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2nd Trimester
mopsie
member
Getting on my nerves (flame away)
mopsie
member
I can't stand it when someone asks about eating raw eggs, sushi or deli meat, and someone will write "I ate cookie dough with DS and he's totally fine!" or "my mom ate deli meat when she was pregnant with me and I'm normal!"
People don't realize that the "in moderation" rule does not apply to things that carry a risk of having harmful bacteria. Yes, eating raw eggs "in moderation" will reduce your risk of exposure, but it only takes one salmonella-infected egg or one listeria-containing turkey sandwich or spicy tuna roll to cross the placenta and harm (or even kill) your LO.
The things to eat "in moderation" are things that potentially carry risks in HIGH amounts. This would include tuna (because of the mercury), Diet Coke (because of the artificial sweeteners), hot dogs/deli meats (because of the nitrates, NOT because of the listeria), etc.
Someone can eat sushi every day and have a perfectly healthy baby, and someone else can have one little bite and contract Salmonella poisoning. It has nothing to do with moderation.
Also, it's very common for the mother to have no symptoms of Listeria poisoning and yet the bacteria crosses the placenta and cause harm to the baby.
I'm just sick of reading people's comments about how they're ok with having sushi, deli, etc "in moderation"... they don't realize that it takes ONE BITE to potentially kill their baby.
OK, flame away. 
ETA: I'm not judging the people who DO eat sushi, deli, etc. It's their body, their baby, their decision. I'm referring to the people who think eating it in moderation will somehow magically prevent them from getting bacterial poisoning.
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Re: Getting on my nerves (flame away)
I agree there is a difference, technically.
Edit now that I have more time: I also think you need to "pick your battles" like another poster mentioned. There is a much, much greater risk of dying in a car accident than catching listeria...but we don't avoid driving or riding in vehicles, do we?
this topic is never ending and you will get no where.
FWIW, I have eaten tuna, hot dogs and deli meat both pregnancies....flame away!!!!!!!!!
I'm trying to find your point.
Are you saying to eat these things "in moderation" or to avoid them b/c it only takes "one time"??? You mention one listeria turkey sandwich can you do you in, but in the next paragraph you list deli meats as a "in moderation" thing.
As far as this stuff is concerend, I listen to my doctors. That's why I'm paying them. I trust them, and they went to medical school. I don't bother asking everyone else what they ate.
I totally agree. You can get sick from nearly anything. Are you touring every kitchen at every restaurant you eat at? You might be appalled to see that some kitchens are not as clean as you'd think or like them to be.
To each his own.
BLOG: The Quinntessential Mommy
My point is that eating foods "in moderation" that potentially contain bacteria does not mean you won't get sick. The only way to protect yourself from Listeria or Salmonella poisoning is to avoid them completely. But there ARE foods that are safe "in moderation" since they have only been proven to be harmful in high amounts. I'm just frustrated by people who don't see the difference.
There are 2 reasons to avoid deli meat. One is because of the nitrates, but there aren't any studies that prove that nitrates are harmful. So in terms of nitrates, "in moderation" would apply. But the fact that there's ALSO a risk of Listeria, that would make deli meats a high-risk food that should be avoided if you want to avoid the risk of bacterial infection.
Yes, you can get sick from nearly anything if it's contaminated. But the big outbreak cases of tomatoes, peanuts, etc are from a specific site (processing plant, farm, etc) being contaminated. Those foods don't normally carry a risk of containing harmful bacteria.
Amen, sister!! This drives me crazy as well!!! The scary thing is that the CDC found that pregnant women are much more likely to get listeria or salmonella than average, healthy adults, so along with the faulty logic of "in moderation", I also don't like when people say, "Well, how many people do you know who have gotten listeria/salmonella?"
Hopefully people do understand that, like you said, it could be fatal for the baby - it's not just a matter of throwing up for a few days like a normal adult who gets this kind of thing. These bacteria can literally kill the baby.
Ok, sorry that was long - I'm just right there with ya!
This is an interesting point to bring up.
I think Grace just got out of the hospital for food poisioning. I guess we should all flame her now.
Seriously?? People are over paranoid. Just like everything causes cancer now a days everything can kill your baby. It's just stupid.
For the record. I have eaten raw cookie dough, hotdogs, deli meat and (*gasp*) drink diet coke WITH CAFFEINE!! Holy hell I'm an uncaring selfish biitch I guess and should not be allowed to carry a child.
Really? You can get food poisoning from just about anything, you're not safe no matter what you do. If you don't want to take a risk of infecting your child then don't eat.
Ok now I understand what you were saying.
Oh well, I have other things to worry about than what other people are eating.
And I eat a deli sandwich 5 days a week! AGHGHGH!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Yeah, the last time I got sick from food it was from steak.
I have always seen the "in moderation" as a rule of thumb because if you choose to eat it every day, the risk of getting bacetrial food born infections is higher not because of the amount consumed but because you are more likely to eat some contaminated with listeria. Not because people are under the dellusion that eating deli meat once every two weeks (for example) would make them entirely safe.
I think people around here are pretty well aware that it doesn't build up in their system if they eat too much and harm their unborn child. "In moderation" is just, in my opinion, the easiest way for people to describe how often we should (or shouldn't) be eating it.
Either way, to each his own. And if it's getting on your nerves so much, why start a debate?
Oh my....
Maybe we should just NOT EAT in order to insure that we don't ingest some sort of bacteria.
I REFUSE to spend a lot of time worrying about it. Be smart about what you eat and you will be ok. I also REFUSE to flame people that eat sushi, have a glass of wine, eat a raw oyster or raw cookie dough. We're human. We will survive..
