Are you eating cold cuts?

kmt104 · March 2014

I did with DD and have this pregnancy but at my appt yesterday my doc told me not to unless steaming hot. I love me a cold cut turkey sandwich! I mostly ask bc DDs first bday party is this weekend and were getting party trays from jimmy johns. Should I really resist to eat them?

aander6 · March 2014

I have not really just because it is not one of my go-to meals but I have and would at any time. This is one of those suggestions I find so ridiculous. You can get listeria from so many different things.

tucker1384 · March 2014

Ate subway Saturday im pretty sure my child (the one inside me) hates it.

whiterabbit5 · March 2014

Cold cut combo from subway for dinner...it was delicious

mrshudson618 · March 2014

Yup. My midwife said to only worry about it if it has been sitting out, like at subway. And then just get it toasted and its fine.

Justabean3 · March 2014

Subway and lunchables are my friend

lrobi13 · March 2014

Jimmy John's keeps sending us free samples to our office even though someone orders from them everyday. I can't say no to free Jimmy John's!

Eta. I don't work at bourbon office! Auto correct fail

cabxd · March 2014

I do - sometimes it's all I want! My doc also said with my last pregnancy it's more common with ham FWIW. I love me a Turkey Tom…delivered freaky fast!

Kay1029 · March 2014

As long as you are getting it from the deli and not the pre-packaged sitting in water forever meat you should be good. My OB is fine with it as long as it's not old and slimmey and I am getting it freshly cut from the deli counter

LEP424 · March 2014

Cold cuts are never appetizing to me, so obtaining during pregnancy is not a big deal. I'd definitely warm well to be safe.

ladybug0088 · March 2014

I'd love nothing more than a turkey sandwich but I'm personally not touching the stuff. If I did get listeria I know I'd beat myself up so I'm playing it safe.

Runninggal28 · March 2014

On Sunday we went to a nice cafe and I had a ham sandwich with potato salad on it (odd combination I know but it was delicious!) AND a coffee! I'm such a rebel. My OB told me everything in moderation and just be smart about it. Obviously don't buy it if it doesn't look good or is not from a reputable source.

vrj0522 · March 2014

I avoided them last pregnancy but have been eating them this time.

roundabout2 · March 2014

Only if I heat it til steaming. Even then I rarely will just cause I'd feel terrible if I got Listeria from it

pushgal84 · March 2014

Cold cuts, feta cheese, sushi... all day, every day! Ok, not really, but if the mood strikes I will nom in moderation from my trusted sources. Do your research, talk to your ob, and do what makes sense to you.

megsandjohn · March 2014

Yep, I do. And I don't heat it up as I like it cold. I just make sure it's fresh. I eat soft cheeses too. *gasp!* I'm a rebel

Edit. Spelling

meggiev123 · March 2014

I'm eating them, but avoid them in sketchy places like on an airplane

JessAnnJ · March 2014

vrj0522 said:
I avoided them last pregnancy but have been eating them this time.

This for me too.

JessAnnJ · March 2014

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

cactus5 · March 2014

No, but only because it sounds gross to me. I am sure I will have it once or twice before the pregnancy is over.

raynes · March 2014

For some reasons one of my major aversions with my last pregnancy and seemingly with this one too is the smell of the bread baking at Subway, so I've been avoiding it, but I'm totally fine with a sub if it's toasted.

I have a hankering for a chicken loaf sandwich, which I get the feeling is probably a bad idea... (and not just for the farts)

Raesofsunshine1 · March 2014

Yep.

MuffinMom14 · March 2014

I eat it 5 times a week. I tried peanut butter. I tried tomato with mozzarella. It wasn't cutting it. I finally just accepted that it was a small chance I was willing to take. I do heat it up, and I kinda don't know why I never did that before--it's really good warm.

My doctor didn't tell me ANYTHING about lunch meat. She did tell me not to drink ANY alcohol or caffeine. I agree with the poster above me that said that some doctors will just tell you to avoid EVERYTHING just in case. I'm still drinking a small cup of coffee in the mornings, or a diet coke in the evening (never both). And I had a glass of wine on my birthday, and I'll probably have a few more over the course of the pregnancy.

angeltennis3 · March 2014

I can't stand lunch meat when I'm not pregnant, so this has been a complete non-issue for me. Well, I do love salami and cream cheese, but I only ever ate that once in a blue moon anyway. Of course...now that sounds extremely delicious...

My doctor told me no lunch meat unless it was steaming, and even getting it toasted at Subway wasn't enough. But, as I said, this is a non-issue for me.

caranichole · March 2014

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.

That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.

ETA: As per my comment below, I meant to say you don't get listeria from cold cuts, if you avoid cold cuts.

