Healthy Eating for Pregnancy

September 19, 2010

{ 75 comments… read them below or add one }

tresa clark July 13, 2011 at 12:38 pm

I didn’t realize just how unhealthy I ate when I was pregnant until I watched the video.

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DMC 4 July 11, 2011 at 9:29 pm

I was not aware of all these foods that should not be cnsumed while pregnate it is good to know

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AMG July 11, 2011 at 12:49 pm

All of the videos were very informational, only they were about three kids to short!!!

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LLM July 8, 2011 at 11:53 am

I learned a lot from the videos about your diet when you are pregnant. I thought that all of the fish and shrimp were bad to eat because of the mercury. I hate over cooked meat and that does not sound good if I ever get pregnant because it taste so bland. These videos are very beneficial for the long run.

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JM2 July 8, 2011 at 8:13 am

I’m so glad I’m a man and can’t get pregnant. On top of morning sickness, having to carry and deliver the baby, they also have to eat overcooked meat, no lunch meats or leftovers unless reheated to steam, and 1 cup of coffee. Mom’s really do deserve an award because if done right, has got to be a form of torture.

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RRJ July 6, 2011 at 10:55 pm

Luckly I don’t have to worry about what not to eat when I am pregnant because I am never having anymore children. I will pass the infomation on to a friend of mine who is expecting.

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HMH2 July 5, 2011 at 9:23 pm

I love these videos – this has been the best chapter yet in our study of Nutrition, in my opinion. I don’t have children yet but I love learning and being educated about what to expect when I am pregnant someday. The information on do’s and don’ts during pregnancy is very helpful. Caffeine is one of those products that I am trying to cut out of my diet for many reasons – this just gives me one more reason.

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JM2 July 8, 2011 at 8:15 am

As a man this chapter has been the worst. Since I don’t have to worry about it I am not finding it as interesting as the other chapters. I know that my wife may get pregnant so it’s important in that respect, but I’m just being honest. I have learned a lot though. Done right, women have a lot more to worry about than I ever thought.

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GYF June 30, 2011 at 3:09 pm

I’m very glad I know this information now, because one day (LONG time from now) I plan to have children. I drink a lot of water as it is already, but probably not 3 liters! That’s a lot. The fish will be a problem for me, because I love it!

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LAF2 June 29, 2011 at 11:26 pm

I knew that cold hogs was bad for you. I had a friend that her daughter got sick and had to stay in the hospital because of eating cold hot dogs.

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RRJ July 6, 2011 at 10:57 pm

I have never let my kids eat cold hot dogs. My little one is so picky about everything that she won’t eat them anyway.

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aak2 June 28, 2011 at 3:25 pm

3 Liters of water a day?! I can’t even drink 8 glasses of water a day. That’s crazy. I have never heard of pregnant ladies not being able to eat left overs. There are so many things they have to watch out for. I am very surprised that most women gain a lot of weight when pregnant. I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about eating fish. I hate it. The third video was very interesting. I have always heard people say that you can have a glass a wine while pregnant. I don’t think I will ever drink a glass of wine will prego. But they said on the video that alcohol is not acceptable.

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HMH2 July 5, 2011 at 9:25 pm

I agree – three liters of water a day is difficult. I know I would be healthier for doing so though. It does seem like the list of do’s and don’ts is growing for pregnant women. I like being educated so that I know what to do, or not to do, when I am pregnant one day. Thank you for your comments.

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laf2 June 25, 2011 at 6:05 pm

I do not drink caffeine to this day, and did not drink it when I was pregnant.

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lfletcher2 June 25, 2011 at 6:02 pm

I quit eating cold hot dogs about 10 years ago when my friends daughter had to go to the hospital after she got sick from eating them. Glad there is a video out telling people about the danger.

