Featuring Dr. Karen Nordahl, MD

Duration: 1 minute, 6 seconds

Throughout your pregnancy, you basically should stay away from certain foods.

Examples of this are the large fish such as the halibut or shellfish, and that's because they have a relatively high mercury content. Salmon or sole is fine in the pregnancy.

You should also stay away from unpasteurized cheeses, especially in the first trimester, but the general consensus is that they should be avoided throughout the pregnancy. It's also important to stay away from coffee and alcohol throughout your entire pregnancy.

Throughout your pregnancy, the number one thing that you should be thinking about is that you are not really eating for two. It is not double the Canada Food Guide or the US Food Pyramid. It's important that you make sure that your pre-vitamin contains at least one milligram of folic acid.

It's aso important that you avoid certain types of fish, and unpasteurized cheeses. Make sure that your diet is balanced, containing fruit, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates, and if you have any questions at all please contact your health care provider.

Presenter: Dr. Karen Nordahl, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor