When you were pregnant, were there any food, drinks or habits you no longer did?

When I was pregnant, none of this was even heard of and all our kids were OK.

We ate smoked salmon, soft cheese, drank, smoked or whatever else we wanted to.

I think nowadays it is almost madness with all these rules and things that are good and bad for you.

I don't even know why you cannot eat these things -what is supposed to happen if you eat them?

by Finy

Food poisoning, mostly, which can be deadly for babies.

Reminds me of "coddled eggs" for babies - my baby was always given very soft boiled eggs with breadcrumbs and even WeetaBix crushed pretty finely and the soft eggs (and a knob of butter) mixed through and given to baby whilst still warm. My family are now horrified that I would have given that to a baby because of the threat of salmonella in undercooked or "soft boiled" eggs. Maybe in my day we didn't worry so much because a lot of the eggs were NOT free range - maybe they were full of antibiotics and prewashed or something but I never experienced a sick baby because of the way eggs were served. What do other people think ?

I have seen so many versions of what you should and shouldn't eat during pregnancy and having lived in the UK and Australia, the list seems to vary. My friend who was pregnant when I was who lived in Canada had a different list again.

For me, I avoided alcohol, and I steered clear of raw eggs and unpasteurised cheeses. I didn't go mad about it, instead just tried to take a sensible approach. For some of the food items that they advise you to not eat, it's largely due to the risk of listeria which can be present in these foods (more than others).

I think you can take it a step too far though, so I think it's an idea to be cautious but to also relax and enjoy your pregnancy

by helenonthesofa

I was so ill through out my entire pregnancy,that any thing I could keep down was considered a bonus!!! My son was born a healthy pink 7 lb 12 oz,while I was actually skin and bone after the ordeal!!!

by Jules

I lost a baby to listeria poisoning, he was stillborn. Listeria is supposedly found in white / soft cheeses, chicken, and sushi, but it's also found in soil, so it's common in salads with leaves in them. We suspect that's where I got it from.

I couldn't eat sushi in any of my pregnancies after that but it was purely emotional. I think we should eat healthy food all the time, not just during pregnancy.

I think there is entirely too much panic about what pregnant women can and can't to. They shouldn't have a glass of wine, but hospitals dish out major narcotics to labouring women!? It's ridiculous. Common sense has to prevail soon because the pregnancy police make me quiver with rage.

by meggf

I took great care what I ate and did all the right things, for the time.

by jonaja

Jonah -miss your picture!!

oops :( sorry

Biddy Shining

This is something I have wondered about as someone who would eventually like to start a family - I have wondered about the women who don't know they are pregnant and continue on eating whatever they want and seem to have healthy happy babies

by AJ

I ate completely organic food - the baby's brain and overall development are dependent on all those nutrients, so why not give them the very best from the start?

by Lucy

Sure, I was turned off chocolate for a while and also stopped my wine. I was careful with the cat and soft cheeses and cured meats.

by Vee

During my second pregancy tea tasted disgusting to me so I stopped drinking it. I also couldn't stand the smell of onions so I didn't eat anything with them in. I avoided soft cheeses because that was pretty easy to do but lots of stuff they tell you not to eat (sushi, smallgoods...) I don't eat anyway. I refused to give up nuts because they're a major source of protein for me and I don't believe that eating nuts during pregnancy is an issue if you haven't got allergies in the family.

by Jennifer Muirhead

I've never heard that you're not supposed to eat nuts...that's just, well, nuts to me!

Maybe it's a new thing. I was also told not to eat them while breastfeeding but I ignored that too.

When I was pregnant I had to give up coffee, it was terrible! My first cup of coffee after my son was born was the best cup ever!

by carolyncordon

I really tried to just take a sensible approach. I stopped drinking an entire bottle of bundy over the course of a weekend. I didn't eat from buffets unless I was sure the food was really fresh. I didn't eat anything which made me feel ill - which included salad and meat. I went off coffee for the first 18 weeks or so, but my taste for it came back then so I started drinking it again (exact same thing happened during my second pregnancy!). I simply tried to stick to a reasonable and healthy diet. I did stop eating soft cheeses - but too much of those aren't really all that good for you anyway (too much salt and fat) and I didn't feel deprived.

by lizzi

I ate everything. Some foods gave me heartburn though so I had to take a lot of Tums.

by Gia

NO alcohol! Drank 'Maison' instead (grape juice). Always ate healthily, including glass of juice, fresh from my juicer, every morning! Didn't eat ANYTHING that was on no-go list. I'm not a smoker.
Had, with both First Trimesters', an absolute abhorrence of red meat, in any way whatsoever! But never had morning sickness, either pregnancy!
My son was 9lbs & my daughter, 8lbs! Both very healthy bubs, thank God!

by donjo

Quit drinking. Kept smoking. Both kids turned out healthy and smart.

by Polly

When I was pregnant, I didn't have alcohol, or processed meats and probably tried to stay away from cheese.

by Diana Nairn