Eggs During Pregnancy (Can You Eat Eggs While Pregnant?)

Pregnant women shouldknow what food or drink they add to their diet during pregnancy. The egg is one of the most nutritious foods found in every home, and it is simple for everyone to reach this kind of food. Consuming eggs during pregnancy has several health benefits, but some points should be taken into consideration.

This article on Hipregnancy explains what you need to know about eating eggs during pregnancy. Read this article to the end to find out essential information about eggs and pregnancy.

Can pregnant women eat eggs?

The short answer to this question is yes, but only thoroughly cooked and pasteurized eggs are safe to consume during pregnancy.

The egg is one of the best nutrient-dense foods for pregnant women due to its high amounts of protein, vitamin, minerals, omega-3s, antioxidants, etc. Therefore, consuming eggs during pregnancy helps pregnant women to meet their daily nutritional needs.

If you eat raw, undercooked, or unpasteurized eggs while pregnant, you might get sick due to your weak immune system during this period.

So, if you don’t want to get food poisoning while pregnant and don’t put your baby at risk, try to eat fully cooked or pasteurized eggs. Cooking and pasteurization can kill harmful bacteria, cause foodborne illness, and make eggs safe to eat.

Also Read: What Can Pregnant Woman Eat?

Can you eat runny eggs while pregnant?

“I ate runny eggs while pregnant, are they safe for pregnancy?”

No! Only completely cooked eggs are safe to consume during pregnancy. So, you can’t consume runny eggs while pregnant because the yolks and whites must be firmed after cooking.

Always keep in mind that you should avoid the following types of eggs during pregnancy;

• Soft-boiled eggs
• Over medium eggs
• Over easy eggs
• Poached eggs

In addition, some kinds of food should not be taken during pregnancy because they contain raw or runny eggs in their recipe. Here is a list of foods that are the things not to eat when pregnant;

• Tiramisu (to learn more, read tiramisu pregnant)
• Homemade ice cream
• Cookie dough or raw batter
• Meringue
• Mousse
• Homemade eggnog and other beverages containing made with undercooked eggs
• Homemade or fresh-made dressings and sauces like mayonnaise, aioli sauce, hollandaise sauce, béarnaise sauce, and Caesar salad dressing.

* Although mayonnaise and egg products like, frozen omelets, liquid egg whites in a carton, and powdered eggs are made with pasteurized eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that it is better for pregnant women to only consume cooked egg products due to not having any side effects on mom and unborn baby. [1: babycenter]

Can you eat sunny side up eggs while pregnant?

A sunny-side-up egg is fried on one side and not flipped. In other words, the yolk is runny, and the whites are barely set in a sunny-side-up egg. Since this type of egg is undercooked, consuming it is forbidden during pregnancy.

Eating undercooked eggs while pregnant can increase the chance of food poisoning. Even eating eggs during pregnancy first trimester, when runny and undercooked, can higher the risk of miscarriage.

Can you eat over easy eggs while pregnant?

Pregnant ladies should avoid including over-easy eggs in their diet as they are undercooked and their yolks are sunny. An over-easy egg is fried on both sides, and the top of the egg appears white, but the yolk stays runny inside.

To reduce the chance of food poisoning, you should only consume thoroughly cooked eggs, like boiled eggs during pregnancy. Otherwise, eating raw or undercooked eggs can make you sick.

Also Read: eating junk food during pregnancy

Health benefits of eating eggs during pregnancy

The egg has high nutritional value and is a good option for pregnant women. The following table shows how many essential nutrients 1 serving of eggs has;

Nutrient	Amount in 1 serving of eggs
Iron	1.7 mg [14% RDI]
Protein	12.7 g [21% RDI]
Vitamin B12	0.3 µg [15% RDI]
Vitamin D	8.2 mcg [82% RDI]
Vitamin A	102 mcg [14% RDI]
Folate	97 µg [16% RDI]
Choline	328 mg [ 75% AI]
Iodine	43 µg [29% RDI]
Long chain omega-3 fatty acids	114 mg [99% RDI]

As we mentioned above, eggs are nutrient-dense foods and contain important nutrients in pregnancy. Here are some benefits of eating eggs during pregnancy;

• Developing visual and brain function
• Promoting infant’s growth and development
• Preventing anemia
• Reducing the risk of neural tube defects
• Transporting oxygen around the unborn baby
• Helping the production of red blood cells
• Helping function of the nervous system
• Helping manufacture of DNA
• Preventing stillbirth, miscarriage, and mental impairment of the fetus
• Stabilizing blood sugar (a good option for a list of foods to eat with gestational diabetes) [2: australianeggs]

Also Read: can you eat seaweed while pregnant

How many eggs can I eat a day when pregnant?

