I live in Hawaii. Ain't no way I'm avoiding sushi this whole time (I ate it the day before I found out I was pregnant, actually). And when my nurse told me not to eat rare steaks, well... That's not going to happen. Sorry 'bout it.
Pretty much the only thing I'm really concerned about is no alcohol and very limited caffeine--and no hot tubs! Not like I have one anyway!
I didn't know about the soft serve either! I totally cheated with deli meat toward the end of my first pregnancy & have had a hot bath once this time around. I did feel a bit guilty about it though! I also won't compromise on how my meat is cooked:)
Wow, all these things I had no idea about! I think I will probably still eat deli meat, but just be a bit more careful about it. I am already craving brie and sushi!
My mom hated coffee until she was pregnant with me. Then she craved it and has been drinking it ever since! And I've been a lifelong coffee nut as a result. Haha
I still have a cup of coffee every morning- although I add a lot more milk than I used too, and I still eat deli meat. My last pregnancy I craved hard salami and ate it almost every day! Yum!
Once I get to the 2nd trimester, I'll have a wine or beer. Coffee has made me want to puke although it would be SO helpful while chasing around my 14-month-old!
I was really strict my first pregnancy... Which ended in a loss (not food/drink related). This time, I think I will be just as strict. Although, I didn't realize soft serve was a no-no and will probably still have some (in moderation). I also just had a hotdog the other day before I realized it was a no-no. I won't be doing that again. And I'm totally against drinking while pregnant. I've seen too many fas babies to know the affects of alcohol in the womb.
I clearly need a list of what not to eat... No froyo or soft serve? No over easy eggs? All I knew about was unpasteurized cheese, rare meat, and deli.
I don't think I can go 9 months without a medium rare steak though...
I am with you on the steak. If I can't have it medium rare, then what is the point? I can't go 9 months without!
....how rare is too rare for a steak...had steak tonight...went medium rare instead of really rare...I thought I was being good...oops. But really how rare is too rare?? I need to know before I eat the leftovers in the fridge..had plans on steak and eggs for breakfast...
I clearly need a list of what not to eat... No froyo or soft serve? No over easy eggs? All I knew about was unpasteurized cheese, rare meat, and deli.
I don't think I can go 9 months without a medium rare steak though...
I am with you on the steak. If I can't have it medium rare, then what is the point? I can't go 9 months without!
....how rare is too rare for a steak...had steak tonight...went medium rare instead of really rare...I thought I was being good...oops. But really how rare is too rare?? I need to know before I eat the leftovers in the fridge..had plans on steak and eggs for breakfast...
I'm going medium on steaks this go around.
DS1 - 9/21/11
DS2 - 7/4/14
DS3 - 2/21/16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
I was really strict last pregnancy and I think I was just making myself miserable. This time I am already being a little more relaxed. I have been in a hot tub multiple times (no jets and set to 100,but it's still a hot tub). I have had sausages (but throughly cooked). And I have had soft serve (yum). I don't think any of those things will do damage.
One thing I will not cheat on is alcohol. I know some doctors say it is fine after the first trimester, but I don't see a point. I don't need it and would rather not risk it.
My OB says all the food restrictions are bogus. You can get listeria from peaches and the snot nosed kid at Wendy's. Just consider your sources when you eat, be smart, and don't eat a sketchy places. He even says one glass of wine every night the entire pregnancy is fine (he says medical consensus is that only alcoholics have fetal alcohol syndrome). That being said I don't drink every night, but I don't restrict my foods.
Pate, Egg, Cheese, Rare Meats... the UK food system has much higher standards and I have never been sick before so why am I going to stop eating whole foods that are healthy now?
Yeah... This comes off really superior to me. If an American said something like this to someone living in another nation, it would be considered so condescending! The reverse is equally true. I adore the UK and I've lived in both places (US and UK) for years. While the UK has a few differing and possibly better standards on meat (especially beef, because of the mad cow issue in the 90s), America is just fine for food safety and most of the pregnancy guidelines are absolutely no different. You have factory farming and highly processed foods available just like we do, and it's probably best for ALL of us if we eat as organic and local as possible, though of course that can be difficult and expensive as well... I do love a good farm-fresh egg like you do, though!
