Relaxed on food restrictions

[Qmama79]

Anyone else?
I eat my steak med-rare as its just not a steak otherwise...I have wild salmon sashimi in our favorite excellent sushi restaurant & eat blue cheese in portobello mushrooms. I love a variety of foods & am not really restricting myself ... I figure that some of us now crave McDonalds every day, so that isn't always the safest option as its basically meat prepared by teenagers...

I was very on the ball with my first...but seem to be so relaxed with this one.

 

[jinxii]

I'm on my first (and it will be my only) pregnancy.. and I am totally strict about what I eat. I get sick easily, so figured I better not chance it! If I wasn't so susceptible to getting ill, I probably wouldn't worry about it too much. I've given up steak through pregnancy because you're right.. well done is not a proper steak!!

 

[mbg81]

Im the same way...with my first, i watched everything I ate...no deli meat, raw fish, unpasteurized cheeses. Now I eat pretty much everything in moderation. And even have occasional coffee lol my friend is pregnant with her first and paranoid about everything she eats. I'm just so much more relaxed with this pregnancy and it feels good.

 

[Qmama79]

Im the same way...with my first, i watched everything I ate...no Mcdonalds, raw fish, unpasteurized cheeses. Now I eat pretty much everything in moderation. And even have occasional coffee lol my friend is pregnant with her first and paranoid about everything she eats. I'm just so much more relaxed with this pregnancy and it feels good.

I know! I'm more relaxed and feeling I don't really have to restrict much maybe is why I don't crave things. In first, I didn't eat a lot if things because I wasn't sure I was allowed. Now, I'll have a taste of what ever it is I want to eat & then I'm good. Moderation is key!

 

[Qmama79]

I'm on my first (and it will be my only) pregnancy.. and I am totally strict about what I eat. I get sick easily, so figured I better not chance it! If I wasn't so susceptible to getting ill, I probably wouldn't worry about it too much. I've given up steak through pregnancy because you're right.. well done is not a proper steak!!

If you are prone to getting sick, I totally agree. I'm eating these things from our local restaurants, where I've been a lot before or get the meat from our local butcher which has excellent reputation. Not trying out new restaurants & new foreign foods at moment. But am enjoying eating well. X

 

[DaisyDreamer]

This is my first and at first I really liked the idea of being strict on my diet.... But really I eat deli meat, rare steak, sushi, drink a little wine/beer or coffee or soda. Like PP said everything in moderation. I try not to be over the top with the things I'm not supposed to have

 

[laila 44]

Same. I'm very lax about food restrictions I eat whatever I want as long as it's fresh. The only thing I won't touch is raw shellfish (oysters etc) since I've gotten sick on those not pregnant and it sucks so I'd rather not chance it. Otherwise I eat sushi, rare steak, runny eggs, deli meats, Brie and coffee. I've even had a few sips of wine every now and then. I did the same with other 2 pregnancies and my kids are fine. All in moderation. My mom always tells me that when she was pregnant with me in the 80's there were no restrictions and we're all fine

 

[Eleonora]

I'm having 2 espressos a day which is well below the caffeine limit but more than I did last time. I am eating blue cheeses but cooked in sauces (except when I forgot about this at the beginning). I have also just bought a big chunk of gruyere which now I see is made from unpasteurized milk but I am definitely eating it. I have had a few sips of wine and joined in a couple of toasts but that quantity would probably add up to 2 whole drinks so far. I am rinsing veggies and fruits the way I normally would without soaking them in bleach/disinfectant or peeling them the way some people do here (for toxoplasmosis). And I'm eating the occasional runny egg. Living dangerously!!

 

[Mrs Bee]

First pregnancy I was so strict - this pregnancy..... It's all about eating the deli meats and pre prepared pasta salads haha!!! living on the edge over here!!!

 

[tu123]

My fourth. I just use my common sense. If it looks, smells and tastes as usual then it's ok. I wouldn't eat deli meat that had been left on the counter all day or bacon that had s tinge of yellow! But otherwise I eat anything like have always. I live in the UK. Hygiene is generally good here. Food packaging well restricted, etc. I would be more careful on holiday of

 

[xSweetTartx]

My first pregnancy I was careful to the point of it being almost crazy.
This time, I really cannot be bothered. Generally, I just go by instinct and cravings this time around. Considering I have had a tough time with meat this whole pregnancy, sushi is one of my main protein sources. Haha. I have a feeling that our bodies know better than we do most of the time. The one thing I am doing is making sure to stay hydrated. I feel like I am peeing for ten people though!

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I haven't really modified my diet except to cut out most of the alcohol (I've switched to non-alcoholic beers/wines with the occasional low content beer now that I'm further along). Been eating so many turkey sandwiches for lunch lately, I just can't get enough! I drink 2-3 cups of coffee (with a lot of milk) in the morning for breakfast. I was relaxed with my first pregnancy as well, thanks to an awesome OB who told me to just be smart about where I got my food from and I'd be fine.

 

[Marumi]

I had everything with my first and did not watch restrictions really. Back then Sushi was still banned but being half Japanese I know that it is seen a bit as laughable there because it is so safe when prepared right and Sashimi is even a health food for pregnant women there
Back then I knew little about coffee risk.

With this pregnancy I have restricted teas that seem to be concerning knowing how powerful herbs can be. I did more research about caffeine and decided it is not as safe as it is made out to be. I will now have a bit of black or green tea and the very occasional caffeinated cup, but completely avoided all in the first trimester since some health experts have seriously critisized the limit pregnant women are given.

