The Chief Medical Officers (UK) advise that alcohol should be avoided completely during pregnancy as there is no known safe limit. Alcohol can pass from the bloodstream to the baby via the placenta and their liver is one of the last organs to develop (NHS).

Alcohol consumption, especially in the first 3months of pregnancy increases the risk of: miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. Drinking heavily throughout pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which can cause a series of serious symptoms and complications.

Click here to learn more and find support.

It is widely recognised that smoking (and passive smoking) during pregnancy can cause significant harm to unborn babies. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 harmful chemicals. Those who quit smoking will dramatically reduce their risk of complications and put themselves in a better position for a healthy pregnancy.

Those who do smoke during pregnancy (and after) increase the risk of: still birth, premature birth, low birth weight, as well as babies developing asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other serious illnesses. There is also an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death.

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Most medicines can reach the baby via the placenta. Before taking any medicine during pregnancy (including painkillers), it is important to check with a pharmacist, midwife or doctor. This includes prescription and over the counter medicines. On the other hand, it is equally important to not stop taking any regular medications before speaking with a doctor.

With this in mind, it is important to do the following:

-Tell your doctor, dentist, and pharmacist if you are pregnant (or trying for a baby) before they offer any prescriptions or treatment.

-Check with your midwife, doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medication (including over the counter).

-If you are already taking regular medication, you should ideally speak with your doctor before you start trying for a baby, or as soon as you find out you are pregnant.

Click Here for the full NHS guidance on medicines during pregnancy.

Though Vitamin A is crucial to the health of unborn babies and expecting parents, consumption of high levels of preformed Vitamin A (as Retinol) during pregnancy can be harmful. This is why general guidance for pregnancy advises against liver and liver pate products.

Those following a vegan or plant-based lifestyle will need to be wary of Vitamin A (as Retinol) in the form of fortified foods and supplements. This means checking labels for Vitamin A (as Retinol) and ensuring that products are labelled as suitable for pregnancy.

Many prenatal supplements contain Vitamin A as Beta-Carotene, which can be converted in the body. These are safe to consume during pregnancy, though they are not completely necessary as Beta-Carotenes can be gained from whole plant foods in the diet. (Please see the pregnancy nutrition section for more information).

Click Here to see the NHS guidance on Vitamin A.

The NHS also advises to avoid high-dose multivitamins during pregnancy. Furthermore, it is strongly encouraged that you speak with your GP or relevant healthcare professional before taking any prenatal supplements during pregnancy, to ensure their safety and suitability.

NHS guidelines advise that caffeine can be consumed during pregnancy, but with with a maximum daily limit of 200mg. High caffeine intake can contribute to pregnancy complications such as: low birth weight, pre-term birth, miscarriage and still birth.

According to Tommy’s Baby Charity, recent research suggests that risks from caffeine rise with increased consumption. In other words, though low levels of caffeine pose a small risk to pregnancies, it is still a risk. Therefore, their advice is to minimise caffeine intake as much as possible.

For those who have already consumed caffeine during pregnancy, there is no need to panic. Caffeine related pregnancy risks are very low. The information is being presented so that parents can make informed decisions about their pregnancy.

Click Here to read Tommy’s full article on pregnancy and caffeine.

The following values can be used as a guide:
- 100mg in a mug of instant coffee
- 140mg in a mug of filter coffee
- 75mg in a mug of tea (or green tea)
- 40mg in a can of Cola
- Less than 25mg in a 50g plain dark chocolate.

TOP TIP
Swap out tea and coffee for decaf alternatives or water! Bearing in mind that decaf products do still have very small amounts of caffeine in them.

Many people are under the impression that “natural” means “healthy” and “safe”. However, this is not always the case and many herbs and natural medicines will have properties that need to be avoided during pregnancy.

The NHS and Food Standards Agency (UK) advises that no more than 4 cups of herbal tea should be consumed in a day during pregnancy. As simple as this guidance may seem, herbal teas vary immensely and it seems that some are safer than others. However, studies are very much lacking in this area and advice can vary.

