There are a few fun things to avoid when pregnant, including some foods. Although food is one of the perks when pregnant, you don’t want to eat something that can make you ill or harm the baby. It’s essential to know the facts about which foods to avoid when you’re pregnant. Bottom line is that the best foods you eat need to be freshly cooked or freshly prepared. But try to avoid the following:

Hot Dogs.

As fast and convenient as a hot dog may be, you may want to steer clear of these bad boys. Along with deli meats, these can contain listeria, a harmful foodborne bacterium that can make you severely ill. Pregnant women with a listeria infection can pass this infection to the unborn child and cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and preterm labor.

Soft Cheeses.

Soft cheeses, although incredibly yummy, may also become contaminated with the listeria bacteria. It’s best to avoid cheese like blue cheese, feta, goat, brie, Roquefort camembert, queso Blanco, and fresco.

Artificial Sweeteners.

Found in diet soda, such as sucralose, aspartame, and saccharine. The FDA has approved them as safe for the general public and pregnant women. No studies conclusively show that it’s harmful to humans to consume artificial sweeteners during pregnancy. However, there is a study that found that Saccharin can cross the placenta barrier and be absorbed by the baby and, once there, is slow to leave the system. So, you may want to cut down on that artificial sweetener or substitute fruit juice, milk, or water.

Hibiscus (including tea).

Hibiscus can cause fluctuations in hormone levels which isn’t safe– especially in the First Trimester. Hibiscus Tea can also stimulate menstruation or blood flow to the uterus, which could cause bleeding, cramping, or even early labor! While hibiscus tea offers plenty of health benefits, it’s usually not recommended if you’re pregnant or lactating. Here is a list of teas that do not contain hibiscus and can be consumed safely during pregnancy.

Are you interested in learning more about surrogacy? Give us a call today. We’d love to chat! Also, you can visit www.deliveradream.com to find out more information!