I eat all safe raw foods however. Flash frozen, cured or otherwise preserved, nothing that has been sitting out. Raw milk cheeses, soft cheeses, not fully cooked egg yolk, sushi, cured raw ham, salami or mettwurst (sausage filled with raw but cured pork sausage).
I ate many more foods raw before getting pregnant, even raw meat dishes (Steak Tartar, Carpaccio etc). A part of my diet was raw foods also for the enzymes that come with it.

Btw., the newest restriction is raw veggies and fruits! In some countries the growing recommendation is to wash them with dish soap or thoroughly cook them .

From looking at some rules to me it seems that most are designed to be absolutely, 1000% sure no one makes a stupid mistake by trying to eat an expired egg raw, low quality sushi etc.
Others were simply theoretical and not well studied like the Sushi ban...Once experts took a closer look they noticed Sushi is usually flash frozen.

I looked at the tattoo restriction recently because I had an appointment for a tattoo set up and the reasons seemed to be similar. They 1. Want to make sure no one goes to an unsafe place that does not use new, packaged needles, 2. Avoid that someone with a low pain tolerance, pregnancy related blood sugar or blood pressure problem gets a tattoo as well as someone who does not heal well because of a suppressed auto immune system...and then there are the myths...like the ink will get into your blood stream, which is doesn't, that would be fatal and it also does not travel far from the tattoo site, stays in the first two layers of skin, so if you don't get a belly/ hip tattoo it is not getting anywhere near baby...

I believe dying hair also sparked some controversy but is now deemed okay? Maybe someone who dyes knows a bit more about it.

These regulations seem ever changing.

 

[Qmama79]

It's indeed getting crazy! In Belgium they recommend not eating any salad or raw veggies indeed. I stopped telling my family ( English and Belgian) anything about food because it really annoys me they tell me what to eat and not to eat. 2 different countries & rules. I live in Canada. Of course I don't want baby to get ill but I also want to enjoy food, eat divers & healthy. (And wild salmon sashimi is delicious!!)...Cooking veggies to the death takes away flavor & changes the nutritional value fr the worse. No wonder docs are pushing fr those prenatals. (Am still doing that too as I am terrified of PPROM and want to ensure I'm not missing any essentials).

I'll just end the threat with wishing you all tasty holidays, where we can enjoy delicious treats in moderation! Xx

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I keep waiting for that warning here in the States, since most of the outbreaks I see in the news is from fresh fruit/veggies, and this recent study found that fresh produce was the cause of most foodborne illnesses in the US.

Life is one big risk though, so I figure instead of cutting everything out I'll shop at nice stores with high safety standards, do my best to clean and store everything properly, and just try to enjoy my health while I can.

 

[jinxii]

For hair dye I was told that low volume bleach is okay, but to avoid dye if possible. I have natural base color and just some highlights added during the winter since I'm a dark blonde. My stylist doesn't let the bleach touch my scalp and mixes it up so low I can't even smell it. It takes maybe 20 minutes to work instead of the usual 8-10 (very fine hair) but that still isn't bad!

 

[Marumi]

Ah thanks for explaining about the dye!

I heard the same for vegetables and that listeria is more often a problem with vegetables.

And I agree, overcooked food lacks nutrients and is not as well digested because it lacks natural enzymes. So you would be setting yourself up for nutritional deficiences overcooking everything.

 

[purelygemini]

I think people get a bit too crazy with the dietary restrictions. I haven't eaten any sashimi or raw tuna, only cooked sushi, which is mostly because my bf is all uptight about it. I didn't drink coffee in the first tri but that was because I couldn't stand the thought of it! Now I'm back to drinking one cup a day, sometimes two. My bf hates that too but I'm not giving in on that one. I stopped drinking soda in first tri because it grossed me out and I've continued that, so I don't get any extra caffeine from that. I haven't really craved any deli meat sandwiches but wouldn't feel bad about eating one once in awhile. I've craved eggs benedict a lot and have no problem consuming a poached egg!!

I agree with what you all have said, everything in moderation! And I will continue to take my prenatal, I think taking those is more important than being crazy about what you eat!

 

[Vicky2806]

Anyone else?
I eat my steak med-rare as its just not a steak otherwise...I have wild salmon sashimi in our favorite excellent sushi restaurant & eat blue cheese in portobello mushrooms. I love a variety of foods & am not really restricting myself ... I figure that some of us now crave McDonalds every day, so that isn't always the safest option as its basically meat prepared by teenagers...

I was very on the ball with my first...but seem to be so relaxed with this one.

Same I can't eat steak unless it's medium coffee inake still the same however never been ott but don't see the point in caffeine free kinda defeats the object! This is my third and all have been healthy babies when I was pregnant with second they said no tuna as dangerous Mercury levels but now 7 yrs later it's fine! I always try n eat fresh n healthy anyway so just use common sense.

Someone st my Christmas doo on Friday actually changed my order from pate to soup! You do not mess with s pregnant woman's food EVER lol! Fuming to say the least.

As far as any other stuff still fake tan, nails and get hair highlighted (always professionally though) sand check products are safe. I totally understand why people are strict especially with there 1st but for me I guess it's just personel preference and common sense 😄 x

 

[Itsychik]

I haven't adhered to any of the "food rules" for any of my pregnancies--including my first. They've all just seemed largely unnecessary to me. If I'm not supposed to eat it when pregnant then I assume it isn't healthy for me at all, but generally I eat whatever I want. That being said, I DON'T eat (even when not pregnant) raw meats or fish because it grosses me out, and I don't drink alcohol (maybe a few times a year, but that's the only thing I "avoid" while pregnant). I still eat medium steak, runny eggs, deli meats, soft cheeses or soft-serve ice cream, etc etc. Some friends we have go really crazy with the restrictions but I think a little common sense goes a long way. Just my personal opinion though.