It is best to be cautious and take the following steps:

- Avoid herbal teas completely or limit consumption to 4 cups a day.
- Try not to drink too much of the same kind and drink a variety of teas instead. This will help avoid excessive amounts of the same ingredients.
- Avoid high therapeutic doses of herbs and do not take any before speaking with a qualified health professional.

The following herbs/herbal teas should be met with particular caution:
hibiscus, yerba mate, parsley,
sage, liquorice, nettles,
fennel seed, St John's wort, ginseng,
rue, thyme, dandelion, and rose hips.

The NHS clearly and simply states: “Liquorice is safe to eat. But you should avoid liquorice root”.

This precautionary guidance is based on a study in Finland that discovered a possible link between liquorice and child development (in regard to lower intelligence and increased ADHD diagnoses).

Glycyrrhizin is the component thought to do the damage in liquorice, and there is a considerably higher concentration in liquorice root - hense the NHS guidance. More research is needed in this area, but for now the precautionary guidance remains in place.

Unfortunately, although the fermented nature of Kombucha is known for contributing to healthy gut bacteria, it may not be suitable for pregnancy. Studies are very limited in this area, but caution is advised for the following reasons:

- Small amount of alcohol content.
- Unpasteurised - risk of harmful bacteria.
- Caffeine content which can be overlooked.

For those craving that zingy fizziness, why not try some sparkling water with your choice of juice instead!

Sea vegetables (including seaweed) are a very rich source of natural iodine. However, because of the variable content and potentially high levels, it is not routinely advised during pregnancy and should at the very least be minimised, if not avoided completely. The exception being Nori, which has relatively low amounts of iodine.

The daily iodine requirement during pregnancy and breastfeeding (in the UK) is 200mcg daily. In order to meet this requirement, the safest option is to take a supplement in the form of “potassium iodide” or “potassium iodate”. This should be at a maximum of 150mcg per daily supplement dose. The remaining requirement can be obtained by using iodine fortified plant-milks.

Sadly, due to the lack of legislation regarding whole-food supplements, many prenatal supplements on the market contain iodine sourced from kelp. Though these may be appealing to those who wish to consume a “natural” supplement, they present a very potential risk to pregnancies and breastfeeding/chestfeeding families.

The NHS recommends hummus as a healthy meal or snack option, but sadly does not mention the important safety considerations.

Due to the high water content and low acidity, hummus and tahini create an ideal environment for Salmonella and Listeria contamination. Pregnancies exposed to these bacteria pose a significant risk. Therefore, it is advised that shop-bought hummus, tahini and tahini-based sauces/dips are avoided during pregnancy.

There have been several recalls of store bought hummus products over the years. In 2019, over 80 brands were pulled from UK supermarket shelves (Food Standards Agency).

In 2021, FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) updated their guidance and specifically discourage the consumption of hummus, tahini, and tahini-based sauces/dips due to the risk of salmonella.

The safest option for consuming hummus is to make your own at home: substituting tahini for your choice of nut butter! Refrigerate your hummus as soon as possible and consume within 2 days!

Hummus and tahini are very nutritionally dense foods and it would be a shame to eliminate them from the diet completely. Additionally by making home-made versions, you can control the ingredients and avoid the not so healthy additives!

There have been numerous reports of outbreaks related to foodborne illnesses all around the world, which have been linked with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts. Associated bacteria include: Salmonella, E-Coli and Listeria. These pathogens pose a serious risk to pregnancies.

Vulnerable groups, (including those who are pregnant) are advised to either avoid sprouts completely or to thoroughly cook them until they are steaming hot.

Examples of sprouts (or sprouted seeds) include:
bean sprouts (mung bean),
alfalfa,
radish,
fenugreek,
& clover.

Click here to see the full NHS guidance.

Purchasing chilled pre-prepared food items such as fruits, salads, and sandwiches, that are sold as a “ready-to-eat” snack or meal option are not advised during pregnancy. Hygiene and cross-contamination standards can not be guaranteed for these products, and therefore, they present a serious risk of listeria toxicity.

It is strongly advised that these pre-prepared items are avoided during pregnancy, and instead: all fruits, salad items and vegetables are thoroughly washed and freshly prepared before consumption, even if they are stated to have already been washed.