The whole "in moderation" mentality is a matter of statistics, not the idea that certain levels (mercury) will build up in your system. The more often you eat something, the higher your chances of being exposed to the danger potentially posed by that particular food. Personally, I say to each her own, there are certainly riskier behaviors out there than eating a ham sandwich.
That's exactly my point. Some babies DON'T survive.
Your choice not mine. Be over paranoid. I'm gonna finish my bologna sandwich now.
We're human. We will survive..
Re: That's exactly my point. Some babies DON'T survive.
So... my doc told me that it is ok to eat raw oysters, and cold subway sandwiches. Does that make him right or wrong over anyone else? I don't think so.. The doc right beside him will disagree..
Rule of thumb... if it doesn't smell or look right... don't eat it. Go with your gut...literally.
Exactly.
OP- I totally understand what you're saying. You're saying you get annoyed when people say "in moderation" when referring to lunchmeat, etc, because moderation has nothing to do with it. I get that.
However, your original post had an air of.. well, judgement against those who do eat these things. You said that you don't judge those who eat them, but your entire post seemed to contradict that in essence. If not judgmental, it came across as paranoid.
There is a risk every time you take your child out in the car.
There is a risk every time you fly.
There is a risk every time your child plays on the playground.
There is a risk every day your child goes to school.
There is a risk each and every time you take your child to the pool.
There is a risk every time you allow LO to play outside-with or without you.
Etc, etc, etc....
Where does it stop? Where do you draw the line? Well, I believe each family draws the line where they are comfortable.
I refuse to be paranoid.
Thank you. My doctor gave me a list of meds I can take and said if I had any questions about any other meds to call him. He said it is safe to take sudafed and tylenol during tri 1... apparently sudafed causes birth defects in puppies, yes puppies... and tylenol is not okay to take during tri 1. My doctor said both were fine and if it's not okay then we (meaning the OB practice) is causing a bunch of birth defects. He also told me that deli meats, cookie dough, undercooked eggs, BLAH is okay to eat. Never did I get a list of things that said, "SAFE AND UNSAFE TO EAT". Therefore, I do it.
Where does it stop? Where do you draw the line? Well, I believe each family draws the line where they are comfortable.
I refuse to be paranoid.
**********
Totally agree.. Could not have said it better myself!
Exactly. Anything and everything you put in your mouth can be contaminated.
Agree. Also, if you are judging everyone's food intake so much, just wait until the babies are born. You can then judge everyone's parenting skills and techniques.
It's not worth it. Like the PP said, each family draws the line where they are comforatable.
I totally get what you are saying. It doesn't matter if you ate turkey sandwiches everyday of your pregnancy and your baby is fine, because it only takes a small bite of contaminated food and there you have it.
However I will still eat deli meat. I am careful about where I choose to order this kind of stuff from and I do realize I could still be the unlucky one who gets sick but it is a risk I am willing to take.
Yea for producing natural immunity!
I eat what I want to eat, especially sushi! I don't eat it everyday, but when I have a craving we go and get it. Fish is also really good for you, so cost/profit variable anyone. Call me a bad mother, your opinion not mine. Everyone has their own opinion, even among medical professionals. Also it is VERY offensive to the Japanese that US women are told to avoid sushi, they eat it there, and they are even fed it directly after birth. What can I say, every culture is different. Now I want sushi, thanks.
Didn't even think about that. It makes sense though..
I'm FIRED UP now! What happened to the original poster???
I'm up for a good debate today!
I don't judge people who make educated decisions about what's right for them. To each her own.
My beef is with people who, for example, think that just because they got lucky with a previous pregnancy after eating "risky" foods, that the food is safe to eat. I see it as a big game of Russian Roulette... and for me, it's not worth the risk.
Obviously there are risks associated with most day-to-day activities. Yes, you can die in a plane crash. Yes, your child may be abducted at a park. And there are some people who refuse to fly in a plane or bring their child to the park for those reasons. But, in my opinion, those kinds of fears affect your life a whole lot more than avoiding a turkey sub for 9 months.
I still drink Diet Coke (with caffeine) and iced coffee, because I see them as perfectly safe in small amounts. I think there's a difference between a little bit of caffeine and a potentially contaminated sandwich.
I want a sub lol
Sounds like you are picking and choosing what you think is ok and what you think is not ok.
Isn't that what we all are doing?
My doctor said that it is perfectly okay to eat, everyday if I wanted to.
When you show me your MD then I'll stop eating these so called "risky" foods.
You choose to have caffeine, I don't. I'll take that potentially contaminated sandwich over your iced coffee any day. I don't judge you for drinking the coffee, so why judge me for eating that sub? I've done my research, I've decided what I'm comfortable with.
And yes, along with having done my research, I've had a previous pregnancy in which I ate deli meat, raw cookie dough and runny eggs.
I seem to meet both your criteria for being judged and not being judged.
I do have a medical license. Do you want me to actually show it to you?
"I still drink Diet Coke (with caffeine) and iced coffee, because I see them as perfectly safe in small amounts. I think there's a difference between a little bit of caffeine and a potentially contaminated sandwich."
That's funny. Some people eliminate caffeine entirely b/c there are studies that show it could lead to miscarriage. (I pretty much cut it out for first tri). You said you "see them as perfectly safe in small amounts," but based on what?
As PP have said, everyone makes decisions with what they are comforatable with. You made a choice about caffeine, others make a choice about deli meat, or hot dogs, or whatever.
My doctors told me lunch meat was perfectly fine, so I DID make an educated decision, thank you very much.