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lmp2 June 25, 2011 at 12:58 pm

i wish i would have had this information when i was pregnant. i love fish and shrimp especially. but i heard they were high in mercury so i didn’t eat them because of the health risk for my child. i didn’t even eat tuna and i love it so much as well. and i feel like a douche bag because the whole time i was pregnant with both my children i drank caffeine like it was going out of style. mt dew and Starbucks are my favorite. and i eat raw hot dogs and my steaks med. rare i did so horrible but my babies are thank you jesus.

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JM2 July 8, 2011 at 8:22 am

It’s amazing that we ever evolved past the caveman. They are continually updating whats good and what will kill us. Your comment on your coffee drinking made me think of my parents. I think about how much they smoked in front of us 40 years ago not having a clue they were not only killing themselves but us too. I think the biggest thing I learned in this if my wife gets pregnant or if we make a decision to try, is to research. Then research some more. I didn’t know any of the stuff seen in these videos. I am learning so much in this class.

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LLM July 8, 2011 at 11:51 am

Yeah, I had no idea that some of the seafood was good for you to have. My boss is pregant now and she is totally against eating the fish but now I can tell her what she can eat. She drinks cokes all the time and the caffeine was bad, so now I can inform her of some of the information I learned in this video.

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wjh2 June 23, 2011 at 4:59 pm

I love to eat my hotdogs sraight from the package,very scary news about cold hotdogs. I also was told diet sodas were bad for you when you are pregnant. I guess a small amount isn’t so bad after all.

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lmp2 June 25, 2011 at 1:01 pm

my kids love hot dogs from the package so i defiantly b will start cooking them before they eat them. i haven’t had a soda in three months but before i’ll i would drink was diet soda.

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MRC2 M Cottrell June 22, 2011 at 6:09 pm

One thing that I had a problem with when I was pregnant was giving up a lot of my fish. I love fish and I eat it as often as I can. I like to make fish patty sandwiches and now I know not to use mackerel. I won’t ever be pregnant again but I still care about what I put into my body. I eat a lot of sardines and smoked oysters which are so tasty. It has been eight years since I have had to deal with pregnancy and nutrition. I was once an expert on pregnancy because I have been through it four times.

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C-W March 4, 2011 at 4:59 pm

i didnt realize that lunchmeat could carry disease, or that fish posed so many different threats to the baby. ive always heard that alcohol is a definate no during preagnancy.

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MIA February 24, 2011 at 8:21 pm

I have seen in depth the effects of poor diets in moms to be . They can lead to medical probs for the baby. The info in the video was great becase it tell u to in prove intake of minerials and vit. I didnt know that u need to start increasing before preg to insure u have a helthy baby. M-S

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SRS February 23, 2011 at 3:35 pm

Being pregnant comes with a lot of different responsibilities to ensure your baby will be healthy and you as well. I did not know about hot dogs and cold cuts having listeria. Of course we all know that caffeine is not good for us on a daily basis and especially not women who are pregnant. I was shocked to hear that caffeine can cause miscarriages. I also had no idea that pregnant women should not eat left over’s. I ate a lot of left over’s when I was pregnant with both my children because I was always so busy. 🙁

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aak2 June 28, 2011 at 3:28 pm

There are a lot of responsibilties. The part about caffeine causing miscarriages scares me. I do not have kids yet, but when its the time for me to have kids the caffeine part is going to be very diffulcult. Left overs would be the easy thing for a women to eat.

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B-N February 22, 2011 at 5:19 pm

I’ve been around babies and pregnancy my entire life, and when I watched this video, I never realized what all things can be bad for unborn babies. I knew that smoking and alcohol was bad, but I didn’t know that caffeine was as bad of an influence as it is….

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R-D February 20, 2011 at 1:27 pm

My doctor was very general with his instructions for eating and drinking, but they fell right in line with these videos. Avoid seafood, except for fish with white meat and shrimp; make sure all meats were fully cooked; limit caffine to 1 soft drink a day with plenty of water; and most importantly, take your prenatal vitamins everyday without fail.

