Healthy Drinking During Pregnancy

If you are planning to get pregnant, you would have realised the diet changes and food sacrifices you would have to make. Now that you’re done with revising your list of foods to avoid, here is another list because not only do you have to watch what you eat but also what you drink!

Some drinks have to be avoided as they are dangerous when consumed during pregnancy, whereas others need not be dangerous yet harmful. Whatever the case, every item always has a healthier substitute!

Drink up, Mummy!

Here are some items you must avoid drinking:

Avoid Agave Nectar, which is basically a sweetener which is used for beverages such as mock-tails, smoothies and iced drinks. Agave nectar or popularly known as agave syrup, could cause uterine contractions which could be very injurious for you and your baby’s health. You could always avoid this substance by substituting it with other sweeteners.

Avoid unpasteurised or freshly squeezed cider or juice like orange, cranberry, or any other, as they can contaminated with E. Coli Bacteria. Always drink packaged juice with the term “pasteurised” on the label, or you could always bring fresh juice to a boil (for one minute) before drinking.

Avoid unpasteurised milk or raw milk, as it contains contaminating bacteria. Buy commercial milk which has the “pasteurised” label on it at all times during pregnancy.

Avoid stimulants like tea, coffee and other soft drinks replace them with pasteurised milk or water instead. Caffeine particularly is very unsafe, as it crosses the placenta, increasing your baby’s heart rate and slowing his growth. Even if you cannot avoid it, try your best to limit your intake to 200 mg maximum, or better yet choose decaf products instead.

Reference:
Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition For Dummies by Tara Gidus
Contributed by Lorraine Bangera