Читать книгу Safe Food: What to eat and drink in pregnancy - Rosie Dodds - Страница 63
ОглавлениеPregnancy is a time to enjoy a rich variety of foods. It is also a time to take care of yourself and your growing baby by keeping in mind a few basic guidelines on food choice and preparation.
In this chapter we talk about the foods that may cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy, and suggest ways in which you can avoid these problems.
‘Why do I have to be so careful?’
‘It’s all so confusing. There seems to be endless lists of things I can’t eat. When I was pregnant last time, I went to a family party. I put some home-made mayonnaise on my salad without thinking and spent the next six months worrying.’
‘I feel like a child again with people saying “don’t eat this, don’t eat that”. It’s all rather patronising.’
Throughout pregnancy your baby is protected, floating in warm fluid contained within a bag of strong membranes, safe inside your uterus (womb). Her gateway to the world – to your body – is the placenta (afterbirth). Within the placenta, oxygen and nutrients pass from your blood to your baby’s circulation, and carbon dioxide and other waste products are washed away.
The placenta is also a protective barrier. It filters out most bacteria, some drugs and other harmful substances. However, viruses (germs which are smaller than bacteria) and some bacteria can pass through.
Most of the germs with which we come into contact are harmless. There are, however, a few germs that may cause severe illness in babies. Examples include the virus that causes rubella (German measles), the listeria bacteria and the toxoplasmosis parasite.