Anyway, like you, I will eat runny eggs at home. I will also have soft-serve at reputable places, I'll drink a single ounce of wine and beer now and again, and I'll probably accidentally eat unheated deli meat or unpasteurized soft cheese at one point or another. I'm going to try not to worry about it though!
Rainbow Baby? {2.1.21} MC at 8 weeks {EDD 9.2.20} Rainbow Girl! {2.28.16} Baby boy, lost at 16 weeks {EDD 6.10.15}
The FroYo is a "no-no" bc of the bacteria that can grow in the tanks of the machines. Although a trip to Dairy Queen just may happen for me! I mean, it is Dairy Queen they go through so much ice cream no way it is sitting in there for days and days.
The FroYo is a "no-no" bc of the bacteria that can grow in the tanks of the machines. Although a trip to Dairy Queen just may happen for me! I mean, it is Dairy Queen they go through so much ice cream no way it is sitting in there for days and days.
That is absolutely correct - they clean them regularly (nightly if I remember) and at the end of every night the leftover ice cream is removed
DS1 - 9/21/11
DS2 - 7/4/14
DS3 - 2/21/16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
My OB says all the food restrictions are bogus. You can get listeria from peaches and the snot nosed kid at Wendy's. Just consider your sources when you eat, be smart, and don't eat a sketchy places. He even says one glass of wine every night the entire pregnancy is fine (he says medical consensus is that only alcoholics have fetal alcohol syndrome). That being said I don't drink every night, but I don't restrict my foods.
This exactly. My sister actually did get listeria from peaches last year. Some sort of outbreak and recall.
Sushi, deli meat, glass of wine here and there, over easy eggs... And I can't live without my coffee. My first two boys turned out fine, everything in moderation
Pate, Egg, Cheese, Rare Meats... the UK food system has much higher standards and I have never been sick before so why am I going to stop eating whole foods that are healthy now?
Yeah... This comes off really superior to me. If an American said something like this to someone living in another nation, it would be considered so condescending! The reverse is equally true. I adore the UK and I've lived in both places (US and UK) for years. While the UK has a few differing and possibly better standards on meat (especially beef, because of the mad cow issue in the 90s), America is just fine for food safety and most of the pregnancy guidelines are absolutely no different. You have factory farming and highly processed foods available just like we do, and it's probably best for ALL of us if we eat as organic and local as possible, though of course that can be difficult and expensive as well... I do love a good farm-fresh egg like you do, though!
Anyway, like you, I will eat runny eggs at home. I will also have soft-serve at reputable places, I'll drink a single ounce of wine and beer now and again, and I'll probably accidentally eat unheated deli meat or unpasteurized soft cheese at one point or another. I'm going to try not to worry about it though!
The contamination issue is that there is very little factory farming in the UK of animals (and what there is is frowned upon- heck we even shame the Danes for their bacon).. most practices are actually illegal. We have grass fed cows in in the UK and outdoor reared pork, lamb etc... and the price we pay for this "normal" meat is far below the US for the same quality. The majority of contamination issues in the US happen because of the lower farming standards and particularly the finishing standards of the animals. I am sorry that it comes off as "elitist" but facts are facts. Back at home when I visit family we shop exclusively at farmers markets, local farms and the occasional organic coop for out of season goods. Shopping in the US for the same quality costs us stupid amounts more money then the UK.
Yes we have all the other junk but perhaps since I don't go there I don't think of it.. just the meat and veggies and yes I do indulge in the occasional (even soft cheese)... I am going to France in a few days and you can bet your bottom I will eat some stinky cheese. There are also MANY American products (processed) not for sale the EU because they contain chemicals they have outlawed here... hmm wonder why that would be?
