Obviously, healthy eating, especially during pregnancy, includes a lot more than a list of things to avoid.  When you really only need to add about 300 calories a day for a healthy pregnancy, it matters even more what you actually do put into your body and your baby’s body. 

But for those of who try in whatever small way to eat healthy, we know that it’s not the things we should eat that give us problems, but the things we shouldn’t.  I mean, a chocolate-covered granola bar is healthy, right? 

So, for those who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, here is a list of don’ts for eating during pregnancy.  Some of them might surprise you. 

• Unpasteurized dairy products (milk, cheeses).  I didn’t even know you could get these things unpasteurized these days.

• Raw sea food.  Oysters and raw sushi are on this list.  Though why anyone would eat an oyster is beyong me, and living with two shell-critter eaters has not solved the mystery.  Anyway, these things could have bacteria that can harm you and your baby.

• Fish.  This is more of a “limit yourself” than a strict “don’t.”  But even cooked fish can have unhealthy levels of mercury, which can affect how your baby’s brain develops.  However, a couple of servings of fish a week can give you a good boost of vitamins.

• Alcohol.  Even though my mom was told to drink a Porter a day through her pregnancies, you should avoid all alcohol.  Period.  Don’t mess with this one. 

• Caffeine.  If you’re as lucky as I was, your body won’t want your morning cups of joe (a miracle in my case; I’ve been a faithful coffee drinker since I was 14).  But this also includes teas and sodas, and yes… even chocolate.  This is another brain thing–your baby’s.  Caffeine can cause ADHD and learning disabilities in fetuses.

• Diet drinks.  The ones with aspartame can cause headaches in both you and your wee one.  If you must drink these, choose the ones with splenda or stevia.

Don’t forget to replace all those don’ts with some healthy do’s, like eating more often, eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of water.

This has been in the news quite a bit this past week, but the science isn’t what people seem to think it is–at least, what the headlines are proclaiming it is.  A study has been done that says that children who have had 2 or more surgieries by age 3 often end up with learning disabilities. 

But it has not been shown to be a causal relationship between anesthesia and learning disabilities.  I mean, there’s no evidence that learning disabilities are caused by the use of anesthesia.  Kids who need multiple surgeries so early are already facing serious health problems–their learning disability could simply be one of those.  Or, whatever went wrong in their pre-natal development could also have affected their brains.  Or, the trauma of invasive surgery could have provoked a chemical imbalance that led to the learning disability.

Parents, please don’t be afraid to get your child the medical care he or she needs.  Nobody takes lightly the decision to subject a baby or toddler to an operation.  Do your own research, and don’t let headlines scare you.  All in all, we are very blessed to live in a time when we have access to these treatments at all.