Pregnancy
Many readers have asked and suggested we extend our Soups for Children and Confinement Soups section to include a unique (but temporary) group of individuals – the expectant mother.
In Chinese traditions, it is commonly known that the first three months of pregnancy are the most critical. I think western medicine will echo this too because the baby is just beginning to develop most of the critical pieces and there can be lots of instability. You will too often hear people announce their pregnancy after the 3 month incubation period is over and be cautious of what they eat.
Here is a straight forward guide and list of soups safe to consume during pregnancy. The basic concept of the Chinese soups is that none of them are extremely cooling, healing or potent in herbal additives. Enjoy!
Chicken Herbal Soup
Fish Tail Soup with Lily Bulb and Carrots
Ham Bone Sour Vegetable Soup (The sour soup will probably really hit the spot in your early months)
Orange Vegetable Fish Soup
Papaya Fish Soup
Pork Bones and Arrowroot Soup
Pork Bones with Lotus Root Soup
Red Dates and Young Coconut with Fish Tail Soup
Seabed Coconut, Carrot and Corn Soup
Tomato Fish Soup
Turkey Bone Sour Vegetable Soup
In general, I would recommend fish soups. Although be careful of not using fish that are too large (due to the increased level of mercury in larger fish compared to smaller fish).
Can I drink “Dong Sum” (type of ginseng) or “Dong Quai” soup during pregnancy? Thanks.
Faith, I read somewhere that Dong Quai is “too powerful” for pregnancy so better avoid…Not sure about Dong Sum.
Hi Faith,
Why is it bad to have soup that is healing or potent. I made chicken soup with ginger. Is that too potent to drink in the first trimester?
Thank you.
Ginger with chicken soup is fine during the first trimester. In fact, ginger with any trimester is fine as ginger is more a “warming” ingredient. Caution should be taken with “cooling” ingredients instead – such as watermelon, winter melons, ginseng etc. Hope this helps! Lisa
Thank you very much Faith!
Thank you for this site. I am learning so much. I would love to make your pregancy soups, however I might be missing some ingredients. Is it okay to still make the soups even though I might miss one or two ingredients? I’m just concern if I’m not drinking something right if I am pregnant.
Baby, I suppose it depends on what ingredients – but in general it’s OK as most ingredients aren’t “cooling” anyways and you should avoid these cooling items during the first trimester and post partum of your pregnancy. Hope this helps. Lisa
Hi Faith, am so happy to find your website as iam a chinese brought up in england and have no idea how to type or write chinese. I would like a recipe for turtle soup for my husband as he always has a lot of spots on his back and face. Can you reccomend a recipe please. He had it before in a restaurant and felt that it helped a bit.
regards
nancy
you know how the chinese says no seafood during pregnancy, but how about seafood in soup, like abalone or conch in the soup?
Dear,
I am 15 weeks pregnant and lately i have joint sore in the middle of the night around the wrists and ankle…is there any soup that can help me to combat this? thanks
Dear Lee,
Congrats! I’m sorry but I don’t know any soups that can help with the soreness. Apologies here sincerely, but will try to ask around the vendors (meat & veggies) to see if they come up with anything and let you know! Lisa
Hi!
This is a great site. I’m 14 weeks pregnant and this has been really helpful. Thanks for all the tips and info. Would like to ask if it’s ok to use black chicken for the herbal chicken soup? I’ve been feeling lethargic and I’ve been told that black chicken soup can help. Any other tips you have for more energy will be great too. Thanks again!
Hello LadyTong,
Is there any soup to promote general wellness for women? I have irregular menses and am trying to conceive. Please advise.
Thanks!
Hi Snowy,
Loose Red raspberry leaf tea is said to work wonders on a woman’s menstrual cycle!
Hi Lady Tong,
Is it alright to use dried squid in place of dried scallops for pregnancy soups?
Thank you.
Hi JJ, dried squid is perfect OK as a replacement for pregnancy soups. I find most dried Chinese seafood produce a similar taste in soups and squid is safe to consume during pregnancy. Hope this helps, Lisa
Thanks for the tip, Natasha.