Just because I love facts:
People who are likely to have a food-related illness (known and unknown) in the UK - 0.156% of Pop
Low end estimate of the US: 1.8% of Pop
I will take my chances in the UK way before I do in the US
@ACleanLife24, do you live in the US now? I'm struggling to understand what you're referring to when you say "back home," US, UK, France, etc. Perhaps you live in an area in the US where your access to quality food isn't great?
The US is a massive country and we certainly have more "food deserts" than the UK does - that is, areas that are remote and cut off from quality grocery stores (in our less densely populated country, rural areas are generally much further from cities than in the UK).
My point is that a large portion of the US population looks down on and protests factory farming as well. We have access to more organic, grass-fed, and local meats and dairy products than ever before, in some areas more than others, to be sure, but it's improving all the time. Just like you, many Americans (like me) "shop exclusively at farmers markets, local farms and the occasional organic coop for out of season goods." We have a national co-op organization here (NGCA) that oversees thousands of co-op organic stores across the nation.
The UK also imports huge amounts of produce from afar - Israel, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, etc., as compared to the US, which again, because it is less densely populated, larger, and has more farming land in warm climates, produces a higher level of local and domestic produce per capita year-round. (The flip side of that is that corporate farming in the US contributes to the problem of globalized food exchange as well - California alone grows 20% of the world's fruit and veg, while we ship corn everywhere, etc.)
I already acknowledged that UK standards for beef feed are higher (aka no animal byproduct feed in the UK), but that's because the UK had an outbreak of mad cow disease in the 90s. Moreover, you do have high levels of factory farming (see link below), and while UK animals are not fed animal-byproducts (this should 100% stop in the US, I agree!), even by your own government's acknowledgment, they eat preserved grains through the winter months. There is nothing wrong with this, but the fantasy of 100% grassfed happy cows and no factory farmed chicks in all of the UK is crazy.
Furthermore, it does not cost more to buy high-quality food in America - again, I have lived in both the US and the UK, for years at a time, and have spent more money eating healthfully in the UK, simply because of the exchange rate. A dozen local farm eggs cost on average $4 here; a pound of organic grass-fed American bison or beef is $8. That's like 2.50GBP for 12 eggs and 5GBP for grass-fed organic meat, respectively.
The point of all this is not to say one country is "better" than another. Neither is. I would be exhausted if I tried to defend the American government or anything else about my country all the time - the US is majorly screwed up in a lot of ways. But so is every country. I love the UK and its culture and always felt safe eating the food there. That said, I would probably eat cheese in France like you would, and according to Wikipedia, France has 5 times the rate of death from foodborne illness as the US does (not sure how that compares to the UK, or where your statistics on foodborne illness came from).
It's just to say that this facile superiority complex you have is not just "elitist," but largely incorrect. So no, your "facts" are not facts, and it's frustrating as an American to have people say invalid and misinformed things when comparing what they believe about the US to a fantasy of their own country. Americans often have similar superiority complexes about our country, and it pisses me off equally.
@ACleanLife24, the dumbest part about this disagreement between us is that you're smart and you're a scientist, and we would probably get along IRL and largely agree on food politics. I'm just asking you to consider that your picture of the US seems a little biased, is possibly incorrect on some points, and may be coming off as somewhat rude and fearmongering to lots of users on this website, many of whom will spend their entire pregnancies living in the US.
Rainbow Baby? {2.1.21} MC at 8 weeks {EDD 9.2.20} Rainbow Girl! {2.28.16} Baby boy, lost at 16 weeks {EDD 6.10.15}
Your Ob sounds just like mine (fwiw she's the best). I freaked out for a quick minute During my first pregnancy and then I ate a medium well steak and realize that's no was to live!
Your Ob sounds just like mine (fwiw she's the best). I freaked out for a quick minute During my first pregnancy and then I ate a medium well steak and realize that's no was to live!
