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1st Trimester
I didn't think my doctors office was all that conservative...
...but after reading all of your posts making fun of people being "paranoid" about eating certain foods I'm thinking maybe their practice's beliefs aren't the norm. I've always considered them to be a well respected, well informed, up-to-date practice. Not that I'm going to take internet strangers advise over my own doctors but it is interesting to see the difference in opinions (facts?)
I have a "do not eat list" and an "in moderation list" provided by my doctor.
On my do not eat list they have lunch meat, hot dogs, certain fish, and anything with unpasturized milk. (also alcohol, med list, and several other things)
The lunch meat is due to the risk of listeria bacteria. From my understanding it doesn't matter if you eat it in "moderation" or not. You could eat lunch meat your entire pregnancy and be completely fine (because yours didn't have the bacteria in it - most don't). However, you could eat one sandwhich with lunchmeat with listeria in it and both you and your baby could be in serious harm. Yes, you can't worry about everything...you could get hit by a bus crossing the street tomorrow, but you also don't stop looking both ways before you cross just because "anything could happen so why bother worrying"
Hot Dogs - something about nitrates (and cancer?). I was told they are just simply never good for people to eat so that aren't going to go out of their way to condone pregnant women eating them. Its more of a "we think they are no good for your body so we recommend not eating them but no a few aren't going to cause any specific harm"
Certain fish - obvioulsy related to high levels of mercury - most people don't seem to have issues with that one.
Unpasturized milk/cheese products - not really an issue for most people in the states. Almost all of our foods (including soft cheeses) are parturized but since they all aren't it is always good to do a quick double check.
As far a cookie dough is concerned.... this is not from my doctor but what I always tell my teenage cooking students when they want to eat cookie dough in my classroom. Most eggs do not contain salmonella. They really don't. I ate cookie dough my enitre life and I was always fine. However, a few years back my husband and I had a few bites of dough and ended up sick with salmonella posisoning. Worst sickness in my life! We still use that to compare all other sickness too. (We'll this still isn't as bad as the cookie dough incident...") It only takes one is is what I always tell them.
Doubt anyway read all of this. Sorry it was long. If you trust your doctors do what they recommend (which may or may not be what my doctors say) To each their own.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I didn't think my doctors office was all that conservative...
It's not lunch meat that is the concern. It's cold lunch meat that can contain Listeria. If you heat it until it steams....all the Listeria that may have been in the meat is killed. Plus there is such a small percentage that contain Listeria anyway. I think it was in a post a day or so ago that was like 0.1% of meats contain Listeria.
You can be so prepared eat exactly what's on the list and something still happen to your baby, or you can believe that plenty of people have eaten cold cuts, raw sushi, hot dogs, and feta cheese and had healthy babies. To each her own. I know what I'm going to do during my pregnancy and don't really care what anyone else does with theirs.
Very true.
The risk of listeria and salmonella are both pretty darn low and heating lunch meat does kill the bacteria (just like baking the cookies kills the bacteria). Its a risk. Very, very small but still a risk.
Again, to each their own. I just don't think people are crazy or paranoid for passing on these items during pregnancy. Everyone gets to choose what "risks" they take in life and which ones they don't.
Now, freaking out about eating something after the fact and trying to throw up sounds like that may be a different story...
"This ribbon has been reported." - lovesnina
oof - remember when there was the outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter? good glory, i'm glad THAT's over! i can't seem to get enough of the stuff.
" For me personally, I'd rather go 9 months without a turkey sandwich than risk killing my baby because of a Listeria infection."
Do you go nine months without crossing the street, or drive your car rather than risk killing your baby?
Crossing the street and driving a car are necessary to live a normal life. Eating a turkey sandwich is not.
I think it's "cool" on here to act like you don't care about engaging in risky eating. Reminds me of elementary school when it was "cool" not to be smart.
Usually I'm an everything-in-moderation type, but after getting pg I followed my MD's advice very closely. He made a good point that eating cold cuts/lunch meats carries a low risk of listeriosis, but the risk still exists and could result in stillbirth or birth defects. So, the risk (even small) is too great a consequence. In other words, it's just NOT worth it. I'll eat something else for 9 months. It's not like there aren't plenty of other options. FYI, he mentioned that one of his other patients contracted listeriosis from eating a hot dog and had a "most unfavorable outcome".
While my pregnancy ended up as a m/c despite being very careful, it offered me some comfort in knowing that I truly did NOTHING to cause it. That feeling alone is worth skipping Subway for awhile.
To some degree you are right that there is some CYA . However, the pregnant MD's that I know also follow this advice themselves! I actually first heard about lunch meat and listeria from my pg doc friend long before I was TTC.
FWIW, eating certain things only in moderation doesn't really apply in this case b/c it only takes once. Caffeine, yes, eat/drink in moderation. Listeria or Salmonella poisoning could occur after you've eaten hundreds of contaminated items or just one. With my luck, it'd happen the first time.
I'm with you on the Listeria stuff -- that can totally happen once. And um, hot lunch meat is just gross. But most stuff, you really are ok in moderation.
::lurking::
You took the words right out of my mouth! This is exactly how I feel.
I read a good article about this somewhere online. Some foods will just make you sick and your odds of getting ill are higher being pregnant. Others only effect the baby and are life-threatening. I don't think it's cool to be reckless, but being obsessive just causes stress and stress is no good for your baby either.
I zap my lunch meat in the microwave. Problem solved. But I do believe listeria can be in most foods. The list I have also mentions cabbage.
How do I avoid raw vegetables when I'm trying to eat especially healthy?
I'm still eating over-easy eggs and there is no way I'm ordering a steak well done. I cook my own food and visit reputable places.
As for fish, it depends on where the fish is from. I received an Oregon-specific list of mercury in fish. I eat tons of salmon, mostly raw.
Pregnancy is so serious and so personal that it's going to be impossible not to have difference of opinion.
Mama to Sebastian, born 9/2010
Good for you?
That sounds pretty amazing. I have had one hot dog during pregnancy and it was from a 7-11. Silly me! I have trouble remembering foods I'm supposed to avoid until I'm halfway through eating it. (I'll eat hot dogs at home but who knows what temperature those convenience store ones are sitting at.)
I would love a hot dog with: Mustard, sauerkraut, jalapenos. NOM.
Mama to Sebastian, born 9/2010