MuffinMom14 · March 2014

caranichole said:

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.
That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.

Actually, you can get listeria if you avoid cold cuts. You can get listeria from cantalope or spinach to name a few other foods.

ETA: I hate myself for spelling cantaloupe wrong.

mrshudson618 · March 2014

starla487 said:

Kay1029 said:

As long as you are getting it from the deli and not the pre-packaged sitting in water forever meat you should be good. My OB is fine with it as long as it's not old and slimmey and I am getting it freshly cut from the deli counter

Interesting. My OB office says pre-packaged stuff tends to be safer than the over the counter meats. I mean, what you described sounds unhealthy as a non-pregnant woman, but funny how the opinions are different.

Yup.

SusieBW · March 2014

SPurp13 said:

caranichole said:

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.
That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.

Actually, you can get listeria if you avoid cold cuts. You can get listeria from cantalope or spinach to name a few other foods.

Or peanut butter or processed cheese, according to that recall that someone posted last week.

aander6 · March 2014

anjb43 said:

Only if I heat it til steaming. Even then I rarely will just cause I'd feel terrible if I got Listeria from it

I just wonder are you avoiding cheese, cantaloupe, lettuce, peanut butter, certain ice cream got recalled a while back because of listeria the list goes on and on. So if you want to avoid listeria you should be avoiding a lot more then lunch meat.

ADH0906 · March 2014

caranichole said:

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.
That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.

The bolded is absolutely not true.

(I feel like a walking advertisement for Oster's Expecting Better, but seriously people...go read it. Data!). Listeria outbreaks are totally random and can't really be predicted. According to Oster, the last major outbreaks were celery (2010) and cantaloupes (2011). Of the known sources from 1998 to 2008, 17% were attributed to queso fresco and 10% were traced specifically to deli turkey specifically (probably the source of the deli meat restriction?). However, of the estimated 24,000 cases between 2000 and 2008, the CDC was only able to identify sources for 262 illness. To me, that's major. Listeria could pop up in anything...bagged salad, fresh apples, on and on.

No one is going to tell pregnant women to eat only hot processed food because of the dangers of fresh apples. If anything, we should preach to wash all fresh veggies well, even if you're removing a rind. Wash your veggies, people!

I chose to mostly avoid deli meat, especially turkey, but I am not abstaining completely. I'm also avoiding any queso fresco, and I set a pretty strict 1-day cut off for leftovers.

JessAnnJ · March 2014

caranichole said:

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.

That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.

Sorry for the long quote, but your statement that you do not get listeria if you avoid cold cuts is 100% incorrect. You can check the CDC and other websites if you are interested in checking you facts. Nice try at humor or snark or whatever that was.

Heartwood0519 · March 2014

starla487 said:

I had a craving for a sandwich today, but they serve everything hot anyway and I generally just get things from Subway toasted anyway. I'm having a hard time avoiding bacon however.

Wait, no bacon?? I'm not gonna lie, definitely had a couple double bacon BLT subs in the past couple weeks.. I didn't know bacon was on this list to avoid too..

frootyloops · March 2014

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Canada_listeriosis_outbreak

That happened during my previous pregnancy. Maple Leaf Foods are a high reputable company. I'm avoiding cold cuts.

roundabout2 · March 2014

Hey I stated MY choice, not asking to be blasted for what I want to eat or not eat. I don't see where I was trying to force anyone into my choices, sheesh. And besides, the question here was about cold cuts, was it not?

And I avoid the high-risk foods for listeria, which include deli meats (unless heated, as recommended by the FDA). I also avoid alcohol while pregnant. For ME, I would rather not take the chance of doing anything to harm this baby I am growing. I can wait 9 months for some things.

caranichole · March 2014

JessAnnJ said:

JessAnnJ said:

Honestly I think the OBs like yours and mine that say to avoid it are just covering themselves based on the minuscule chance one of their patients gets listeria and then tries to sue them. You don't get sued for telling people to avoid everything.

You also don't get listeria if you avoid cold cuts.
That being said, I ate a really great club sandwich last week. I don't do cold cuts often but it sounded really good on the menu. If I ever do cold cuts now, I'm usually adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich and I tend to warm it on the stove first too - even if I'm not pregnant.
Sorry for the long quote, but your statement that you do not get listeria if you avoid cold cuts is 100% incorrect. You can check the CDC and other websites if you are interested in checking you facts. Nice try at humor or snark or whatever that was.

@JessAnnJ My point wasn't to be rude. You made a statement that suggests that the reason Doctors suggest avoiding cold cuts is simply to cover their asses. My point was to say that the idea of listeria or any other proven risks, regardless of how small, is still very much valid as @ADH0906 pointed out.