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Kayla H February 20, 2011 at 11:30 am

There is so much information for pregnant women to acquire and take into account. Their diets can affect their baby drastically just by the foods they eat. Foods to avoid are soft cheeses, certain fish, hot dogs, lucheon meat, and runny eggs. There are several nutrients that pregnant women need to increase in their diet: folate, iron, B , zinc, calcium, choline, and DHA. Leafy green vegetable, beef, potatoes, banana, chicken, beans, milk, eggs, and salmon are good sources to increase those nutrients. It is safe to eat up to 12 oz of seafood a week. Avoid tilefish, shark, mackrel, sushi, and swordfish. Scallops, shrimp, flounder, clam, and talapia are polluntant free though. Most drinks you enjoyed pre pregnancy are still safe with the exception of alcohol. Some caffeine is ok as well.

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sheila morgan February 20, 2011 at 9:52 am

S-M
According to the video, I ate alot of the wrong things while pregnant. I have always eaten leftovers and cold sandwiches. I am not a big fan of seafood, but did eat tuna, samon, and catfish. I was good on the alcohol and coffee because I am not fond of either one, but Mt Dew is a different story, I did drink some of that. I thought all I had to do was eat healthy and take vitamins.

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S-G February 19, 2011 at 12:34 pm

I knew caffeine was not good for unborn babies, but did not realize it causes miscarriages. These were very informative videos.

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MIA February 24, 2011 at 8:32 pm

I think if I had to do it all over again I would drink less caff during preg. I was lucky that i didnt have any probs with my babies or preg. I didnt increase my minerial before preg either. I think it was becasue ther was not much info in the news or public to premote good healthy preg. M-S

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R-E February 17, 2011 at 9:04 pm

CS-
I did the same, eating healthy is a healthier baby in most cases. I avoided cokes and smoking durning pregnacy, but cant say the same now. It is amazing after we see a healthy baby how we go back to some of our old habits……but with this class I am trying to change some of them

RE

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R-E February 17, 2011 at 9:01 pm

It is so important to eat healthy durning pregnacy because what you eat is what your baby is getting. The placenta does supply nutrients to the baby but it is still important to eat healthy. I did not know that eating oyster’s were not good for the baby….interesting

RE

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E-A February 17, 2011 at 3:42 pm

i loved this video because it is very educative.It is particularly interesting to know that information on healthy eating habits for pregnant women are readily available to the public.I must add that Folic acid is the best vitamin ever!!!

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C-S February 17, 2011 at 9:47 am

Well, that was very interesting, I did not really limit anything during pregnancy, I just tried to maintain a healthy diet. I do not eat a lot of hot dogs so, I know I did not eat a lot during pregnancy. I tried to drink lots of water! I tried to avoid caffeine, but I know I Drank coffee…..:)

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J-W February 15, 2011 at 5:46 pm

Whoa! I didn’t know that caffeine was linked somehow to miscarriage. That’s crazy!

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Madge C November 30, 2010 at 3:05 pm

When women get pregnant things/needs change dramatically. They are eating for 2 …. but more healthy choices need to be made so that mom and baby can be more healthy from the beginning!

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Salvador V. October 8, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Choline to help with a baby’s memory is very new since I have never heard of it. I didn’t realize there were so many restrictions to a pregnant womens diet. No leftovers? That must be a huge inconvienience.

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Holly Bean October 8, 2010 at 6:42 pm

It really surprised what all is bad for a pregnant person to eat. It really surprised me about the hot dogs! This video really taught me alot that I will remember whenever I do decided to have kids. I knew some suff that was in the video because of when my sister was pregnant. I knew about needing to take vitamins, but this video really taught me alot how careful a pregnant woman needs to be.

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Tyler B October 8, 2010 at 12:56 am

Well this video doesnt really do me alot of good but i do plan on having a kid one day and im sure that it will be good for me to know what my wife needs to stay away from while she is pregnant!

