What not to eat...

So let's look at some of controversial consumables during pregnancy.

Firstly, pregnant women are instructed to avoid alcohol at all costs. Admittedly, alcohol does nothing to assist in the development of the fetus, and abuse of the alcohol does result in developmental problems in the baby, but complete abstinence is also not necessary. If you do want to drink, make sure that you do not have more than 2 units of alcohol every week. A unit is about half a pint of normal strength beer. Make sure that you never, ever binge as this is very harmful to your child. Most women, however, choose to forgo alcohol completely as they do not wish to take the risk. This is especially important as all women have different metabolic rates meaning that no one can say for certain what a perfectly safe amount of alcohol is and what is not.

Like alcohol, caffeine is also a cause for concern. Complete avoidance of caffeine is difficult as many products such as chocolate and certain cool drinks contain small amounts of the substance. Excessive amounts of caffeine can be dangerous and even cause miscarriage, but experts say that you can drink up to 300mg per day. This means that you should not exceed 3 to 4 cups of coffee every day. If you do there is a chance that your child could be jittery, have a low birth weight and be unable to settle down – similar to adult symptoms of caffeine overdose. Certain herbal teas, such as raspberry, ginseng and green tea have also been known to cause contractions.

Certain fish, even when cooked can be dangerous. Avoid fish that have a high mercury content. Fish that fall into this category include tuna, shark and swordfish. Oysters can also contain bacteria and it is recommended that they are avoided as well.

And of course, then there is sushi. Sushi is a bit of a controversial topic when it comes to pregnancy. Most experts will tell you to avoid it completely, simply because if something does go wrong the consequences can be tragic. The main problem with sushi is that it can contain bacteria known as listeria. Listeria has been known to be the cause of miscarriages, still births and premature births. When food is cooked, the listeria bacteria are mostly destroyed but as sushi is not cooked meat, the risks are greater. Some experts claim that if the fish used in sushi has been frozen before hand, then it is safer to eat. Most women would rather not take the chance and avoid it completely. Listeria is also found in soft, unpasteurised cheeses like brie, camembert and blue cheese as well as uncooked meat and pates. It is also very important that pregnant women ensure that any chicken or eggs they eat are properly cooked in order to avoid salmonella poisoning.

If you are at all concerned about nutrition during your pregnancy, make sure that you consult your gynaecologist immediately.