I Avoided All These Foods While Pregnant. Was It Worth It? — You're a Parent Now

I found out I was pregnant while on vacation in Maine. Before dinner. So I didn't order the raw steamers I was dreaming of. Or have coffee the next morning at breakfast. It was just the beginning.

The following 39 weeks and five days until my son was born was a minefield of avoiding foods and drinks I loved. My previous "devil may care" attitude was a thing of the past, especially with an OBGYN who cautioned me away from unpasteurized cheese and juices, any alcohol, and rare hamburgers.

There is a lot of information out there about what is safe when a woman is pregnant (and it seems like it's always changing), and what the mother eats is up to her and her physician. The foods I abstained from came from discussions between me and my doctor. That could totally be different for you.

However, chances are, if you become pregnant there are some foods and drinks you will choose to abstain from or limit during your 40 weeks of stretch marks, heartburn, and pure love. And if that's the case, you will probably find yourself dreaming of your forbidden fruit (or wine, shellfish, cheese, etc.). Here's the lineup of what tasted best when I was finally cleared to eat and drink anything.

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