The miraculous journey of motherhood begins with pregnancy. It is vital for pregnant women to eat a nutritious and balanced diet which helps baby’s growth and development.
However, there are some foods such as pineapple, papaya, eggs, crabs and mercury-loaded fish which a pregnant woman should avoid. This food can cause to induce miscarriage during the first three months of pregnancy.
A pregnant woman must be careful during her first trimester because this is the time when a woman develops more chances of miscarriage.
You need to ask your doctor and discuss if you have any food allergy like a heat problem. Also, you require to be careful about risk factors such as health, age, and foods which can affect during the early stage of pregnancy.
Specific foods cause to widen the inner contraction and cervix during pregnancy and result in miscarriage.
Here are the foods which cause miscarriage.
Papaya
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Papaya is a healthy fruit which aid to cure many diseases. It boosts immunity in humans and provides good digestion power along with wounds healing.
Daily intake of papaya also reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
We can eat two types of papaya which are ripe papaya and raw papaya. Ripe papaya is healthy during pregnancy in later stages but eating raw papaya can cause miscarriage. Unripe papaya contains papain. Additionally, it also has two more enzymes describe as prostaglandin and oxytocin which are responsible for triggering labor in women.
Eating papaya during initial pregnancy can be harmful as it may direct cause miscarriage or if not, then the baby born with defect earlier than complete time.
Even green raw papaya is difficult to digest for pregnant women. The content of vitamin C in papaya helps to control the menstrual cycle in a normal woman. When a pregnant woman eats papaya, then it may generate heat and cause miscarriage.
Green papaya consumption cause to develop endometrial lining in the uterus which is not a good condition for fetus growth. The heat generated from raw papaya can deteriorate the pregnancy process and stop fetus development which results in miscarriage.
Pineapple
Eating super foods are important during pregnancy to obtain all the vitamins and nutrients which are essential for baby’s growth. During the early trimester after the conception, an embryo undergoes many rapid growths, and it needs full nutrients to develop normally.
Pineapple has bromelain which causes the cervix to become soft to begin the contractions during pregnancy. Softening in cervix lining can cause a miscarriage. Also, bromelain causes to break down the proteins. Since the embryo made of proteins after conception, then bromelain influences it and result in bleeding and miscarriage.
For some women eating fresh pineapple doesn’t cause any problem. But the bromelain tablet can cause to increase the risk of miscarriage.
Avoiding pineapple during the initial stages of pregnancy can be better to prevent miscarriage chances.
Check with your doctor to find if you have any risk of eating pineapple because it is full of nutrients which can add various essential vitamins to the growing baby.
A fresh cup of pineapple contains 79 milligrams of vitamin C which helps to promote collagen to helps growing baby’s bone, skin, tendons, and cartilage. One cup of fresh pineapple provides up to 80 to 85 milligrams of vitamin C which is a daily requirement during pregnancy. Fresh pineapple also provides a small amount of iron which is important for blood production and folate which helps to prevent childbirth deficiencies.
Crabs
Crab is a good source of calcium. Normally it is good for blood circulation and removes build-up substances. But it contains more cholesterol which causes to shrink the uterus. The shrinking uterus leads to bleeding and miscarriage. Therefore, limiting the crab intake can prevent miscarriage complications.
Sesame Seeds
Pregnant women should avoid sesame seeds during early pregnancy. The intake of sesame seeds with honey causes to raise the heartbeat which can lead to abnormal blood circulation and miscarriage. But you can consume the black sesame seeds during the third trimester which helps to benefit in childbirth.
Sesame seeds are healthy super food which contains calcium, iron, protein, amino acids, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, and oxalic acid.
Sesam seeds cause the anaphylaxis which is a side effect occur when the immune system releases some powerful chemicals. This high level of chemical release also describes as anaphylaxis shock. This shock causes to drop the blood pressure and compress airways and lead to breathing problem which also affects during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Animal liver
Animal liver is a superfood rich with vitamin A and considered healthy for the human. During early pregnancy, you need to avoid or limit the intake of the animal liver. It increases distress in a pregnant woman by raising continues build-up of retinol and affect embryo. The retinol accumulation causes miscarriage. It also harms and damages the baby development.
