Deli Meat While Pregnant

casey06022015 · March 2015

This may seem like a silly question but is it really terrible to eat deli meat while pregnant??? I ate a turkey sandwich yesterday and now I have like the worst cramps and an upset stomach and I've been like that all day. I had an OB apt today and she checked my cervix just to be safe and said it wasn't related to the baby.. And now I got home and mistakenly turned to google and am freaking out about listeria !!! I know I probably sound crazy but just wondering any ladies opinions on the whole deli meat thing. Thanks for reading !!!

KaLikeAWind · March 2015

Yeah, they say to avoid deli meat because of listeria. Do I think you got listeria? Doubt it. The cramps and stuff were probably just indigestion or some other something. Once I got mad stomach cramps and stomach upset from something I know was cooked properly (cause I cooked it) and it was healthy food, too. If you're super stressed about it, call your doc about the deli meat.
ETA - I won't deli meat myself (I don't like it much anyways), but I do think the hype is probably a little overblown. Still safer to not do it at all, but I'm sure pregnant women ate deli meat for ages before this became a thing

ElRuby · March 2015

I have not had any deli meat but I really miss it... I want an Italian sub immediately after delivery!

OP avoid google and unnecessary stress... Check with doctor if you are worried about listeria... I am not sure how it is even diagnosed but it might make you feel better to mention it.

casey06022015 · March 2015

Thank u ! I feel better now... And I agree Dr. Google is definitely a slippery slope lol. I will call my Dr first thing if I still don't feel good just to be sure

BabyList · March 2015

It is possible to get listeria from deli meat which is why they suggest pregnant women not eat it. Did you tell your doctor you ate lunch meat? Hopefully it's not listeria, but keep an eye on your symptoms. L

ElRuby · March 2015

Listeria also finds itself I things like apples and tomatoes ... It's impossible to avoid completely... Only reason I avoided cold cuts was because it was the only food restriction my doctor felt strongly about... I would be too anxious to eat it.

HoosOnFirst · March 2015

Ugh the first thing I'm eating after birth of LO is gonna be a Subway turkey sub. I miss deli meat! And hot dogs! And beer, of course.

casey06022015 · March 2015

BabyList said:
It is possible to get listeria from deli meat which is why they suggest pregnant women not eat it. Did you tell your doctor you ate lunch meat? Hopefully it's not listeria, but keep an eye on your symptoms. L

No I didn't even think of the connection until I went online... I am really crazy about avoiding what I shouldn't eat but I was at lunch w a friend yesterday and idk how it just slipped my mind and I ate it! Woops :-(

dancegurl1118 · March 2015

I eat a deli sandwich probably once a week.

lovethatcolosun · March 2015

I've eaten deli meat on numerous occasions throughout my pregnancy. My doc says as long as it comes from a trusted source (or steamed or heated up to kill the bacteria) or you eat it within 5 days from your deli counter (I'll only do Boars Head brand) you should be safe. I heard of a outbreak of listeria in caramel apples early in my pregnancy and I haven't heard of a single one in lunch meat, so i would trust your own judgement on this one.

Frogger5 · March 2015

I don't understand this "trusted source" idea. Honestly, would you eat anything from an untrustworthy source pregnant or not? What does that really mean, anyway? It doesn't seem to make sense to skip something that you really want when you can get it from melon or caramel apples anyway. Or maybe I just looooove ham sandwiches!

Emilywooddesign · March 2015

My OB said deli meat was fine to eat as long as it was freshly sliced and not the kind you buy in a package.

lovethatcolosun · March 2015

Trusted source= deli counter (freshly sliced), or sandwich shop that freshly slices their meat. Non trusted source=Gas station pre packaged sandwich or premade sandwiches you would find at Starbucks or something. Basically use common sense.

gemkw · March 2015

The advice in the UK is that prepackaged meat is fine (see quote from nhs website below) obviously you should stick to your own country's advice but it can't be that risky. I have risked one or two runny eggs which I feel a bit guilty about but the whole thing seems so overly cautious to me.

From NHS:
Pre-packed meat is safe to eat if you're pregnant

Pre-packed meats such as ham and corned beef are safe to eat in pregnancy. Some websites based in other countries may suggest that you avoid pre-packed meats in pregnancy, but this is not the advice in the UK.

(Edited for grammar)

karaelaine1991 · March 2015

Every mom I know who was pregnant before these no deli meat recommendations came out rolls their eyes at me when I tell them my OB told me not to eat it. I personally think the chances of actually having something bad happen because of deli meat is probably relatively small... but since my doctor specifically told me not to eat it, I haven't. Better safe than sorry! But I agree with PP, your discomfort is probably unrelated, but if it persists, it probably wouldn't hurt to see your doctor again. I hope you feel better soon!

taboullio84 · March 2015

My Dr.. Queen of " you can't do that " hasn't said anything about deli meat. I had a sandwich the other day... And I found out.. Deli meats taste funny.. I don't like them.. I don't get it. Lol

ksimo6 · March 2015

I eat a roast beef sandwich at least once a week. Just try not to eat anything that look funky. My doc is not that strict about most of the can/ can't eat rules.

