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Can eggs be consumed during pregnancy?
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Eggs during pregnancy are a product that is an important component of the diet of the expectant mother due to the balanced ratio of nutrients in them. Eggs are rich in vitamins A, D, B2, B6, E, iron, phosphorus, copper, calcium, cobalt and other substances that are so necessary for any person, and especially for a pregnant woman.
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Can pregnant women eat eggs?
Eggs contain a lot of proteins that are easily absorbed by the body. Their big bonus is that their consumption does not particularly affect the figure. And for many pregnant women this is important, expectant mothers try to eat a balanced diet so as not to gain excess weight.
In addition, protein is a building material for the bodies of the mother and her baby.
The egg contains a lot of choline, and this element is responsible for the mental development of the future child and helps to ensure that neural tube defects do not develop, therefore reducing the risk of deformities and development of abnormalities.
Chicken eggs contain cholesterol, so many pregnant women wonder if they can eat them. But in natural products, its content is actually low: 45 grams of one egg contains 1.5 grams of cholesterol, and the calorie content of the egg depends on how it is cooked, and it will still be minimal.
So eggs can be safely consumed during pregnancy. The only exception is the case of a food allergy to eggs.
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Chicken eggs during pregnancy
A raw egg (white) contains 53 mg of cholesterol, while a boiled egg white contains 43 mg.
A chicken egg has 1.5-2% cholesterol in its yolk, and lecithin, which has the opposite effect, exceeds 10%.
Boiled eggs during pregnancy
Experts recommend that pregnant women include chicken eggs in their daily diet, one egg per day will be enough. It is not necessary to eat chicken eggs every day - it is quite possible to make yourself an omelet of several eggs and just eat it once every few days or eat boiled eggs several at a time periodically.
Raw eggs during pregnancy
Raw eggs during pregnancy are a product that should definitely be excluded from the diet. The fact is that they pose a risk of contracting a disease such as salmonella. Eating Caesar salad, dressings with raw eggs, eggnog, custards. It is advisable for pregnant women to either not eat these dishes at all or there is a way to adapt the recipes so as not to use raw eggs in them.
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Waterfowl eggs during pregnancy
Many people love waterfowl eggs, but experts do not recommend eating them even if you are not pregnant. The fact is that they can cause food poisoning. If the bird had any diseases, the blood flow could provide the penetration of microorganisms into the ovaries, so they could get into the egg when it was formed. Waterfowl are often susceptible to ovarian inflammation, the causative agent of which is salmonella. In addition, the shell of such eggs is more porous, so infections penetrate inside the egg more easily. Therefore, it is not recommended to use goose and duck eggs for omelettes or fried eggs. Sometimes they are used for pastry (buns, cookies, pastries). If you still decide to eat a waterfowl egg, it is important to have a trusted supplier, in addition, you should pay attention to the heat treatment regime: thoroughly rinse the shell before cooking and cook the egg for more than 15 minutes. However, pregnant women should still avoid taking risks with waterfowl eggs.
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Quail eggs during pregnancy
Quail eggs are rich in vitamins and microelements, essential amino acids. Unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs do not contain cholesterol. Due to this, the work of the circulatory system is normalized, and this is a very useful factor for a pregnant woman. Quail eggs contain a lot of phosphorus and potassium, which helps strengthen the dental and skeletal system.
Pregnancy is often characterized by a decrease in hemoglobin levels. Iron is also present in large quantities in quail eggs, and this microelement increases the number of red blood cells and normalizes hemoglobin.
Pregnant women often suffer from absent-mindedness, memory loss, mood swings. Such conditions are often caused by a deficiency of any vitamin from group B. Quail eggs help to increase the content of vitamins of this group. When eating quail eggs, the blood is purified, blood pressure is normalized. In addition, radionuclides are removed, and this has a positive effect on the formation of the fetus and the development of the child.
Allergy to quail eggs during pregnancy
Often the question arises whether quail eggs will cause an allergic reaction in a pregnant woman. After all, if a pregnant woman eats food that can cause an allergy, then the future child may develop a predisposition to allergies. But quail eggs act just the opposite. They contain a high content of ovomocid, and this is the protein that is used in anti-allergic drugs. Therefore, the expectant mother does not have to worry about eating quail eggs at all - they do not cause allergies.
Eggshells during pregnancy
Many have heard of the old granny's method - to eat crushed eggshells to replenish the body's calcium reserves. There are several points here. Firstly, there is a risk of getting salmonella this way. Secondly, in our time there are more civilized methods of getting calcium. For example, calcium gluconate is sold in every drugstore. In addition, there are products that have a fairly high calcium content - poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cheese, dairy products and much more.
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Belching rotten eggs during pregnancy
The cause of rotten egg burps is hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Sulfur-containing proteins form gas when broken down in the stomach or intestines.
To avoid such an unpleasant condition as burping rotten eggs, you can refuse some foods, in particular sulfur-containing components. They can be found in restaurant salads, dried fruits, fast food and meat. The main products containing sulfur:
- dairy products;
- eggs;
- red meat;
- tomatoes;
- beet;
- sweet potato;
- parsley;
- onion;
- mustard;
- garlic;
- cabbage, broccoli, asparagus;
- legumes: in jicama, soybeans, beans, lentils, peas;
- in fruits: watermelon, bananas, avocados;
- seeds and nuts;
- coffee and tea;
- amino acids – methionine and cysteine;
- vitamins H (biotin) and B1 (thiamine);
- some medications;
- sulfur bacteria.
If you identify the product that caused the rotten egg burp and stop eating it, it will go away in a couple of days.
In addition, there are other factors that can cause rotten egg burps during pregnancy. For example, the presence of the Helycobacter pylori bacteria. It is usually diagnosed and then eliminated with antibiotics. The cause of this unpleasant condition can also be the presence of intestinal lamblia, intestinal bacteria in the body.
In any case, it is worth contacting a gastroenterologist who will be able to most accurately determine what exactly caused the rotten egg burps.
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