Drumsticks
During early pregnancy, you need to avoid drumstick intakes as it contains alpha-sitosterol which can harm the pregnancy.
However, the pregnant woman can eat drumstick but limited only after the first trimester because it also contains some good nutrition such as potassium, iron, and vitamins.
Do remember to wash it before using to avoid pesticides and bacteria which can create unnecessary problems during pregnancy.
Aloe Vera
The aloe vera is a traditional medicinal plant which contributes to various health and skin benefits for almost everyone.
According to research, pregnant women should avoid intake of aloe vera. Aloe vera comprises anthraquinones a type of laxative which can trigger uterus contractions and pelvic bleeding. This condition affects pregnancy and causes miscarriage.
However, outer use of aloe vera gel may not harm a pregnant woman.
Unwashed Vegetables
Vegetable eating without washing can create a problem during pregnancy.
Leaf green vegetables are helpful for a healthy lifestyle. It helps to prevent several diseases and boost immunity.
You need to make sure that all the veggies you use are washed well before cooking and eating. Unwashed vegetables can cause exposure to toxoplasmosis which might pollute from the soil. The bacteria and parasite increase the chance of miscarriage.
Caffeinated Drinks
Generally, the moderate amount of caffeine intake is fine, but some expert shows that caffeine intake has a link to raise the risk of miscarriage.
Generally, a pregnant woman can consume fewer than 200 mg every day which can help to flush the fluids out from the body.
During early pregnancy replacing caffeine with water, fresh juices and milk can be a healthy choice.
Raw Dairy Products
Raw or unpasteurized dairy products such as mozzarella, gorgonzola, feta cheese, and milk can cause disease. It carries bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes which can harm pregnancy in an early stage. Even a pregnant woman should avoid things contain raw dairy products to prevent unnecessary complications during pregnancy and miscarriage.
Mercury Rich Fish
Fish during pregnancy is good, and superfood but you need to limit mercury-rich fish such as orange roughy, king mackerel, shark, marlin, swordfish, tilefish, and bigeye tuna. The high amount of mercury intake can affect the fetus brain development and the nervous system.
Mercury is a metal which can cause to damage kidneys, lungs and nervous system including spinal cord, brain, and nerves. It also affects the ability of hearing and vision loss.
Pate
Pate is pie or paste which consist of forcemeat or liver. Additionally, it contains poultry, pork, fish, beef, vegetables, herbs, fats and spices or brandy.
Freeze pate or meat for a long time causes a problem in early pregnancy. This kind of foods contains bacteria describe as listeria. The listeriosis bacteria cause mild flu which occurs from several days to many months after getting exposed to bacteria. However, it is a mild ailment which harms an unborn baby. In extreme cases, listeriosis bacteria causes miscarriage, loss of a baby while birth, and premature birth. If you get listeriosis while ending periods of your pregnancy, then your baby might be sick.
It is the worst food which causes miscarriage in early pregnancy. Pate is unhealthy food for both mother and fetus.
Raw Shellfish
Many seafood ailments happen because of undercooked shellfish such as clams, oysters and mussels. Cooking well can prevent certain types of infections, but it won’t help to remove algae-related ailments which have a link with red tides.
The raw selfish causes to affect everyone. A pregnant woman should completely avoid raw shellfish to prevent miscarriage during early pregnancy.
Smoked Seafood
Smoked seafood also affects growing fetus and causes miscarriage. Certain seafood which has the label of refrigerated and smoked such as kippered, jerky, nova style or lox need to avoid during early pregnancy. These foods have contamination of listeria.
You can eat canned or shelf-safe smoked seafood. This kind of seafood is available in the deli section of grocery stores.
Litchi
Generally, litchi is the most popular fruit of the summer season. It has a delicious and sweet taste for which many women like it. Additionally, it is best known for sweet porridge.
But litchi is not good for early pregnancy as it causes inner heat in a pregnant woman. Large consumption of litchi can cause abdominal pain, fetal derangement, bleeding, stomach-ache, and miscarriage.
Herbs
A pregnant woman should avoid all kinds of herbal supplement. Most of the herbs contain steroids which unfavorably affect on fetus growth.
Herbs such as Centella can cause to harm the liver and lead to severe jaundice. It creates more chances to damage the growing baby’s brain.
