Cold cured meats and undercooked salami, prosciutto, salami, beef, chorizo and pepperoni may contain toxoplasmosis. This bacteria can affect a baby’s development if consumed during pregnancy.
Fish
Fish is a great choice as it is a rich source of vitamins and minerals for both you and your baby. You should consume at least two portions of fisher power week with Salmon and Trout being safe for meeting your oily fish requirements. Pre-cooked prawns and cooked shellfish are safe to eat as well.
Avoid fish such as Marlin, Swordfish and Shark. These are higher in mercury than other fish and high amounts of mercury can have a negative effect on your baby’s nervous system. Reach out to your health provider about what types of fish to avoid and eat as well.
Eggs
Foods containing raw eggs include homemade mayonnaise, mousse and tiramisu. It is unlikely for cooked eggs and food containing eggs to have salmonella but it is possible. While this bacteria won’t harm your developing baby, it can make you sick with diarrhea and vomiting.
If you want to stay on the safe side, only consume eggs and egg dishes that are fully cooked.
Pâté and Haggis
This can contain liver which is high in Vitamin A. This can have negative effects on your baby’s development. They do have vegetarian versions but both types have been found to contain listeria which is a bacteria that can affect your baby negatively.
Alcohol
Current studies show there is a safe alcohol intake during pregnancy. Remember, alcohol can still cause developmental problems for your baby. You can always enjoy mocktails, as well as a wide range of alcohol-free beers and gin.
Chocolate
You want to keep your eating healthy during pregnancy, but a little chocolate here and there will not be harmful. What you have to look out for when enjoying chocolate is the caffeine content. You want to keep your caffeine intake less than 200mg per day, to help you estimate two chocolates per day are safe. So you can use that to judge your chocolate intake when out enjoying Christmas festivities this season.
Dessert
When it comes to knowing what to avoid, you may need to ask your host about some of the menu items. Ask about which items are homemade, and which items may include alcohol as an ingredient. We recommend avoiding any food with uncooked meringue. Also avoid homemade ice cream and custard.
Outside of what to eat and drink, here is some additional information to guide you when eating this Christmas season.
Temperature Control
Pay attention to how food is served, especially in a buffet situation. Are there appropriate warming stations, warmer baskets and chill trays? Hot foods must be kept hot, even food that has dropped to room temperature can pose a risk.
Left-overs
Leftover meals can be even better, as the flavors get more time to develop. If you will be consuming leftovers from a party, be sure to reheat the food thoroughly. You also want to eat these within a day of cooking. Remember, this food was prepared ahead of the festivities and probably was out all day of the event. Food prepared at home that was stored away as meal prep that never made it to the party can stay around longer and still be safe to eat.
Drink Water
Staying hydrated is super important, and it is easy for you to get carried away with drinks, juices and mocktails when you are out enjoying the Christmas parties and events. Here is your reminder to include water in your consumption. Try keeping water on hand, or grabbing a bottle to take with you so it will always be on hand.
Pamper Yourself
No, we don’t mean pamper yourself with food and drink. We understand that attending multiple events in a week can be hectic, especially if you are in your third trimester and at your heaviest. After each of the Christmas dinners, lunches, parties and gatherings that you attend, be sure to take some time to pamper yourself. This will prevent burnout and will also help refresh you for your next Christmas event. This will also help you to better enjoy each event.
In order to pamper yourself, you may need to leave a party or event before it officially ends. But get that pamper time in, so you can be ready for your next day and next event.
Conclusion
There will be a lot of tempting food available over the holidays for you to partake in. Try to resist the urge to overdo it. This advice goes for even non pregnant individuals. While you need to eat an additional 200 calories per day in your third trimester, this is no excuse for you to pig out. Rather than indulging in heavy meals, eat a little and eat more frequently. This will help to keep heartburn at bay. Enjoy your holidays, eat well and be merry while keeping yourself and the unborn baby safe.