Pregnancy Nutrition Dos and Don'ts

• Don't eat raw or undercooked seafood or meats.
• Reduce your risk for listeriosis, an illness caused by bacteria found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheese, raw vegetables and shellfish. Wash fruits and vegetables well before eating and thoroughly cook shellfish. Make sure your milk is pasteurized and stick with hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan.
• Avoid canned white or albacore tuna, mackerel, shark, swordfish, tuna steaks and tilefish. These fish contain high levels of mercury that could affect a fetus's developing brain. Instead, stick with fish like salmon, and limit any fish intake to no more than 12 ounces a week while you're pregnant. You may eat up to two small cans of light tuna a week, which is lower in mercury than white or albacore.
• To get valuable omega-3 fatty acids that research shows has positive benefits for the baby's brain, take at least 400 mg of mercury-free DHA supplements, available in most health food stores.
• Take your prenatal vitamin daily for the extra iron and folic acid you need throughout your pregnancy (and before).
• Skip the alcohol. Any alcohol.
• Limit caffeine.

Talk to your health care professional about any special dietary concerns (if you're vegetarian or vegan, for example).

My other advice? Enjoy your pregnancy!