Other herbs such as Gotu Kola and dong-quai contain agents which can induce miscarriage or possibly premature delivery. It is recommended to talk to your doctor before eating any herb.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate has mixed reactions concerning to miscarriage. Generally, it is good and provides nutritional values to growing fetus, but during early pregnancy, it causes to induce uterine contraction and result in miscarriage. Consult your doctor about your pregnancy to prevent complications.
You can resume eating pomegranate in later trimesters to provide best health benefits to you and your baby. Its benefits include
- Rich in Fiber
- Fights Body Toxins
- Rich in Iron
- Rich in Vitamins
- Removes Intestinal Worms
- Improves Immunity
- Cures Skin Problems
- Energy Booster
- Boosts Metabolism
Wild Apple
Wild apple can taste bitter, sour and sweet which can be the best snack for a pregnant woman to prevent morning sickness but it is not good for early pregnancy.
According to research wild apple act to excite the uterus and increase uterine contractions which can cause miscarriage and premature birth.
Peach
The peach tastes hot and sweet which a pregnant woman can enjoy eating, but it causes bleeding. The hair of peach shell also irritates throat by creating a feeling of burning and itching.
Avoid eating peach during early pregnancy, but you can eat it in later stages in a moderate amount.
Peaches are a rich source of protein, sugar, iron, zinc, and pectin. More consumption of peach can cause to raise the internal heat which can induce a miscarriage.
Raw Poultry and Egg
When you are at the early stage of pregnancy, then consider avoiding raw eggs and poultry especially uncooked or undercooked. You need to cook eggs and poultry well before eating to kill the bacteria called salmonella. The bacteria salmonella can cause miscarriage. Therefore, avoid raw foods to prevent complications and have a healthy pregnancy.
Soft Cheese
Soft cheese is unsafe during pregnancy. You need to avoid specific types of cheese which include Roco pho cheese, camembert cheese, feta cheese, and Gorgonzola cheese because unpasteurized milk is used to prepare these cheese products which is harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby. These types of cheese have bacteria which can induce miscarriage during early pregnancy. You can only eat pasteurized fresh milk to avoid miscarriage complications.
Canned Fruit Juice
During early pregnancy try to avoid canned fruit juices which unpasteurized. These juices contain Escherichia coli or E. coli bacteria which can harm pregnancy and causes miscarriage. You can drink homemade fresh fruit juice to calm your juice craving and get the nutrients.
Spices
During the initial trimester skip spice supplement. Cooking with spices doesn’t cause the problem to pregnancy, but spices addition can harm. If you have any health condition which requires some specific spices supplement to treat, then check with your doctor before getting pregnant. Your doctor may advise you to pause the herbs or spices supplement to prevent miscarriage.
There are two types of spices which include
Abortifacients which induce uterine contraction which leads to miscarriage.
Emmenagogues cause to produce menstrual periods. It stops embryo implant by hindering in early pregnancy whereas abortifacients excite uterus and lead to preterm labor and miscarriage.
Centella
Centella has healing effects of hypotension and anti-aging qualities. It also has an antipyretic effect and diuretic effect which treat cassava poisoning. It is a cool beverage used in many dishes. During summer Centella juice helps to relieve the heat for outdoor working people.
However, Centella is not good for pregnancy. Women who are taking Centella from a long time can also have reduced chances of conceiving. During early pregnancy it causes miscarriage.
Centella herb can interact with some medications such as insomnia drugs, antidepressant, anticonvulsants. It also causes to reduce the insulin effects of diabetes and cholesterol drugs.
Vitamin C
Foods containing rich vitamin C is good for health. It can be natural contraception for women if eaten during the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Large consumption of vitamin C cause miscarriage during early pregnancy.
Too Much Green Tea
It is also the worst food which causes miscarriage in early pregnancy. Avoid drinking green tea more during the first trimester. One cup of green tea contains 200 mg caffeine which increases the risk of miscarriage.
During pregnancy, a woman needs more liquids for placenta and amniotic fluid formation which helps baby growth. Woman need to drink 12 glasses of water every day. But if you increase caffeine consumption instead of water or other beverages, then it may cause you frequent urination and dehydration. Dehydration can create complications such as low amniotic fluid and miscarriage.
