I read several pregnancy articles when I was pregnant. I read at least 10 a day, and definitely enough to drive my husband crazy. The articles often contradicted each other, and provided conflicting information. I did however end up adjusting my behavior from some of the information I read, and ended up with three major dietary changes when pregnant.
No Coffee While Pregnant
I avoided coffee and most caffeine during my entire pregnancy. While the research suggests that a small amount of caffeine is not a problem, I avoided caffeine all together to err on the side of caution. I did allow myself chocolate, and other items that have a small amount of caffeine in them. But I did avoid all coffee, and black tea while I was pregnant.
I started to develop an aversion to the smell of coffee and black tea. I went on the Celestial Seasonings tour in Boulder Colorado while pregnant, and I had to leave the tour early because I started to feel ill. The black tea room was more than I could handle.
At times my avoidance of coffee would come up in conversation, and I could tell it was a hot button issue. Many of my friends would drink coffee while pregnant, and had healthy babies. One person told me her doctor actually recommended she consume caffeine to help treat her headaches.
The research is divided on the topic, and hardly conclusive. Avoiding coffee during pregnancy did make going to work more difficult, but it was the right decision for me.
Not Eating Deli Meats While Pregnant
I sparingly ate deli meats while pregnant. When I was a few months pregnant my doctor told me it was OK to eat deli meat about once or twice a week. She said the reports of deli meats being bad to eat where exaggerated, and that it was ok to eat them in moderation.
One day I bought some prepackaged ham from the supermarket, heated it up, and had it for dinner.
The next day I was violently ill. I could not keep anything down. Water tasted like poison all of a sudden, and it seemed near impossible to drink anything. My doctor said if I was not able to drink any water, I would have to go to the hospital. So I forced myself to drink water, one painful sip at a time.
I recovered, and ended up never having to go to the hospital. After that, I avoided eating any more deli meat. I have met many women who ate deli meats during their pregnancies with no problems, but I will never eat deli meats again when pregnant.
Anemic When Pregnant
I was anemic when pregnant. I needed more iron, but the only thing I wanted to drink was milk.
The milk was making it difficult to absorb iron, and the anemia took away any energy and/or desire to eat anything else. On top of that, my doctor wanted me drinking more milk for other nutritional reasons.
So I ended up taking an iron supplement in the morning, and drinking milk at night. Keeping the two separate so that they would not interfere with each other too much, and to keep my energy levels up.
References:
http://www.babycenter.com/caffeine-during-pregnancy
http://www.babycenter.com/406_is-it-safe-to-eat-deli-meats-when-im-pregnant_1246923.bc
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html