I followed the rules the first time. I'll not drink alcohol this time but I'm not following the food rules at all. Totally eating soft cheeses/froyo/lunch meat/sushi. I already told DH I'm rebelling when it comes to food.
The one time I've gotten food poisoning recently was from cooked salmon that was properly handled once it entered my house. I hadn't had food poisoning for years before that. So who knows where you'll get it from.
Plus all the listeria recalls have been for things other than the usual culprits lately.
I had lunch meat with both my prior pregnancies I craved subs all the time. This time the midwife unit I go to requires a food diary...no more cheating for me hahah
I was very relaxed with my first and she turned out fine ;-) it's not necessarily "soft" cheeses to avoid but unpasteurized - which is next to impossible to find in the U.S. So I never hesitated on packages goat cheese. Once I hit 20 weeks I had 4 oz. of wine 1x a week. And coffee everyday, albeit less than my usual pot...
I've been drinking a small mug of black coffee every morning. Before I knew I was pregnant or knew these things were bad, I had beer, feta cheese, frozen yogurt, deli meat. I will probably have these things again, except the beer. I think it's ok to have one beer later in the pregnancy (just like wine) but by then I might feel like there is no point in chancing it.
I also was emptying the cat litter box before I found out-- making my husband do it now and not tempted to cheat on that one!!
I've been drinking a small mug of black coffee every morning. Before I knew I was pregnant or knew these things were bad, I had beer, feta cheese, frozen yogurt, deli meat. I will probably have these things again, except the beer. I think it's ok to have one beer later in the pregnancy (just like wine) but by then I might feel like there is no point in chancing it.
I also was emptying the cat litter box before I found out-- making my husband do it now and not tempted to cheat on that one!!
Last go around in third trimester I HAD to have a beer. It was soooooo hot out. My Blue Moon with an orange slice was absolute heaven.
DS1 - 9/21/11
DS2 - 7/4/14
DS3 - 2/21/16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
Re: What are the things you cheat on during pregnancy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
Pretty much the only thing I'm really concerned about is no alcohol and very limited caffeine--and no hot tubs! Not like I have one anyway!
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality
Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
Autism mama!
....how rare is too rare for a steak...had steak tonight...went medium rare instead of really rare...I thought I was being good...oops. But really how rare is too rare?? I need to know before I eat the leftovers in the fridge..had plans on steak and eggs for breakfast...
I'm going medium on steaks this go around.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
One thing I will not cheat on is alcohol. I know some doctors say it is fine after the first trimester, but I don't see a point. I don't need it and would rather not risk it.
Yeah... This comes off really superior to me. If an American said something like this to someone living in another nation, it would be considered so condescending! The reverse is equally true. I adore the UK and I've lived in both places (US and UK) for years. While the UK has a few differing and possibly better standards on meat (especially beef, because of the mad cow issue in the 90s), America is just fine for food safety and most of the pregnancy guidelines are absolutely no different. You have factory farming and highly processed foods available just like we do, and it's probably best for ALL of us if we eat as organic and local as possible, though of course that can be difficult and expensive as well... I do love a good farm-fresh egg like you do, though! Anyway, like you, I will eat runny eggs at home. I will also have soft-serve at reputable places, I'll drink a single ounce of wine and beer now and again, and I'll probably accidentally eat unheated deli meat or unpasteurized soft cheese at one point or another. I'm going to try not to worry about it though!
MC at 8 weeks {EDD 9.2.20}
Rainbow Girl! {2.28.16}
Baby boy, lost at 16 weeks {EDD 6.10.15}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
Anyhoo... I had raw cookie dough a few days ago. Oops.
MC at 8 weeks {EDD 9.2.20}
Rainbow Girl! {2.28.16}
Baby boy, lost at 16 weeks {EDD 6.10.15}
MC at 8 weeks {EDD 9.2.20}
Rainbow Girl! {2.28.16}
Baby boy, lost at 16 weeks {EDD 6.10.15}
I also was emptying the cat litter box before I found out-- making my husband do it now and not tempted to cheat on that one!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!