Is anyone else not giving into the food restriction hysteria?

[laila 44]

I'm really really not a paranoid android about what I eat. I eat sushi (on occasion), smoked salmon, Delhi meats if I feel like it and coffee. The only thing i won't chance are raw oysters and too much Tuna due to its high mercury content. I don't drink alcohol or smoke at all but I do enjoy pasteurized soft cheeses. I think these food restrictions are exaggerated a bit. I mean, everything in moderation is fine IMO ( except smoke and alcohol). My dr also said that sushi is super healthy to eat on occasion if bought fresh from a reputable place, the omega 3 is excellent for baby's neuro development. I did the same in my last pregnancy and my dd is super healthy and advanced so why the hysteria? anyone else out there not paranoid and just basically enjoying eating in moderation? I mean what do the women in Japan do? What did our parents do?

 

[bekkie]

There are some things I avoid... deli meats/hotdogs/undercooked meat - but I still had the occasional sunny side up egg when I was pregnant with DS, tuna in moderation, soft serve iced cream, cola, honey... peanuts... cripes, probably more than I even realize is on the massive 'nono' list

 

[laila 44]

I eat hotdogs sometimes, I love my steak medium rare but I don't eat runny eggs

 

[roomaloo]

I eat whatever I like. Did last pregnancy too

 

[Gem1302]

OH wont let me have runny eggs! goodness knows why, I still drink cola, have deli meats, nuts etc. my midwife has given me the full list of what not to eat and why, and most of it is because of giving me food poisoning, salmonella etc because that can harm baby too, but there are only slim chances of it happening anyway, as long as meats are cooked properly. I still take precautions with most things, but I would kill for a runny egg! Lol!

 

[CatherineK]

I eat whatever I feel like, just don't drink or smoke. My doctor says most of the 'food restrictions' are way overblown

 

[Ali33]

I pretty much eat whatever I can tolerate at this point. With my daughter it was chips and top ramen and she was and is healthy as can be..

 

[Kiwi4545]

I have been avoiding sushi...and a lot of deli meat, but other than that, I go for it.

 

[THart]

I eat anything I feel like, food restrictions are so silly to me. The only thing I avoid are smokes (which I neve did to begin with) and alcohol.

My OB doesn't even reccomend food restriction (outside of moderating your caffine and sugar intake).

 

[laila 44]

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I just don't believe in it...

 

[winegums]

They aren't restrictions per say - they are advice / recommendations. Health professionals are responsible for giving women the information so that they can then make their own decisions. It's about the parents weighing up the risks and making an informed choice. Just like everything in life

Salmonella for example doesn't usually have an effect on the baby itself - however the mum can become very ill and the antibiotics used to treat it cause birth defects in the baby. If the baby does become ill it usually leads to an emergency section in order to try to save baby and treat mum. There have been cases of babies dying of MOSF after contracting salmonella inutero. So it's kinda a lot about common sense. buy british eggs from a reputable source and you have basically no chance of catching salmonella. Go to a cheap cafe and you don't know whether they're using british eggs or importing them from places that don't have strict guidelines then you might end up with salmonella.

Listeria is more deadly and effects people more if they have a weakened immune system. The symptoms might not be bad in the mum but usually results in miscarriage or stillbirth depending on gestation. If the baby survives it's usually born pretty premature, again depending on gestation and once born is usually very sick. Again avoiding listeriosis is a lot about common sense - washing food properly, cooking food properly etc. As for foods to avoid like unpasteurised cheeses etc.. well that's the mums decision! No HCP can stop you from eating anything.

I guess a lot of HCPs are quite ...um passionate (is that the right word?) about advising against certain foods is because they have seen cases with awful outcomes that they know could be easily prevented

 

[laila 44]

Right. However listeria and salmonella are also a real threat in non pregnant people as well. The only " warning" is be use of a surprised immune system hen pregnant however the chances are so, so , soooooooo slim that I think if you use your better judgement and eat fresh foods then it's a non issue.

 

[winegums]

Right. However listeria and salmonella are also a real threat in non pregnant people as well. The only " warning" is be use of a surprised immune system hen pregnant however the chances are so, so , soooooooo slim that I think if you use your better judgement and eat fresh foods then it's a non issue.

Listeria doesn't usually cause many symptoms in healthy adults, but for pregnant women it could lead to the miscarriage or stillbirth of their baby and if not then a sick, premature baby.

 

[aimee-lou]

I avoid:
- blue/mould ripened cheeses (not good for you anyway really lol)
- Chinese take-aways cry: - I got food poisoning off one once and it was horrid so don't want to risk that)
- Pate - same as the chinese but also for the vit A content
- Boiled Eggs (will still eat fried as you can control how hard/soft they are)

I moderate:
- Tea/caffeinated drinks

I don't drink coffee, alcohol or smoke anyway so none of these are an issue

Apart from that - everything is fair game lol.

 

[CaptainMummy]

I avoid nothing. I dont eat a few of the 'resteicted' foods anyway (sushi, hotdogs etc) but I havent changed what I do eat.
I still have runny eggs, medium/rare steak... I couldnt eat them any other way!

 

[Scout]

I don't drink any alcohol or caffeine, but that's no big deal bc I don't usually anyways. My OB told me to eat whatever I wanted, in moderation, and to stay off google LOL (that was after I asked him if I could eat pineapple), so I eat whatever I want.

 

[zorak]

I eat pretty much what I want. The only things I have actively avoided are sushi (used to eat quite a lot but now I just stick to veggie sushi) and alcohol. I don't smoke.

I am also a rebel and don't take a prenatal multivitamin. I take folic acid and fish oil and that's it. My husband is a biomedical scientist and when he saw the ingredients and %'s of the vitamins on the side of the packet of prenatals he asked me not to take them - he was appalled at some of the %'s listed. We eat a really healthy diet, never buy processed food so, as he said, he would rather I got my vitamins from a natural food source than scientifically modified ones.

So far I've had some m/s which has now tapered off and I feel great.

 

[IndieBelle]

I'm pretty lucky I guess, all the recommendations are things I don't really eat! And I am not a big caffeine drinker anyway. I am just in the mindset that a little is okay, just be careful. I have had one hotdog and one sandwich from Subway. I really want a McFlurry but probably just going to wait it out. I'm not going overboard with it just being careful and aware

There was a bit of a Listeria outbreak in Australia with some soft cheeses not that long ago, I think a few people died and a few ladies lost their babies, so sad

 

[iwantabub]

Right. However listeria and salmonella are also a real threat in non pregnant people as well. The only " warning" is be use of a surprised immune system hen pregnant however the chances are so, so , soooooooo slim that I think if you use your better judgement and eat fresh foods then it's a non issue.

I thought it was all a bit much... i followed it anyway ...

until a month ago two pregnant women here ate some form of soft cheese (bought from the supermarket in packaging) and got lysteria...

both women lost their babies ... one quite early and one quite far along...

to me its not worth the risk for things like salamis and cheeses that in the last 10 years (even in our strictly controlled environment) have proven to be fatal...

i tried hard enough to get my lo and after losing one without doing anything wrong at all to me the 1 in 100000 risk is still too high to chance...
it is only 9 months after all

 

[Gem1302]

Soft cheeses are I think one of the bigger risks, along with pâté, I do avoid those!