Ana0927 · March 2015

I eat deli meat multiple times a week. Did so with all of my pregnancies. There have also been cases of listeria in spinach, cantaloupe, apples, and some baked goods yet we still eat those. You take a chance with anything you eat.

delujm0 · March 2015

dancegurl1118 said:
I eat a deli sandwich probably once a week.

This. I love it too much to avoid it completely.

Also if you toast the sandwich or nuke the meat first it kills listeria...it only needs to be warm enough for it to steam up. Not super convenient but I have had several toasted sandwiches to get me through.

alcrimmins · March 2015

I eat Jimmy Johns on a regular basis. You cannot and will not take that away from me! In fact, that will probably be lunch now...

bobaby06 · March 2015

just say no to deli meat! Better to be safe than sorry later. I do not tuch it.

laurendutch · March 2015

What is the info on tuna fish? I have been craving tuna fish like crazy. I've had it twice so far (two weeks apart).

karaelaine1991 · March 2015

laurendutch said:
What is the info on tuna fish? I have been craving tuna fish like crazy. I've had it twice so far (two weeks apart).

I've heard a mix of things. I know it used be bad because of mercury, but I heard that's not true anymore - something about packaging? I don't care for tuna so it hasn't come up for me. But if you're craving it, maybe run it by your doctor?

dancegurl1118 · March 2015

I live in the tri-state area and the fact that there aren't legitimate delis around the country confuses me. I would probably die before I stopped eating cold deli sandwiches. On a kaiser or Portuguese roll. Pure bliss (pregnant or not).

Addelie · March 2015

@karaelaine1991 i eat canned tuna all the time. The limit in the UK is four cans a week which i keep too - i think it's fine.

karaelaine1991 · March 2015

Addelie said:
@karaelaine1991 i eat canned tuna all the time. The limit in the UK is four cans a week which i keep too - i think it's fine.

Must be fine now! Thanks for clarifying

HoosOnFirst · March 2015

Re: tuna, the flaked version is better than solid white albacore version from a Mercury perspective, from what I've read. I've kept most fish to about 2x/week.

valeriemarie24 · March 2015

I've eaten deli meat a couple times just cause when I visit it mom it's one of the only things she has to make for lunches. I think once in a while is ok, especially since pretty much anything we eat could be potentially risky.
I don't know if this is true anymore but I read that canned tuna is better to eat than fresh/refrigerated tuna...maybe cause of packaging/preservatives, I don't really know. But that's what I've heard.

KaLikeAWind · March 2015

Re: tuna, they were saying that light tuna was better than albacore tuna, but there has recently been some articles out where they are saying its OK for us to eat more tuna, including albacore. The fda hasn't changed its stance on tuna yet, tho, and they were telling us to stick to light tuna instead of albacore

courtyowl427 · March 2015

Are we seriously having this discussion this far along? If you use the search bar you'll find that this was discussed at length when we were all in our first tri.

casey06022015 · March 2015

Thank you all for your feedback !!! Feeling much better musta just not agreed with my stomach :-) hope everyone is having a good day!

@courtyowl427 I put what it was about in the subject line so if you didn't want to click it you didn't have to. I think we have a good discussion going.

AnAdult · March 2015

@courtyowl427 what's the point of your post? You want everyone involved in this thread just stop posting because it has already been discussed weeks ago?..
I'm pretty sure this topic has also been discussed few hundred times on different pregnancy forums and in real life and...
So, do you mind?
Whatever...

Unfortunately Google already took over me and since I have read a lot of terrible things about listeria I stopped eating cold cuts all together. I don't even eat salads outside on my lunch breaks (even though they were always my primary choice).
This is my second pregnancy. I don't even remember word "listeria" being mentioned during my first pregnancy and everything turned out fine. But this time around, since I'm already aware, I better be safe than sorry

casey06022015 · March 2015

AnAdult said:
@courtyowl427 what's the point of your post? You want everyone involved in this thread just stop posting because it has already been discussed weeks ago?..
I'm pretty sure this topic has also been discussed few hundred times on different pregnancy forums and in real life and...
So, do you mind?
Whatever...

Unfortunately Google already took over me and since I have read a lot of terrible things about listeria I stopped eating cold cuts all together. I don't even eat salads outside on my lunch breaks (even though they were always my primary choice).
This is my second pregnancy. I don't even remember word "listeria" being mentioned during my first pregnancy and everything turned out fine. But this time around, since I'm already aware, I better be safe than sorry

That's how I am after my other night of research and how sick I felt the other day.. Related or not to the deli meat, I think that it's ruined completely for me for the remainder of my pregnancy!!! I'll be sticking to homemade lunches on-the-go from now on.

Cateash77 · March 2015

If you are REALLY craving deli meats you can heat them up in the microwave before putting them in your sandwich etc, for like 1 minute until steaming hot, the heat kills the listeria bacteria.

ElRuby · March 2015

courtyowl427 said:
Are we seriously having this discussion this far along? If you use the search bar you'll find that this was discussed at length when we were all in our first tri.

Given the number of responses to this question, it appears to be a very useful and lively thread.... I have no problem with it being discussed again ...

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