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Lacey H. October 7, 2010 at 9:34 pm

So 2 years ago my sister got pregnant and I went with her to her visit and her doctor didn’t tell her about what she could or couldn’t eat. But these videos are really good for women who are wanting to have babies in the future. It helps us to know what we can and can’t eat such as certain kinds of fish and then also lets us know how much water we should be taking in while pregnant. One thing I did know about is how if you don’t take in enough calcium that the baby will take it from your teeth.

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Laken Teague October 6, 2010 at 11:33 pm

This video gives me a good future reference. I know everything to stay away from when I decide to have a kid one day. Seeing all the limits women have to take while pregnant makes me think twice. I am not sure if I want to go through all of that. I love to eat whatever all the time.

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Salvador V. October 8, 2010 at 8:08 pm

Those videos were very descriptive and would be beneficial to any women who was pregnant or has plans to be.

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Taylor B October 6, 2010 at 11:06 pm

Wow! I knew that during pregnancy a woman really needed to increase her intake of iron and calcium and limit her intake of caffeine. But I didn’t know she should avoid raw fish and fish such as sword and shark because of the mercury levels.

I sure didn’t know that a pregnant woman should avoid eating lunch meats, soft cheeses. But I did know that everyone should avoid eating raw cookie dough and unheated leftovers because of the possiblity of ingesting the E. coli bacteria.

Choline was new to me. I’ve never heard of it. Didn’t know you could get that nutrient by eating eggs and that it affected a baby’s memory and learning ability.

A pregnant woman should increase her calcium intake, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcoholic beverages.

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Lacey H. October 7, 2010 at 9:37 pm

One thing I know for sure is that I will be eating some eggs while pregnant so that my baby will have a good memory and have good learning abilities. It’s a real bummer about the raw cookie dough because it is so good but I will not be eating it while pregnant just because it isn’t good for the baby.

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Krysten A October 3, 2010 at 9:03 pm

when i plan to have kids i want to be prepared and take all the vitamins and nutrients needed for the process…it just makes things so much easier.

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J-W February 15, 2011 at 5:47 pm

When you say easier, how so? For the well-being of the baby I’m sure. Does the contractions or labor pains not hurt as bad? Or does the whole 9 months somehow become easier?

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Krysten A October 3, 2010 at 9:02 pm

i’m like everyone else pretty much the hot dogs and lunch meat was a real shocker!!

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MIA February 24, 2011 at 8:35 pm

I am shocked also . I love hot dogs and ate a ton of them while I was preg.
I think it is good for preg women to start early watch n ther diet, M-S

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Lindsey E October 1, 2010 at 1:11 pm

I did not know that there were so many things a pregneant woman should not eat or should be catious of. I new that certain fish should not be eaten but I had no idea about lystera. I did not know that a woman should be catious about eating lunch meats or hot dogs and certain cheeses. I also did not know that a pregneant woman should not have any visisble pink in beef or that your eggs should be cooked throughly. These videos were very imformative on the things a pregneant woman should or should not eat. I am glad I watched these videos for the future.

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BLisenbey October 4, 2011 at 5:17 pm

i too did not realize that lunch meat and hot dogs were bad. thats like all the easy foods to make as quick meals or a snack lol both things pregnant women are a fan of ha

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D Beard September 29, 2010 at 7:31 pm

The hot dogs are surprising to me. When I was pregnant 4 years ago I asked my doctor was there anything to avoid he just told me limits on caffeine. I remember read articles online and was surprised about what you cant eat. Somethings are common sense. Like raw meats, sushi, and Alcohol. Hot dogs are really surprising

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Lindsey E October 1, 2010 at 1:13 pm

I thought hot dogs and cold cut meats were suprising too. I would not have ever thought of something like that being harmful to a growing baby.

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devin ryan September 29, 2010 at 5:35 pm

I’m glad i watched these before I’m pregnant. I knew that foods must be cooked thoroughly and no alcohol or caffeine, but I didn’t know aff of other things like the things pregnant women need to be eating.

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Glen L September 23, 2010 at 10:03 pm

Man im glad im not a wemon no offince but there are alot of rules to go by when you are pregnant. I would never be able to keep up with all of that.Another helpful video for wemon.

