How on earth do you keep track of what to eat and not to eat?

[lovenoel]

I'm feeling frustrated this morning...

Husband and I were at whole foods and he grabbed us ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches from their hot bar. We were starving and I gobbled it down before we got home when it struck me...deli ham is supposed to be a no...not to mention taking it from a hot bar where it'd been sitting for who knows how long. Then I unloaded the groceries and had a fruit cup with cantaloupe and realized that cantaloupe is on the "no" list as well from a few places I'd read. Last night I ate some marzipan candies that my dad brought back for us from germany and dh told me "I don't think you're supposed to eat marzipan" after I'd gobbled down three.

In the past couple days I think I've broken the eating rules of pregnancy 5x and every time I do I panic. How do you stay calm if you eat something you're not supposed to? I'm finding that I have to google everything before I eat it! This is my first pregnancy so of course I feel like everything I do is going to hurt whatever is happening in there.

Any words of wisdom?

 

[Unexpected212]

I don't know. I am only strict on a few things

-No runny eggs
-No leftovers
-No undercooked meat
-No mould ripened cheeses
-No dry cured stuff like parma ham
-No alcohol
-Watch my caffeine

Deli meats I eat and I always ate nuts throughout my last pregnancy against advice and funnily enough this time around the new thing is that you SHOULD or CAN eat peanuts when pregnant.

Don't panic. As long as your not eating the wrong stuff constantly I'm sure you will be fine.

 

[Scout]

When I was pregnant my OB to eat just like I always do and not stress about it. I once asked him about pineapple and he told me to stay off google! LOL The only no no foods were alcohol, limited caffeine, fish (I forgot what kind). I know other doctors/midwives will tell you different, but I just didn't worry too much about it.

 

[Babybug]

I didnt know ham was on the list, I googled it and it doesnt come up as a problem?
Marzipan is only risky if its homemade if its processed its unlikelyto have raw egg in so would be ok.
I just googled cantaloupe and apparantly there was a listeria outbreak beacuse of melons dirty on the outside contaminating the inside when cut, they advised cleaning them.
The list of what you shouldnt have is actuslly fairly small, wont post as I think it varies per country ( which is odd imo)
I still eat runny eggs ! Cant resist I can barely eat anything, the risk is selmonella, selmonella is extremely rare.

 

[leahtaba]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much. Apart from raw and undercooked meats and other food.

 

[Serenyx]

If you were to read too much into it you would never eat anything! For example you wouldn't eat anything that comes in tins or plastic due to the risk of BPA etc

I cut down on deli meat but don't eliminate it entirely as sometimes I fancy a sandwich.

So just be sensible, wash salad and fruit before eating it and cook meat thoroughly.

 

[EarthMama]

I ate some soft goat cheese yesterday and loved it.

 

[RaspberryK]

There really isn't much I avoid.
Most of the risk is so microscopic!
Xx

 

[Unexpected212]

Yeah I try my hardest to stick to the guidelines but to be honest occasionally I just eat what I want. I'm way more relaxed this time than I was last time.

 

[greenpear]

I keep away from very few things, other wise I'll drive myself nuts

No raw meat/fish
No mouldy cheese (hate that one anyways)
No fish high in mercury
No alcohol

1 cup of coffee a day or equivalent

That's all. I eat left overs (we're not rich to cook new things every day), eat deli, eat pineapple (you need a truck of it to do something), and other things too.

Relax honestly, it will be ok!

 

[BabyMamma93]

