Pregnancy’s Limitations: What Can You Do?

Remember that 1980s Adam Ant pop song (dare I reveal my age?): “Don’t Drink, Don’t Smoke, What Do you Do?” That’s how a lot of women feel when pregnant. Not that we mind terribly when giving up coffee, alcohol, and substances that will harm our growing babies—but having nine to ten months of bad hair days was too much for me. So many moms out there advise us to not highlight our hair or go to a salon to get nails done as we may breathe fumes. Then there’s the no sushi, large fish, soft cheeses, or mountain bike rides. The list of what we can’t do seems endless. Frankly, some things are necessary to insure that our babies thrive and are born healthy. Who can argue with that? But what about the gray areas, like tanning or highlighting your hair? To shed light on the important things women need to restrict from their diets or not expose their unborn babies to, I consulted Sarah Maddison, M.D., an experienced obstetrician and gynecologist in Raleigh, North Carolina:

Laura: What fish are safe to eat?

Dr. Maddison: Small farm raised fish are the safest. Large fish that eat lots of other fish concentrate mercury, actually methylmercury, which can cause injury to a growing baby’s nervous system. Shark, king mackerel, swordfish, and tile fish should definitely be avoided. More conservative sources also add tuna steak, Spanish mackerel, grouper, and orange roughy to the list. Limited amounts of canned light tuna are probably okay if you limit it to less than 8oz per week. Fish is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the developing nervous system. Two servings per week is a good amount. Salmon, trout, talapia, flounder, and shrimp get the thumbs up. Most states post a list of some locally caught fish that may not be safe to eat pregnant or not, so people should look for any regional restrictions as well.