34 weeks pregnant...Was taking Bitter Gourd as food...Is it harmful? Pls reply asap....

[rittu_084]

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant...While browing through internet recently, I came across several articles that Bitter Gourd is harmful in pregnancy...Strangely, my doctor didn't tell me not to have it when I asked her which food to aviod during pregnancy...At that time, she suggested me to avoid Papaya only...
In my whole pregnancy (till 34 weeks), I have taken bitter gourd 9 or 10 times as an item with my meal (lunch or dinner)...
After reading those articles, I am very scared about the health of my baby...Please reply...

[AUSTIN431]

this is what i found:Snake gourd root should be used cautiously during pregnancy as high doses may have an abortifacient effect and brinjal and tur dhal should be avoided during pregnancy completely also it said curd/yogurt and fish should not be used together i don't know if you eat the other things just in case  i wouldn't risk them hope this helps

[rittu_084]

AUSTIN431, Thanks for ur reply...
Since it is my first pregnancy so I was not aware of these things...Well, I'll stop taking bitter gourd henceforth...
The same thing applies for Brinjal and Pointed Gourd (Snake Gourd) also????

[AUSTIN431]

i looked it up and this is what i found:It is not suggested to take bitter gourd for the first time during pregnancy, if you haven’t successfully used it well before pregnancy. Abdominal cramping and other gastric consequences can be caused by bitter gourd. When people introduce bitter gourd into their diet, they experience severe gas, bloating or diarrhea. You should be aware that consuming bitter may lower your blood glucose to an unhealthy degree if you don’t have diabetes or gestational diabetes.

The seeds have vicine so it can trigger symptoms of favism in susceptible individuals. Also, the red arils of the seeds are reported to be toxic to children and end pregnancies. The fruit has been recognized to stimulate activity in the uterus and could lead to pre-term labor. Breast-feeding women should also refrain from taking bitter melon, as the chemicals in the fruit can be transferred through breast milk. Effects of the bitter melon on children can be harmful. So bitter gourd in any form should be avoided to the pregnant women. so it seems like if you were going to have any bad side effects you would have already had them but why risk it again?  i would avoid anything that says it can end your pregnancy next time you might not be as lucky and now that your so far along you want to avoid anything that can cause labor 34 weeks is still way to early