I'm feeling so stupid!

[mrsbernstein]

So I read online about certain cheeses being no-nos.  And had a hankering for a specific sandwich across town.  So I check on the CREAM CHEESE on the sanwich...and it's OK!

Well...seems it didn't even OCCUR to me that the it was a TURKEY sandwich...ARGH!  I feel so stupid!  (with lunch meat being a no-no)

And the worst part is that my craving turned out NOT to be for the SANDWICH, BUT for the Balsamic Vinegarette that I normally DIP the sandwich into!  

I hope I'm not this dumb for the next 7 months.

MRs B

[Charlize]

No need in beating yourself up over it! We all do things during pregnancy we aren't aware of being a no-no. It wasn't until I was pregnant with DD3 that I learned it's a no-no to eat lunch meats. I enjoyed a lunch meat sandwich every day at lunch with DD1 and she was/is just fine. 

[mama_daba]

honestly all those rules about food are for the most part because getting food poisoning is not so good when pregnant and i think they are overkill. in the united states they say don't eat any sushi in japan they say eat lots of sushi. i think you will be fine. i really am not paying any attention to rules about what is or is not ok to eat with the exception that if i ate meat i would avoid fish with high mercury contents. i try and eat healthy but i do that regardless of being pregnant.

[Charlize]

Originally Posted by mama_daba 

honestly all those rules about food are for the most part because getting food poisoning is not so good when pregnant and i think they are overkill. in the united states they say don't eat any sushi in japan they say eat lots of sushi. i think you will be fine. i really am not paying any attention to rules about what is or is not ok to eat with the exception that if i ate meat i would avoid fish with high mercury contents. i try and eat healthy but i do that regardless of being pregnant.

Exactly! Just be cautious about what you eat. I generally eat pretty well whatever I like. However, I do make sure all meat I consume is well done, possibly even very well done. I wash veggies and fruits an extra time. And I try to limit fish due to mercury concerns.

One can really drive themselves crazy with all the "pregnancy rules."
 

[mrsbernstein]

Thank you both! 

Yes...the "pregnancy rules" are freaking me OUT!  On one hand, I want to eat everything that walks by!  And on the other hand...I'm just SURE it's on some "don't eat" list!

Ah...such as sushi!  I LOVE SUSHI!  We usually only eat it at 2 places in town, and have always been very pleased.

THANK YOU!

Mrs b

[heavensearth]

Originally Posted by mama_daba 

honestly all those rules about food are for the most part because getting food poisoning is not so good when pregnant and i think they are overkill. in the united states they say don't eat any sushi in japan they say eat lots of sushi. i think you will be fine. i really am not paying any attention to rules about what is or is not ok to eat with the exception that if i ate meat i would avoid fish with high mercury contents. i try and eat healthy but i do that regardless of being pregnant.

 Yay! someone else who thinks like me!!!! I eat sushi all the time, did with DS too!

The most important thing is to buy from reputable retailers and eat healthy as much as possible ;)

[LivingSky]

I specifically asked my doctor about the sushi thing, and she said go right ahead and eat it. Just avoid the high mercury content fish (like tuna).

She also said that there is really no problem with lunch meats as long as they're kept refrigerated properly. She told me not even to worry heating them up, as long as I keep them packaged and in the fridge. She just said to avoid deli type places that leave the meat out on the counter all day long.

I figure it's about common sense more than anything else. If it was bad for you pre-pregnancy, it's worse for you now, and if it's good for you pre-pregnancy it's probably still good for you now :) 

[maisiedotes]

I am veg so I never paid much attention, but I always assumed by "coldcuts" they were talking about the super-processsed stuff like balogna.  Or mortadella.  But honestly, what do I know?  I wonder if tofurkey is safe? 

[tracymom1]

I think LivingSky hit the nail right on the head - Use common sense!!  It is so easy to get all caught up into this pregnancy vacuum of rules and regulations placed on use by the mainstream medical model that have nothing to do with COMMON SENSE and EVERYTHING to do with liability.  They tell you not to eat lunchmeat because yes, you can get sick from it (soooooo very rare, but still a chance) and they don't want you coming back to them saying "Why didn't you tell me not to eat this!????!"

It is easier to make a blanket rule for people to follow than to go into lengthy explanations about risk versus benefit.  I believe in using your best judgement and doing what you think is best for you and your family.

[Nightswimming]

My midwife said that it is totally fine to eat low/no nitrate cold cuts like turkey and roastbeef so don't worry about it!  Also, I have a friend who looked at the statistics and said as long as you eat non shellfish sushi you have less of a chance of getting food poisoning from eating that non shellfish sushi compared to eating chicken.

[tourist.]

Lunch meat is something that in general I do try to follow the "rule" with, only because it's possible to get listeria from it (which has worse implications for pregnancy than other food related sickness).  That said, I will eat what I need to.  I was served a deli sandwich on my flight from England back to the US so it was either that or nothing for HOURS.  After careful consideration, I ate it and was fine, but was still aphrenensive about it.  The chances of actually getting sick from lunch meat is super low, but every once in a while there will be meat recalls for listeria.  IIRC this has happened twice in the past two years in the US and Canada. 

I do eat sushi though, but only from the sushi place that I frequent because I trust their food handling skills.  As a side, you are much more likely to get sick from eating poorly prepared chicken or beef than from eating sushi.  I can't remember what the statistic is, but it was really tiny for sushi.

BTW, that sandwich you had sounds delicious!!  I've been craving vinegar type sauces too.  Yum.

[Novus]

Ha, I just ate a ham sandwich for lunch and didn't even think about it being on the no-no list until I read this thread...oops!  I was pretty paranoid about following all the rules with DS, but this time, I haven't stressed about them as much.  I agree with the posters who advocate the use of common sense!

[Gismobabe]

I am Austrian and live in Austria and the only rule I ever got was: do not eat raw meat (beef tartar) or raw eggs (unless they are fresh and organic). The food rules are very American, maybe because of the way the food is produced???? Anyway, I eat sushi, raw milk, cheeses....no problem, ever!

[lucalove]

I live in France and they are very strict here with uncooked vegetables, especially those that touch the ground (cucumbers lettuce carrots, etc).  There is toxoplasmosis in the soil here and you can really get it!  They tell you to soak everything in vinegar or cook it.  And never eat salads in public.  However, this is a rule only in France and Belgium where the soil is apparently contaminated.  I found in the States if the good supply was good quality, you just have to use common sense and enjoy everything in moderation!