Foods and Beverages during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Considerations when you’re eating and drinking for two

Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to foods and beverages during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional.

In this day and age, we all know how important a healthy diet is to our overall health. So, it won’t surprise you to know that a healthy diet is even more important during pregnancy, as well as while breastfeeding, when the infant’s only or primary source of nutrition is breast milk. Although many foods provide the nutrients we need to keep ourselves, our pregnancies, and our breastfed infants healthy, it’s important to know that some other foods and beverages should be avoided when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding because they could be harmful.

Some foods have a higher chance of carrying bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. Food-borne illnesses are infections, like listeriosis, salmonella, and E. coli, that can be caused by eating or drinking foods or beverages that are contaminated with these bacteria. Common culprits include raw or undercooked meat and fish, deli meat, unpasteurized (that is, raw) milk and milk products, and soft cheeses. Some food-borne illnesses can cause serious complications during pregnancy, which is why these foods should be avoided while you are pregnant.

Foodborne illness during pregnancy can cause serious health problems, miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth or even death of the mother.

– U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Some other foods need to be avoided because they might contain toxic elements that are found naturally in the environment but can be harmful when they build up in our food chain. An example is methylmercury, which is found in high levels in certain – but not all – types of fish. High levels of methylmercury are harmful to brain development in a fetus, infant, or young child. While eating fish does provide beneficial nutrients during pregnancy, it’s important to choose those types of fish that are known to have lower levels of methylmercury while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Still other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, can directly affect a baby’s development. Alcohol includes wine, beer, spirits (like vodka, gin, and whiskey), liqueurs, and fermented drinks like kombucha. For over 50 years, we’ve known that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm a baby’s brain development and cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). That’s why leading health experts and medical organizations recommend that people avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy.

Alcohol also passes into breast milk. Breastfeeding women are advised to avoid alcohol completely or postpone breastfeeding for 2 to 2.5 hours after each standard drink. In other words, if you have 2 standard drinks, you should not breastfeed for 4-5 hours; if you have 3 drinks, you should not breastfeed for 6 to 7.5 hours, etc. During this time, you can still pump if needed to keep up your milk supply and to stay comfortable, but pumping will not clear the alcohol from your breast milk any faster.

1 alcoholic drink =

12 ounces of beer

1 ounce of hard liquor

4-ounce glass of wine

Talk with your healthcare provider about any concerns you may have about foods or beverages. Please visit our library of resources on food and beverages during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

External Resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Alcohol & Breastmilk
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Alcohol and Pregnancy?
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Breastfeeding Your Baby
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Alcohol Use during Pregnancy
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
• Food and Drug Administration: Advice about Eating Fish For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 – 11 Years (Click link to Download PDF)
• Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Advice Before and During Pregnancy

Partners

• Patient Education Genius
• Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Society for Birth Defects Research & Prevention