Id advice, like others to stay off google, i find it more comfrting to use forums, definatly not google, i scared my self stupid too on google until i decided to stay off and only use forums, anyway.
i was told to avoid:
- swordfish and shark (yes because these was my daily favourites.... -_-)
- limit salmon and tuna, think you should have one portion a week..
- dippy eggs.. this is debatable though, as ive also been told, if the egg has the lion stamp (think only in britain) this means the chicken has been protected against salmonela, so the eggs are safe, but still limit to one or 2 a week.. i miss my runny yolks, but ive still not tried as i panic abit..
- alcohol, thy say in 1st tri dont drink at all, in 2nd tri its one unit per day? i read in the paper the other day, women who drank 10 bottles of wine throughout had healthier, happier and well behaved children.. but i dont think i believe this, since being pregnant ive had 2 mouthfuls of beer, and on xmas day i had a small shot glass of my OHs home made choc vodka, and felt quite guilty for it.
- homemade mayo and mouses as they contain raw egg, it then occured to me that whilst baking buns/cakes, id be unable to lick the spoon as the mixture has raw egg in it
- prawns.. i had this discussion with my mum, the little tiny prawns you buy already cooked are good, as there all processed anyway, but tiger prawns you have to take the head off and de shell your self to cook at home, they say these are a no go, as one bad prawn can cause sickness, not nesecerily harm the baby, it may, but being ill when pregnant is often alot worse than when not, and your immune system is lower, i can eat prawns, good prawns or bad ones and be okay, my mu however can bite into a prawn and as soon as shes swallowed it if it was bad, shes ill for days, this is what you could be like when pregnant if you eat a bad prawn..
-parma ham and chorizo is supposed to be bad, i eat chorizo but cooked, although when its been cut up i pinch a few bits of it
- under cooked meat! cant say much on this as im not too sure.. chicken and pork is understandable as when not preg its harmful to eat undercooked chicken and pork anywhere, but beef.. im not too sure, my partner makes steak quite often, and when ive eaten it, it has had pink in the middle, not blood as i wont eat it if its still got blood running out of it, but just pink, im not sure if this is classed as undercooked? but me and baby are fine.. maybe someone can answer that one..

think thats about it, ive not been told anything else, nuts are okay god knows why one time they wasnt now they are but yeah..
ive heard of people who eat what they want, when they want and everything was fine, i guess it depends if you want to take the 'risks' im going to ask my midwife about the egg thing with the lion stamp and if she confirms these are okay, i may be able to enjoy a spam and egg butty again
as said above, stop stressing so much, i ate shop bought coldslaw and it said on the tub 'contains egg' and thats all, yeah i paniked but months on me and baby are fine the stress may cause more harm..

 

[RaspberryK]

Prawns are safe, raw and heated fully at home are less risky than cold already cooked or re heated.
Xx

 

[pearlsandbows]

The only things I'm not eating are: runny eggs, pates, shellfish, only 2 portions of oily fish a week & limiting tuna, no alcohol & limiting caffeine. Making sure to wash all fruit & veg. Didn't know about anything in OP it freaked me out a bit when I read it!
xo.

 

[BabyMamma93]

i forgot about Pates, and liver and stuff!
and as for caffeine this one gets me.. they say 200mg per day?
they say theres 100mg in a mug of instant coffee, so your only allowed 2.. but then they say theres also caffeine in a choc bar, and then whatever there is in coke?
i cant keep up with the caffeine subject, i just know i have about 2 cups of tea a day, rarely 3, if i decide to have a coffee on a morning i will have a tea later on in the day if i fancy one, but ive been drinking coke alot lately, and eating a fair share of chocolate, but i no longer drink energy drinks, i probably have more than the daily amount.. bt its hard to keep tabs

 

[lilmissmup]

I ate some soft goat cheese yesterday and loved it.

This is my one upset of being pregnant I love goats cheese.... not sure i can go another 7 months....might have to sneak some in.

 

[RaspberryK]

Shellfish is fine as long as it's cooked ladies.
Xx

 

[Hansie]

It's only gonna hurt your baby if it gives you food poisoning. I'm still eating runny eggs (we keep chickens so I do know where they come from) I don't eat mouldy cheese or pate anyway. I think marzipan is ok well I have been eating it anyway! I have had propper food poisoning and it's hideous!! But I think as long as you heat everything through you should be fine. I eat nuts too and it's ok to have a drink although that's a personal choice I guess(not that I want to lol as I feel too sick) it's all about your own risk factors and how you perceive it. You could eat anyone of the no go foods and it be totally fine but then you could get food poisoning from something that's ment to be safe!

 

[RaspberryK]

Exactly hansie xx