Safe Dairy Products for Pregnant Women

The American Pregnancy Association recommends at least three servings of dairy a day during pregnancy. Dairy products not only contain vitamin A and vitamin D, but are a great source of protein and calcium as well, which helps your baby grow and develop properly. However, with warnings about Listeria and other food-borne illnesses, some pregnant women feel nervous about eating dairy products because they are not sure which are safe. Although there are some dairy products that should be avoided during pregnancy, there are also many safe options.

  1. Dairy Products to Avoid

    • Any dairy product that contains unpasteurized milk may lead to food-borne illnesses and should be avoided. Some examples of dairy products to avoid include certain cheeses, like queso blanco, queso fresco and panela. Any dairy product that is past its expiration date should also be avoided.

    Safe Cheese

    • There are many types of cheese that are safe for pregnant women to eat, including most hard cheeses and semi-soft cheeses, like cheddar, mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices, cottage cheese and cream cheese. Soft, mould-ripened cheeses and soft, blue-veined cheeses are not safe and should be avoided. These include cheeses like camembert, brie, chevre, roquefort and danish blue. While hard, blue-veined cheese, like stilton, are considered safer, they can still contain listeria, according to BabyCenter.

    Drinking Milk

    • Milk should be one of the staples of a pregnant woman's diet. Although whole milk may provide extra vitamin D, it also will provide extra calories as well, which is something to take into consideration if you are watching your weight gain. Skim or low fat milk offers a good amount of calcium but much fewer calories.

    Benefits of Yogurt

    • Yogurt is not only a safe choice for pregnant women, but a smart choice as well. It contains active cultures that can reduce the risk of yeast infections, provides more calcium than milk and is a great source of protein as well. In addition, yogurt is usually a bit easier to digest than some of the other dairy products, which may make it a good choice for those who are lactose intolerant or have other difficulties digesting dairy.

    Ice Cream

    • Although it's a bit of a cliche, pregnant women may be relieved to hear that ice cream is safe to eat during pregnancy. It is not only a good antidote to sweet tooth cravings, but a good source of calcium and protein as well. Just be careful, because although eating ice cream has many benefits, it is very high in calories and fat and should be eaten in moderation.

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