'A lot of women want to know what foods are safe during pregnancy and what isn\'t, and you\'re doing well to think about this. Generally speaking, most foods are safe, but there are a few things to think about. One of the biggest concerns is bacterial contamination. Food-born illness is definitely a big cause of sickness in mothers, and it can also contribute to birth defects and miscarriages. So it\'s a good topic to consider. As a good rule of thumb, there are a few things that you should just avoid altogether to increase the chances that you won\'t get sick. One of those things in unpasteurized cheeses, or fresh cheeses. This would include feta, brie, camembert, Mexican queso fresco - those are just a few examples - blue veined cheeses. So avoid those. Also avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. They can contain bacteria that can make you sick. Think about how the food was prepared. So make sure that when you\'re at home preparing food that you wash your hands thoroughly before and after you decontaminate surfaces that touched raw meat. And cook your meat thoroughly, avoid eating undercooked meat in restaurants, and avoid undercooking it yourself at home. A lot of people have questions about processed meats like hotdogs and deli meats. And they can contain bacteria that can make you sick, so it\'s best to only eat them if they\'ve been reheated. So don\'t eat it when it\'s cold. A lot of women want to know about sushi. And that usually contains raw fish, which should be avoided by pregnant women. And even if you\'re wanting to consume sushi that has cooked fish in it, you need to consider where it was prepared too, because sometimes it\'s prepared alongside the raw fish, and so you could be exposed to the bacteria that\'s harmful in raw fish. Along the lines of fish, fish can have a high mercury content, and if you eat too much of it, it can actually affect the developing fetus\'s brain. So more common types of fish, like salmon, shrimp, light canned tuna, you can actually have up to 12 ounces a week of that. But take tuna steaks or albacore tuna for example, you should limit your intake to 6 ounces per week. Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs are another thing to think about. So make sure your eggs are cooked thoroughly. Cookie dough might be one of your favorite things, but this is something you should avoid during pregnancy. So basically, pregnancy is just a time where you should think twice about everything you put in your mouth - not just foods, but also medication. So also avoid prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and herbal supplements that haven\'t been approved by your OB provider. If you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IntermountainMoms, and recommend us to your friends and family too.'
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