Kimchi is a type of probiotic, so it contains bacteria that improve your gut health. In addition, it also lowers cholesterol levels, which reduces your risk for heart disease.
That being said, whether or not you can eat kimchi while pregnant depends on your eating history. If you’ve always eaten kimchi before you were pregnant, you can continue eating it even when you are carrying a baby. However, if you’ve never eaten kimchi before and you want to give it a try, it is not a good idea as you are exposing your body to a new food item (and probably new bacteria) that your body may not digest properly in the first instance. While the bacteria in kimchi might be good for those whose gut recognizes it, you might get an infection if this is something your gut has never digested before. This applies to all probiotic foods, including kimchi.
It is safer to go for store bought kimchi when you are pregnant as it is difficult to maintain health and safety measures at home and your home-made kimchi may harbor bad bacteria that can be harmful to your baby. However, store bought kimchi can have very high sodium content, therefore consume in moderation.