Each pregnancy is unique and has special circumstances. You can enjoy consuming eggs in pregnancy alongside other healthy foods such as chicken, vegetables, fish, whole grains, etc.

Generally, consuming one or two eggs per day is recommended. The suggested egg intake depends on pregnant women’s body cholesterol because the amount of cholesterol in one serving of egg is about 185 mg, while the average amount of cholesterol a pregnant woman’s body need is about 300 mg each day.

Therefore, knowing your cholesterol level before consuming eggs during pregnancy is vital to prevent any side effects and complications.

Some doctors recommend pregnant women take less than 20 eggs each month; some believe it is better to only consume egg whites during pregnancy. So, the reliable way is to consult your doctor about how many eggs need to be consumed daily during pregnancy.

Can you eat over medium eggs while pregnant?

Overall, eggs are safe to eat when pregnant as long as they are pasteurized and fully cooked. So, consuming over medium eggs is not recommended during pregnancy. Over medium eggs are undercooked and have slightly runny yolks, which may put you at risk of Salmonella.

Over medium eggs are cooked at low heat, while the safe eggs to consume in pregnancy are cooked at a high temperature, 160 F or more.

Since pregnant ladies have weaker immune systems than others, so they should not eat uncooked or undercooked foods. The same rule applies to eating eggs during pregnancy. That means having undercooked eggs, like over medium eggs, are forbidden.

Risks of eating eggs during pregnancy

” I accidentally ate raw egg while pregnant. What will happen to me?”

If you do not consume this nutrient-dense food in the right way and don’t cook it properly, it can cause harmful side effects.

Salmonella poisoning is common among women consuming undercooked or raw eggs while pregnant. Salmonella bacteria can lead to food poisoning during pregnancy and in serious cases, can cause preterm labor and miscarriage. Diarrhea, vomiting, headache, high fever, dehydration, and abdominal pain are the health problems associated with salmonella bacteria.

In addition, consuming high amounts of egg yolks in pregnant women having high cholesterol levels can put them at risk and cause health issues. Also, allergies like nasal congestion, skin rashes, and hives are other risks of eating eggs during pregnancy. [3: parenting.firstcry]

Conclusion

Consuming eggs during pregnancy is a good way for pregnant women to meet their daily nutritional requirements. The egg is a healthy food that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, iron, etc. There are many reasons to consume eggs, such as promoting baby’s overall development, preventing anemia, stabilizing body sugar, and other health benefits.

Remember that you should consume thoroughly cooked and pasteurized eggs while pregnant, and avoid eating raw, unpasteurized, or runny eggs, because they may cause health issues like salmonella. Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or preterm labor.

FAQs

1. How to cook eggs when pregnant?

You should cook eggs thoroughly until the whites and yolks firm. Consider you should avoid using unpasteurized eggs while pregnant. Only cook and enjoy pasteurized ones.

2. Can you eat poached eggs when pregnant?

No, it is not safe to eat poached eggs during pregnancy. Poached eggs are not fully cooked; therefore, there is a risk of Salmonella.

3. Can you eat dippy eggs when pregnant?

Strictly no! Dippy eggs are soft-boiled eggs containing runny yolks, which may carry Salmonella bacteria. Consuming foods contaminated with Salmonella results in foodborne illnesses.  

4. Can you eat egg yolk during pregnancy?

Yes, you can enjoy eating egg yolk while pregnant, as long as it is fully cooked and firmed.

5. Can pregnant women eat scrambled eggs?

No! Since scrambled eggs contain slightly runny eggs, eating scrambled eggs during pregnancy is not recommended.

6. Can I eat 3 eggs a day during pregnancy?

Generally, it is recommended to eat one or two eggs per day; however, you should look at the rest of your daily diet to know how many eggs you can eat a day. Talking to your doctor can help you know whether consuming 3 eggs is good or bad.