@spurp13 @susiebw I retract my statement that you are responding to and I will edit to say, You can't get listeria from cold cuts, if you avoid cold cuts.

That being said, my response was to your presupposition about doctors and their reasoning that I simply wasn't in agreement with.

slsl509 · March 2014

Yes. As has been mentioned, deli meat is just one place to get listeria. If it's on the meat at Subway, it's probably also on the cheese, the lettuce, the pickles, etc...

nightowl1989 · March 2014

I've been told the standard...avoid this, avoid that. The sushi is heartbreaking to me because it's the only thing that sounds good. I finally broke down and got some that had cooked fish in it a couple weeks ago. Of course, now I want more. It's a constant craving. DH thinks there must be something in it that my body needs, so we had Tilapia for dinner last night. Nope, still want sushi.

I've done my research, too, but the OB office said on Friday that I am to have absolutely no sushi whatsoever--even the cooked kind. I kinda want to cry, as silly as that sounds.

But as PP have said, it's funny they restrict some of this stuff but don't bat an eyelash at some of this other stuff. I had some spinach the other day in a greek yogurt smoothie I made and it tasted off. I smelled it a little later and it was very musty. I ready online and that suggests mildew or something like that and it did make me sick. I threw it out. Kinda disappointing because it's an organic brand I buy all the time and this is the first time I've had this issue.

ADH0906 · March 2014

anjb43 said:
Hey I stated MY choice, not asking to be blasted for what I want to eat or not eat. I don't see where I was trying to force anyone into my choices, sheesh. And besides, the question here was about cold cuts, was it not?

And I avoid the high-risk foods for listeria, which include deli meats (unless heated, as recommended by the FDA). I also avoid alcohol while pregnant. For ME, I would rather not take the chance of doing anything to harm this baby I am growing. I can wait 9 months for some things.

Please quote so that we know who the hell you're talking to. We're trying to tell you that while deli meat is a slightly higher risk food group, you cannot simply 'avoid foods that are a listeria risk' because nearly every food could be a listeria risk.

The rest of us are not taking chances of harming our babies (*insert giant eye roll here*)..,we are making the best informed decisions that we can.

JessAnnJ · March 2014

@caranichole‌ I don't think you were trying to be rude, but you were trying to either be snarky or funny. My point was that you if you are going to quote someone and disagree you should make an accurate factual statement. You don't have to agree with me.

MuffinMom14 · March 2014

nightowl1989 said:

I've been told the standard...avoid this, avoid that. The sushi is heartbreaking to me because it's the only thing that sounds good. I finally broke down and got some that had cooked fish in it a couple weeks ago. Of course, now I want more. It's a constant craving. DH thinks there must be something in it that my body needs, so we had Tilapia for dinner last night. Nope, still want sushi.

I've done my research, too, but the OB office said on Friday that I am to have absolutely no sushi whatsoever--even the cooked kind. I kinda want to cry, as silly as that sounds.

But as PP have said, it's funny they restrict some of this stuff but don't bat an eyelash at some of this other stuff. I had some spinach the other day in a greek yogurt smoothie I made and it tasted off. I smelled it a little later and it was very musty. I ready online and that suggests mildew or something like that and it did make me sick. I threw it out. Kinda disappointing because it's an organic brand I buy all the time and this is the first time I've had this issue.

This happened to me the other day, too! I was so angry. It was days and days before the sell-by date on the package.

roundabout2 · March 2014

ADH0906 said:

Hey I stated MY choice, not asking to be blasted for what I want to eat or not eat. I don't see where I was trying to force anyone into my choices, sheesh. And besides, the question here was about cold cuts, was it not?

And I avoid the high-risk foods for listeria, which include deli meats (unless heated, as recommended by the FDA). I also avoid alcohol while pregnant. For ME, I would rather not take the chance of doing anything to harm this baby I am growing. I can wait 9 months for some things.
Please quote so that we know who the hell you're talking to. We're trying to tell you that while deli meat is a slightly higher risk food group, you cannot simply 'avoid good that are a listeria risk' because nearly every food could be a listeria risk. The rest of us are not taking chances of harming or babies (*insert giant eye roll here*)..,we are making the best informed decisions that we can.

I never commented on anyone else's choices, just my own. As I stated, for ME, I am not taking those chances, and will follow the FDA and my doctors advice, and conduct my own research. I have no problem waiting 9 months for cold cuts, soft cheeses, unpasteurized dairy, etc. I'm not stupid, this is my 5th pregnancy, I've done my research. Of course you can't avoid all food but there are higher risk foods for listeria, which are avoidable OR there are ways to make it less risky, such as heating deli meats until steaming.

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