Trionychid Turtle
Trionychid turtle is a south Asian fresh species.
It provides good kidney strengthening effects which can melt the tumor and promote arteries circulation. But it is harmful to the early pregnancy. Especially it causes a miscarriage due to consumption of turtle legs which is more powerful than its flesh. Avoid trionychid turtle consumption to prevent miscarriage in early pregnancy.
Job’s tears seed
These seeds have amino acids which are essential for body functions.
Normally it supplies energy to the body and strengthens the immunity system. It works best for women health by reducing wrinkles and provide clear and smooth skin.
But pregnant women should avoid job’s tear seeds as it causes miscarriage.
Barley
It is a cereal which gets processed into many nutritious foods. But it won’t work well for early pregnancy as it causes to stimulate uterine muscles and increase contractions which leads to miscarriage. That’s why barley is one of the foods causing miscarriage.
Bitter Melon
Bitter melon contains iron, vitamin B, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and manganese so this fruit is very nutritional for enhancing the immune system.
But for pregnant women, bitter melon also causes uterine contraction, fetal damage, and hemorrhage. It irritates the uterine causes to miscarriage in early pregnancy.
Portulaca Oleracea
It is a variable plant of Portulacaceae family. It is also the food which causes miscarriage during early pregnancy.
Generally, Portulaca Oleracea contains high nutrients which are essential for medicine. It tastes sour and helps to decrease body heat and detoxify blood circulation by removing worms.
Although it contains many vitamins and minerals, yet it affects uterine by stimulating muscles, and the increased contractions result in placenta retention. Therefore, it leads to miscarriage.
Artemisia vulgaris
Artemisia vulgaris is an aromatic spicy veggie which helps the following things.
- control blood circulation
- Sooth nerves
- Reduce abdominal pain
- Reduce muscle pain
Artemisia vulgaris is good for treating as remedies for pregnancy problem. But if taken during early pregnancy it causes heavy bleeding and uterine contractions which can result in miscarriage.
Sauropus Androgynus
It is a cold, sweet medicinal plant which contains many antioxidant benefits. Sauropus Androgynus helps to decrease the body heat, nourish blood flow and detoxify toxins. It is a rare plant which contains vitamin k and laxative property.
Sauropus Androgynus also have a rich amount, iron, manganese, vegetable protein, and vitamin A. However, it affects early pregnancy and causes miscarriage.
Normally Sauropus Androgynus have Papaverin which is a substance present in the opium poppy. It helps to expand the vascular smooth muscle to decrease pain and blood pressure.
If pregnant women consume 30 mg of Sauropus Androgynus, then it causes uterine contractions and miscarriage.
Fragrant Knotweed
The fragrant culinary herb which often uses in various Vietnamese dishes. It’s spicy components generate heat in the body.
During pregnancy, too much fragrant knotweed consumption causes heavy bleeding which increases uterine contractions and results in miscarriage.
Longan
It is an aromatic fruit which tastes sweet. This fruit can be harmful to the early pregnancy. It also generates heat in the body and affects fetal hemodynamics and blood circulation. More consumption of Longan increase bloating, pain and bleeding in the abdomen even harm the fetus and cause miscarriage.
Avoid Fish Exposed to Pollutants
A pregnant woman should avoid fish which are exposed to industrial pollutants because these fishes are highly compressed by polychlorinated biphenyls. It is especially advisable to avoid its consumption to people who catch fish from local lakes and streams. These fishes type includes trout, pike, walleye, salmon, bluefish and striped bass. You can also check with environmental protection agency or health department about the fish you have caught from local water for the safety.
Vitamin D deficiency
Direct sunlight of morning can give you vitamin D and also you can get it from some specific foods such as milk, orange, egg yolk, beef liver, cereals, and egg yolks.
Vitamin D plays an important role in the growth of the uterus lining. When a pregnant woman doesn’t get enough vitamin D, then her uterus lining remains thin and make hard for the embryo to develop and which leads to miscarriage.
A pregnant woman should require 400 IU vitamin D every day. You may not get from your pregnancy supplements, but you can get it from foods you eat.
I hope you got the right info to protect your early pregnancy and save your baby. Avoid these above-listed foods and check with your doctor before consuming it in later pregnancy stages.