What can I eat?

When you are pregnant basic hygiene is even more important:

• Wash your hands after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food
• Cook poultry and meat well, especially lamb and pork
• Wash fruit and vegetable thoroughly
• Wash your hands after preparing raw meat

Liver: is not recommended during pregnancy as it contains a type of vitamin A which if eaten in excess, can be linked to birth defects. Another type of vitamin A (beta carotene) found in red, yellow and dark green fruit and vegetables, does not build up in the liver and can be eaten safely. All fruit and vegetables including salads and herbs should be washed to remove dirt and pesticides.

Raw or lightly cooked eggs: may contain salmonella (a cause of food poisoning). Eggs should be cooked so that the white and yolk are solid. Avoid food containing raw and undercooked egg such as homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, cheesecake or mousse.

Raw or undercooked meat and poultry: may contain toxoplasma. Meat and poultry should be cooked thoroughly so there is no trace or pink or blood.

Pate, liver sausage, or unpasteurised or mould ripened soft cheeses (such as Camembert, Brie and blue veined cheeses): they may contain listeria, a bacterium that can cause miscarriage or illness in newborn babies. Also reheat cook-chill foods and ready-to-eat poultry meals until they are piping hot rather than eat them cold.

Shellfish: risk of food poisoning.

Peanuts and food containing peanut products: if you or the baby's father or any previous children have a history of hayfever, asthma, eczema or other allergies, avoiding peanuts and foods like peanut butter, groundnut oil and some snacks may reduce the risk of your baby developing a potentially serious allergy to peanuts.

Alcohol: best avoided. Try cutting out alcohol altogether or at least limiting your intake to less than 5 units a week and not all at once (a unit is a glass of wine, single measure of spirits or half a pint of lager). Too much alcohol during pregnancy is associated with fetal alcohol syndrome that causes a range of abnormalities in the baby.

Try to avoid or minimise your intake of junk food. It's unhealthy because of the often high levels of fat and sugar. Sugar has calories without providing any other nutrients the body needs and adds to the risk of tooth decay. Most of us eat much more fat than we need.

Other things to avoid:

• Cat's faeces: may contain toxoplasma. Avoid emptying cat litter trays while you're pregnant, or if you have to do it, wear disposable rubber gloves.
• Gardening: may come into contact with toxoplasma, so wear gloves.
• Sheep: may come into contact with chlamydia psittaci, which if transmitted to a pregnant woman can have severe effects. Avoid contact to the extent of avoiding contact with clothing that has been worn during lambing.