Feeling Guilty About Eating Deli Meat- Anyone Else?

Sarahp63

So I have to admit, I broke down and have been eating deli meat. I had been craving just a plain turkey sandwich, so I bought some packaged (Hillshire Farms) and had that. Last weekend I had a sub (from a trusted store), and my mom had bought them from the same place tonight when we had a family picnic. I know you are suppose to heat the meat, but honestly, I just dont like it like that. Well, my sister is 32 weeks pregnant and shamed me for it. She also started in about Listeriosis, etc. I have googled it, which has not been a good idea. Anyone else eat it? I feel sooo bad now. What are my chances? My midwife never talked about it with me.

pawcall

Honestly, it's fine.  My doctor told me to go nuts.  Just to take the same precautions I'd take if I weren't pregnant (don't buy a sandwich from a place that looks like the meats sits out for days). 

I had a turkey hoagie for lunch today and it was fabulous.  Tell your sister to take a hike.  Your MW would have told you if she thought it was a problem.  She clearly doesn't.

hot_tamale

I had a turkey sandwich with avocado yesterday. It was delicious! Don't feel bad. As long as it is from a clean place you trust, I think there is very little to no harm done. I forgot where I saw it, but the actual number of listeria cases reported is so freakin low, you have a better chance of getting hit by a car.

On a side note, it is great to see you posting on here. I was wondering how you were doing. So glad everything is still going well.  

locash

It's rare. Every woman can make the choice in her comfort level herself.

It's totally okay to eat lunch meat as long as it's fresh and hasn't been sitting out at room temperature for long.

Enjoy your meat  

hlh018

My doctor has told me that as long as you know the lunchmeat hasn't been sitting out it is fine, so go for it. 

KeyRyn320

I have had lunch meat AND bacon (like club sandwiches) and don't feel the least bit guilty. Like a pp said, if your midwife thought it was important, she would have said something.

SN: Where have you been hiding?!

mrsseguin

I eat it every day and don't think twice about it.  Eat it and enjoy it, you won't kill your baby.

alliecarrie41

i had a turkey sandwich about two weeks ago at mom's before i told her the news... i gave her the third degree asking about where it came from, what brand, etc. haha..  but nah, moderation is key and i think the baby would need a heck of a lot of meat for me to worry about it.

nurseJK

I read somewhere chances are greater of getting hit by a car! You are fine.

daintydoxie

this is good news!  i was so careful when I was pregnant with DS and never ate it and of course i CRAVED it!  I have been wanting turkey sandwiches so badly this time too so tomorrow i know what i'll be eating

Keddy15

Here's my view on the deli meat thing, how many of our mother's ate deli meats when they were pregnant with us?  We're all fine!  Now this theory does not work for things like alcohol, medications, drugs, smokeing etc.  But for deli meats, come on!

mbh10220

daintydoxie:

this is good news!  i was so careful when I was pregnant with DS and never ate it and of course i CRAVED it!  I have been wanting turkey sandwiches so badly this time too so tomorrow i know what i'll be eating

DITTO!  I've had a couple turkey sandwiches but vowed I'd stop...now I'm not going to worry about it!!  =D  YAY!!!

IncogNeato

I hear ya. I've avoided it completely until this last weekend when we had family visiting and went on a picnic two times. We picked up gourmet sandwiches at the local deli and they were delicious but it still makes me nervous. To be honest, it's not about moderation but statistics. The odds that you got bad meat is really really slim but if you do get bad meat, it doesn't really matter how much you ate. Odds are, you're fine, though. I think there are about 500 cases of PG women getting listeria per year. In 2007 there were 4.3 million babies born. So, if there were about 4 million PG women and 500 cases of listeria.... really low odds.

I'm not planning on eating it often though. Just not worth the stress. 

discovolante

I haven't heard this anywhere else, but my doctor told me it's fine in moderation as long as it is pre-packaged (like Hillshire Farms or Oscar Mayer), but to avoid the kind you get in the deli. He said it's because it's packaged differently?

 

All I know is Subway doesn't slice their meat, so GAME ON

MomTeacher

After reading all of the replies, I think I am going to eat a turkey sandwich right now. It sounds so good. It is 7:30 in the morning... Is that wrong???

 

MJM3108

My doc's big warning about deli meat was to try and get it as fresh as possible. Like, if you're craving a hoagie- go get one! If you do get meats from the deli get small amts that will be finished within 2 days. Or heat them up- hot ham and cheese, anyone?

