1. Pregnancy Nutrition To eat or not to eat, that is the question.

2. Foods To Avoid • Seafood • You need omega-3 Fatty acids from seafood for brain development. • Mercury- Damages nervous system • Older and bigger fish • Shark • Swordfish • King Mackerel • Tile fish

3. Foods to Avoid • Under cooked meat—toxoplasmosis • Unpasteurized Milk and Cheese made from Unpasteurized Milk--listeriosis • Brie • Fete • Camembert • Blue Cheese • Queso Blanco, Queso Fresco, Queso De Hoja, Queso de Crema and Asadero

4. Foods to Avoid Caffeine • Can cross the placenta and affect your baby’s heart rate. • Associated with increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. • 200 mg may slow fetal growth.

5. Foods to Avoid Herbal teas and medications • Very little research has been done to evaluate the impact of herbal products on the developing fetus. • Talk to your doctor even if the herbal tea is the type marketed for pregnant women.

6. Foods to Avoid Alcohol • No level of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy. --Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • Intellectual impairment • Behavioral problems • Heart problems • Facial deformities

7. What can I eat? What should I eat? • Folate/Folic acid (a B vitamin) • Before and during pregnancy take a multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms per day • Prevents neural tube defects (spina bifida), abnormalities of the brain, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. • Food Sources: • Fortified cereal, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans and peas

8. What should I eat? Calcium • Important for mom and baby. Results in strong bones and teeth • Helps circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems. • If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, the baby will get calcium by robbing it from your bones. • Sources of calcium are milk, milk products such as cheese and yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables, etc.

9. What should I eat? Protein • Crucial for your baby’s growth, especially in the second and third trimester. • 71 grams a day • Lean meat ,poultry, fish, and eggs • What is a serving? • 1 cup low fat cottage cheese 28 grams • 3 oz chicken breast 27.57 grams • 1 large hard–boiled egg 06.29 grams

10. What should I eat? Iron • The body uses iron to make hemoglobin. (Hemoglobin is a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues.) • Take a multivitamin that contains iron during pregnancy. • If you have low iron levels you can become very tired and get sick easy. • There is also a risk of having a low birth weight baby and/or preterm birth. • Iron from meat is the easiest for your body to use. • Iron from plants and supplements can be enhanced (made easier for your body to use) when combined with a drink high in vitamin C.