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Debora M September 23, 2010 at 5:03 pm

Wow, all I was told when I was pregnant was limited my caffeine intake and take iron. My baby just turned 22 and he turned out just fine. I will sure share this information with my daughter, since she is trying to get pregnant now. Sad day for her because mom will be on her case making sure she is doing everything right. I really am more informed because of these videos.

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Lauren D September 23, 2010 at 12:37 am

The first video I found interesting. I couldn’t believe what they said about raw cookie dough and cold cut meats. I craved cold cuts with crackers and cheese all the time and as for cookie dough it’s always been a favorite. I had a very healthy pregnancy but next time I know what I won’t be eating. It makes me thankful for my healthy baby boy and more aware for the next time I decide to have a child.

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vera, A September 22, 2010 at 11:45 pm

very informative video.i wish i had all this information before i had my baby.i ate everything i craved for.little did i know that some of these things were not good.At least i avoided raw meats and unpasturized dairy products.but thank God he is a very healthy baby.i gotta be more careful next time.!

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Terrie H September 24, 2010 at 8:03 am

I hear you. When I was pregnant, I also ate whatever I wanted to. There were no rules, Like I said earlier, iron was the only requirement. With three of my children it was mexican food, dr. peppers and bananas ice cream. I did get plenty of exercise and took my iron. They are all healthy so far.
I wonder as we go through this chapter. What would they have been like if I had this information to go by then. Would it have changed anything? Today things are so different. Lots of additives to prolong shelf life, chemicals used on produce and fruits. And the only processed foods we ate, werefishsticks and the once a year treat at the state fair. (State Fair corny dogs.) Not to mention 30 years ago we cooked every meal. Eating out was a luxury.

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devin r September 22, 2010 at 11:27 pm

There are so many foods to avoid and so many foods that are recommended! Darn, no shark or swordfish…

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sarina m. September 29, 2010 at 9:45 pm

yah a lot of good food are not good for you but we them anyways and stay way form the food that is good for you b/c it taste bad

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Marcie G September 22, 2010 at 7:30 pm

I was shocked to hear about how to avoid hot dogs, and lunch meat . When i was pregant there was nothing to avoid except alcohol and not very much cafferine. I didn’t have to worry about eggs cause just the smell of them made me sick. This video was very informmative for all soon to be moms.

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vera, A September 22, 2010 at 11:47 pm

its just so hard to avoid certain foods that one craves for

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Lauren D September 23, 2010 at 12:39 am

I agree. I have already had a child and was unaware of this. I’m glad that I will know for next time. The lunch meat totally through me for a loop. I couldn’t believe it.

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Taylor B October 6, 2010 at 11:11 pm

Yeah. The lunchmeat and hot dogs were news to me too. I asked my mom about that and she said that her OB/GYN never told her not to eat lunchmeats and hot dogs. But, those are foods she’s not crazy about anyway and she didn’t crave them during either of her two pregnancies.

Jessi R. September 21, 2010 at 1:18 pm

I am so glad to have learned this information. I plan on having kids at some point and I knew it is important to take in plenty of nutrients to help the growing fetus but I had no idea just how important it is to watch what you eat while pregnant. I was suprised to hear that some seafood can be high in mercury and other harmful things but was relieved when I saw nothing that I eat on the list of foods unsafe for consumption while pregnant. When I am actually pregnant I am going to have to make sure I eat enough seafood to be beneficial though because as of right now I’m not a huge fan. Also, I have to say that with the information about caffeine increasing the risk of miscarrage I know that I will definately stop consuming caffeine completely as soon as I find out I am pregnant. As well, I will make sure to take in adequate amounts of choline to help with my baby’s memory and learning ability.

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admin September 23, 2010 at 11:52 pm

Prenatal and nutrition during breastfeeding is widely available for many years through public health education. Like healthy eating for regular folks we have a tendency not to pay attention unless it is affecting us or our love ones directly.

