Some foods should be limited, and others avoided altogether.

As mentioned before, avoid alcohol. No level of alcohol consumption is considered safe during pregnancy. Also, check with your doctor before you take any vitamins or herbal products. Some of these can be harmful to the developing fetus. And although many doctors feel that one or two 6- to 8-ounce cups per day of coffee, tea, or soda with caffeine won't harm your baby, it's probably wise to avoid caffeine altogether if you can. High caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, so limit your intake or switch to decaffeinated products.

When you're pregnant, it's also important to avoid food-borne illnesses, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be life-threatening to an unborn baby and may cause birth defects or miscarriage.

Foods you will want to steer clear of include:

* soft, unpasteurized cheeses (often advertised as "fresh") such as feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese

* unpasteurized milk, juices, and apple cider

* raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse and tiramisu

* raw or undercooked meats, fish, or shellfish

* processed meats such as hot dogs and deli meats (these should be well-cooked)

* fish that are high in mercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackeral, or tilefish

If you've eaten these foods at some point during your pregnancy, try not to worry too much about it now; just avoid them for the remainder of the pregnancy. If you're really concerned, talk to your doctor.