Yikes!

Even if you've always had a stomach of iron, pregnancy weakens your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses that could make you sick and harm your baby. Dangerous bacteria and parasites can lurk in improperly prepared, cooked, and stored foods. Listeria and Toxoplasma can cross your placenta and affect your baby even if you never feel symptoms of the illness yourself. So it's important to avoid certain foods during pregnancy, including: Undercooked meat: Make sure any meat you eat, including fish, is cooked well-done and not pink in any areas. E. coli, Salmonella, and Toxoplasma can be present in undercooked meats. (Ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and ground poultry to 165 degrees F. Pork roasts and chops need to reach 145 degrees F, whole poultry 180 degrees F, chicken breasts 170 degrees F, and fish 145 degrees F. Use a food thermometer to test the temperature, because the color of the food isn't always a good indicator of doneness.) Unpasteurized soft cheeses: Sometimes called "raw milk" cheeses, unpasteurized cheese may contain listeria, which is killed during the pasteurization process. Make sure the label of any soft cheese says "made with pasteurized milk." If you can't check the label – for example, if you're at a party – avoid blue cheese and soft cheeses (including Brie, Camembert, goat cheese, feta, and Roquefort) and Mexican-style cheeses like queso fresco, queso blanco, and Panela. Safe bets are hard cheeses like cheddar and Swiss, and semi-soft cheeses like Monterey jack and mozzarella. Cream cheese and pasteurized processed cheeses like American are also safe. Anything that contains raw eggs: Raw eggs in uncooked cookie dough and cake batter, homemade egg nog, or homemade salad dressings (like Caesar) could contain Salmonella or other bacteria harmful to you and your baby. Sushi: Sushi made with raw fish may contain parasites and bacteria. If you're a sushi fan, opt instead for rolls made with cooked ingredients, like California rolls (made with avocado and cooked crab). Although raw fish poses little direct risk to your baby, if you get ill from sushi you'll likely suffer from vomiting and dehydration, which can affect your unborn baby. Raw oysters and other shellfish: Stay away from uncooked shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops. Cook shellfish until the shell opens to ensure that any bacteria or parasites have been killed. Discard any shellfish whose shell doesn't open during cooking, as this means that the shellfish was dead before cooking and may have been sick. Raw sprouts: Don't garnish your burger or salad with alfalfa or other raw sprouts. They can contain E. coli or Salmonella bacteria. For the same reason, make sure raw vegetables – lettuce and cabbage especially – have been washed. And use caution when eating: Refrigerated ready-to-eat foods: If not prepared and handled properly, deli-style salads (especially those containing protein, like egg, chicken, ham, and seafood) can be contaminated with Listeria. This includes salads from the store as well as those that are homemade – and sandwiches made from these salads. Since these types of salads are ready-to-eat and not reheated, they can pose a risk to pregnant women, and you may want to avoid them altogether. If you do choose to eat them, discard any leftovers four days after preparation. Also stay away from salads (and other food) left unrefrigerated or unheated. So, for example, if you arrive at a party and there's a potato salad that's not on ice, or meat that's not on a hot plate, don't eat it unless you know for sure that it's been out for less than two hours (one hour for refrigerated foods if it's a very warm day, over 90 degrees). Hot dogs and luncheon meats: Hot dogs are generally high in nitrates, as well as fat and sodium – but it's safe to enjoy one now and then, provided it's fresh off the grill or has otherwise been cooked until steaming hot (to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill bacteria that may be present. Also be careful with the juice that comes from hot-dog and deli-meat packaging. Don't let it come in contact with foods that won't be cooked, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. Luncheon and deli meats also need to be reheated until they're steaming hot to be safe. Smoked meats and meat spreads: If you're serving meat spreads like pâté, or smoked fish such as smoked salmon or trout, make sure they're canned, not from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Refrigerated meat spreads and smoked meats, fish, and shellfish can contain listeria, so it's only safe to eat them if they're heated until steaming or part of a dish that has been cooked. http://www.babycenter.com/my-pregnancy-today-app