I think being exposed to the information through these videos at least make us more aware and will dig up the info again when the occasion calls for it.

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Terrie H September 21, 2010 at 7:50 am

Amazing, My baby is 26 all we were told was to take iron. Nothing else was off limits.
Lunch meat, hot dogs and leftovers who knew. that is a valuable piece of information for pregnant women.
I have never heard of Choline. I will do more research on it. Maybe it will help older adults too.
I am thinking of ordering the book. Sounds like a wealth of great information that would be great for expectant mothers.

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Debora M September 23, 2010 at 5:04 pm

I am thinking of ordering the book from the first video, since I may be a MeMe (grandma) again soon.

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J-H March 4, 2011 at 12:37 pm

I was very shocked about what they said about lunch meat, hot dogs, salad, and leftovers. I know my wifes doctor did not mention any of that stuff to avoid when she was pregnant.

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Donnie H. September 20, 2010 at 6:54 pm

I have absolutely no idea what women go through when they’re pregnant but while my wife was carrying our children nothing was off limits when the cravings were there. It is really amazing to hear of all of the wonderful precautions a pregnant woman can take to help the development of a growing fetus. Fish has always been said to be a no no but mai mai has given women hope. I never would have thought leftovers would be an issue due to it being cold. Choline to help with a baby’s memory is very new since I have never heard of it. This has been great information for me as well to pass on to another expecting mother of course.

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Ashley M September 20, 2010 at 1:49 pm

I never knew while your pregnant your limited to so many different types of foods or beverages. To my knowledge I knew the common things that we are told; uncooked meat,fish, cafffeine, and alcohol. The foods that jumped out at me where soft cheese, cold meats (hotdogs, ham, and etc.) left overs, and no runny eggs. The foods that women should be eating are green vegtables to increase folate and iron. Potatos and chicken to increase Vitiamn B6 and zinc. No more than one different type of fish in a week (avoid: sword fish and raw fish) (good: wild salmon, shrimp, catfish, 6 oz of tuna in week.).
I never knew if you didnt take in enough calcium, the calcium for your bones would be at stake. Or that the nutrient Choline (never heard of it) affected the baby’s memory and learning ability. Also, pregnant women should be drinking 3 liters of water daily, taking prenatal vitiamns, and increase on Dha (ex:salmon). No hormones in milk harm the fetus. What stood out the most was women that drink 200 mg of caffeine a day is twice as likely to miscarry than women who did not drink caffeine at all. Everything we do affects how our childern will grow. So when I plan to have childern I will be more than aware. Great information to have under my belt!

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MRC2 M Cottrell June 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm

Yes, you have to be very careful when eating deli foods and meats that are not cooked because of possible contamination of the bacteria known as Listeria. Listeria comes from the soil and manure and animals can carry it inside of them. When they are butchered for our consumption, all it takes is one incorrect cut and it can get on the meat and the cutting utensil. Ground beef is especially dangerous because it gets ground into the meat. Cook will kill Listeria so you can’t have any pink in your meat. Anything that comes from animals, cheese, deli meats, etc. can be contaminated. You wonder why cheese? In delis the people are processing their own meats and usually not cleaning their knives. This spreads contamination to everything else such as the counter tops. Chickens are natural carriers of Salmonella. The reason pregnant women should not eat runny eggs is because the egg yolk is where the Salmonella is located. So cook those eggs till they are hard. Take a Microbiology class and you will learn about all the little critters. That class opened my eyes.

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AMG July 11, 2011 at 12:46 pm

I too was not aware of all the foods you are not supposed to consume while being pregnant I am a mother of three and i have to say i ate some of those foods listed. Ecspecially the the runny eggs and left overs. My Obgyn did talk to me about the fish and the decaf drinks but that was it.

AMG July 11, 2011 at 12:41 pm

I am a mother of three and had no idea there were so many things i was not supposed to eat while pregnant. Ecspecially the the runny eggs and left overs.

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