Thanks Lisa. I made the lotus root soup with dried squid instead of dried scallops but my pregnancy taste buds decided that we didn’t fancy it after all so I didn’t end up having much at all! Great page though, thank you.
I’m interested in making the Chicken Soup. Is Chinese dried yams safe to have during the first few weeks of pregnancy or after IVF? Also, I don’t have dried squid….are dried shrimps and dried scallops safe to have or should I omit them completely? Thanks!
Dear Lilacs,
Chinese dried yams are OK for the first few weeks of pregnancy (regardless of method). Both dried shrimps and dried scallops are perfectly OK as well. These actually form the soup base for chicken soup (especially the confinement ones) – which are ALL ideal for the first trimester. You want to keep with warmer foods and avoid cooler foods is a general rule of thumb. HOpe this helps and good luck! Lisa
Can pregnant women in their 2nd trimester drink salted vegetable duck soup?
Hi are all these soups safe to drink during breastfeeding as well?
Hi Cheng, yes, safe for breastfeeding. My sisters and I were drinking these soups during our first month and were all breastfeeding as well. If you’re concerned, take less herbs and more vegetables and natural ingredients. Hope this helps! Lisa
Hi Lisa, I read somewhere that ginseng is best avoided during pregnancy but I had some chicken ginseng soup yesterday. I had just a small bowl. Is it safe? Hope to hear from you soon! Thanks!
Hi,
Can I eat plums during pregnancy?
Hi Carolyn, sure plums are relatively neutral fruit, in both dried and fresh form and can be consumed during pregnancy. Congrats! Lisa
Thanks Lisa for the response! Really appreciate it!
Hi, is it ok to replace pork with chicken for the soups above?
LOve the receipes!
I’m curious to know if the apricot kernels north and south (sweet and bitter) are safe to have during pregnancy. I’ve always put the 2 together and never one without the other because that’s what I was always told to do and no one’s ever really told me why! Recently, I went on one of pages where you talk about this ingredient and mention that the bitter one is consider poisonous and must be accompanied by the sweet one, although the sweet one can be used on its own. I didn’t even realize there was a ratio to use. I’ve always used the 1:1 ratio. I recently put some in some tong sui and concerned it’s not good or safe during pregnancy. Any insight?
i drink hot chicken soup in my 2nd month of pregnancy i m so worried is it good or not?
Faith, tong sum is good..
Hi,
Is there any soup that helps conceive? Thks.
Dear Babe, I don’t have any that would help you conceive per say, but soups that will help your body to heal it, nourish it etc.. You can try any of the pregnancy soups. I will also check with my herbalist and get back to you! Lisa
Dear Shah, chicken soup is totally OK as a meat base, however it does also depend on what ingredients are in it. During your 2nd month, try to avoid cooling soup ingredients such as ginseng, watermelon, snow pears. If you check the ingredients, it will tell you if it’s risky for pregnancies (especially first trimesters). I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions. Lisa
Dear lilacs, please see my response to the ratio for apricot kernals here. It’s actually a very good question and lots of people were wondering as well, so I went and basically harassed my herbalist to explain it as thoroughly as possible! Lisa
Dear irene, totally OK to replace pork for chicken (especially for pregnancies). Chicken is considered a heatier meat than pork, which is completely OK. In fact, lots of Chinese soups use both chicken and pork together. G’luck! Lisa
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site? My blog site is in the very same niche as yours and my users would definitely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Appreciate it!
Not at all, please do and thanks. Lisa
Hi – I’m into my 12th week & 3rd pregnancy. This time round get body chills & am always cold. Can I take pau sum soup?
Dear Yling, pau sum soup – as in with ginseng (because of the sum)? Let me know if my assumption is right or not. If it is, I’d avoid ginseng until maybe your third trimester. If you’re always cold, drink chicken soup and things that are more heaty, ie: any of the winter soups are a good choice. I found I got body chills and always cold after my 2nd pregnancy and it’s just like that ALL the time now. Eating the ginger and pig’s feet is a very good warming dish and also sweet potato dessert (with ginger). Any of those two are super warming. Hope this helps! Lisa
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