UnexpectedlyMom11

I had Quizzno's turkey yesterday! yum yum

june21jbr

Now, I am STARVING!

dxiechicken41

I'm so proud of how realistic everyone's become now that most of us are in the 2nd trimester

Two months ago, we'd be fending off deli meats with anything blunt and nearby. (Well, some would.)

Zee9635

I've eaten a delicious subway sub a couple times so far and yesterday I had (gasp) a pretzel hot dog from Auntie Anne's. It was worth every bite. I don't have either very often and I get the subs toasted so I don't feel too guilty!

mrs.gee

(I am a one-time Jan mom now lurking but I had to chime in)

I see a lot on the Bump people saying "anything in moderation", and while that may be true in many instances, I don't think it is quite correct in the case of listeria (if someone knows otherwise, please correct me).  If you have the unfortunate luck to eat some tainted deli meat or bad sushi, it's like eating a bad oyster - it's just bad news.  I'm sure it could make some difference if you ate an entire ham versus a few slices, but I'm not sure how much.  In contrast, something like nitrates in hot dogs (or deli meat, for that matter) or a sip of wine is a question of moderation.

(And by the way, I'm not intending to harsh on any one who makes any of these decisions one way or another - I personally enjoy deli meat while pg from trusted sources!  Thanks, sorry to nose in!) 

calhoun05

IncogNeato:

I hear ya. I've avoided it completely until this last weekend when we had family visiting and went on a picnic two times. We picked up gourmet sandwiches at the local deli and they were delicious but it still makes me nervous. To be honest, it's not about moderation but statistics. The odds that you got bad meat is really really slim but if you do get bad meat, it doesn't really matter how much you ate. Odds are, you're fine, though. I think there are about 500 cases of PG women getting listeria per year. In 2007 there were 4.3 million babies born. So, if there were about 4 million PG women and 500 cases of listeria.... really low odds.

I'm not planning on eating it often though. Just not worth the stress. 

This.  Listeria is not something that's normally in deli meats that could "build up" in your system or starts to cause harm once you eat a threshold amounts.  It is something that is very, very, very rarely in foods - usually prepared foods, but can also be on raw fruits and veggies, so wash them - The risk is that on the off, off, off chance you eat something with listeria and develop listeriosis, it will most likely cross the placenta, and that will most likely cause a miscarriage or serious harm to the baby. 

So the "moderation" argument is inapposite; it's about minimizing the, once again, incredibly small risk that you eat something that's been contaminated by either abstaining or picking places that you trust not to leave meat out for long periods and to properly clean cutting equipment. 

mrs.gee

calhoun05:

IncogNeato:

I hear ya. I've avoided it completely until this last weekend when we had family visiting and went on a picnic two times. We picked up gourmet sandwiches at the local deli and they were delicious but it still makes me nervous. To be honest, it's not about moderation but statistics. The odds that you got bad meat is really really slim but if you do get bad meat, it doesn't really matter how much you ate. Odds are, you're fine, though. I think there are about 500 cases of PG women getting listeria per year. In 2007 there were 4.3 million babies born. So, if there were about 4 million PG women and 500 cases of listeria.... really low odds.

I'm not planning on eating it often though. Just not worth the stress. 

This.  Listeria is not something that's normally in deli meats that could "build up" in your system or starts to cause harm once you eat a threshold amounts.  It is something that is very, very, very rarely in foods - usually prepared foods, but can also be on raw fruits and veggies, so wash them - The risk is that on the off, off, off chance you eat something with listeria and develop listeriosis, it will most likely cross the placenta, and that will most likely cause a miscarriage or serious harm to the baby. 

So the "moderation" argument is inapposite; it's about minimizing the, once again, incredibly small risk that you eat something that's been contaminated by either abstaining or picking places that you trust not to leave meat out for long periods and to properly clean cutting equipment. 

Yes, this! Thanks, you said this much more eloquently than I did!

sandylou

I feel guilty!!! I hear what everyone is saying about listeria being rare and get it from a place you know is clean and blah blah blah. BUT deep inside I think...what if I'M the 1 out of however many that actually does get listeria. That would totally be my luck.

Having said that when the craving calls I roll with the punches. I had an amazing sub yesterday and I wish I hadn't for a whole other reason...now I don't know how I will stay away from that place!