How did you all decide what you were ok with eating vs. not eating during pregnancy? Did you get more lenient once in the 2nd or 3rd trimester?
I have read the Panic Free Pregnancy and am reading the Mayo Clinic Guide and What to Expect when you're expecting and have found a lot of conflicting information.
I am still early on in my pregnancy so don't see my doctor until April 30th. I do have a phone call with a nurse in just under 2 weeks to discuss medical history and questions. I have received a packet from my ob office with most of the general recommendations - cook fish/meat thoroughly, heat up hot dogs and deli meat, etc.
My DH is a chef so has lots of training in food borne illnesses and bacteria/parasites so he tends to be more strict about the guidelines. At the moment I'm totally craving sushi, the cooked stuff just isn't cutting it for me.
I have been craving sushi for the last 24 weeks and haven't given in yet. I decided to restrict my menu choices on everything. I quit coffee cold turkey because I cannot limit myself to one cup. I still want coffee every morning. I gave up deli meat and shellfish and soft cheeses. We had challenges conceiving and probably would not have another chance to have a child. I don't want to do anything to risk our baby being healthy.
A lot of it is just personal comfort level. There are women here who eat sushi (from reputable places) and women who don't. There are women who won't drink any caffeine or alcohol, and women who still enjoy a cup of coffee or an occasional sip of beer. Me, I still drink Diet Coke because my OB is cool with it (and it helps keep my migraines at bay). I've certainly backed off the amount though.
I did get a bit more lenient in 2nd tri, but that was mainly because I wasn't nauseous anymore.
I've loosely followed the guidelines my doctor gave me. I still eat soft cheeses and queso. I can't give it up. I do not eat deli meat or raw sushi. I have had cooked sushi. I have had one hot dog this pregnancy and I'ms ure I will have others this summer. I've also had caffeine twice but I probably won't again.
I think at the end of the day you have to do what is best for you and your baby. Only you can decide whether you want to be 100% strict or if you will allow some things.
In my first pregnancy I followed all the lists religiously. This time, um, not so much.
I have not had liver, sushi or blue cheese, but I have had eggs benedict and cake batter. I have eaten deli meat, etc. I think you just have to go with what you are comfortable with. Have a look at the lists and look at the reasoning behind why you should not eat each thing and then decide.
(And for a sushi craving why don't you have some smoked salmon with rice? And do the whole soy sauce, wasabi, ginger thing on the side?)
Not knowing just what to eat drove me crazy before my first OB appointment.
I avoid: soft cheeses (all), unpasteurized cheese, honey, lunch meat, undercooked eggs, most ham, honey, salami, anything with mayo that I did not make myself (aioli, potato salad, etc.), alchohol, and rare meat. And thanks to Panic-Free Pregnancy, I avoid pork cooked at low temperatures and rarely eat peanuts.
I still have a mocha protein shake for breakfast every morning. And half a small bottled frappuccino later in the day.
I was pretty strict with my diet iny first tri because of a loss prior to this pg and I was I total fear until 12ish weeks. After that point though I started eating deli meat, mostly Subway, because I craved it and would get my subs toasted but now I eat it cold too, I still have Starbucks 2-3 times a week, drink soda on occasion, etc...
You just have to decide what you are comfortable with.
And thanks to Panic-Free Pregnancy, I avoid pork cooked at low temperatures and rarely eat peanuts.
I thought the nut avoidance during pregnancy was only if a nut allergy runs in your family? (And maybe it does in yours, but I am curious to see what Panic-Free Pregnancy says since I haven't read that book). I love peanut butter smoothies and use cashew and almond butter for other things.
I have continued to have small sips of wine here and there and have had sushi a couple of times at very upscale places during client lunches, mostly because someone else was paying and I wanted the fancy sushi I wouldn't otherwise have bought for myself even while not pregnant!
I tried heating up lunch meat, but just found that it was gross. So now I make sandwiches out of other things- fresh veggies, garden burgers, etc.
I gave up coffee when I was TTC, so kicked the habit about a year ago. I will have a cup occasionally if I am really dragging, but that might be once every other week or something.
I haven't really craved anything else that's on the "no" list.
To add, the only real universal rules are not to drink or smoke, avoid mercury-laden foods, and to make sure your foods are cooked and pasteurized. Most domestic cheeses are pasteurized (hard/soft) but read labels to make sure. Most commercial juices are pasteurized, but the expensive small-batch stuff rarely is. For me, it became more of a brand avoidance thing than wholesale cutting foodstuffs out of my diet. But then, I'm not a huge fan of lunchmeat or hot dogs anyways, so that wasn't really an issue.
How did you all decide what you were ok with eating vs. not eating during pregnancy? Did you get more lenient once in the 2nd or 3rd trimester?
I have read the Panic Free Pregnancy and am reading the Mayo Clinic Guide and What to Expect when you're expecting and have found a lot of conflicting information.Â
I am still early on in my pregnancy so don't see my doctor until April 30th. I do have a phone call with a nurse in just under 2 weeks to discuss medical history and questions. I have received a packet from my ob office with most of the general recommendations - cook fish/meat thoroughly, heat up hot dogs and deli meat, etc.
My DH is a chef so has lots of training in food borne illnesses and bacteria/parasites so he tends to be more strict about the guidelines. At the moment I'm totally craving sushi, the cooked stuff just isn't cutting it for me.Â
You're going to get so many different answers. Personally, I avoid raw sushi, deli meat, all alcohol, ibuprofen/other "not ok" drugs, and unpasteurized cheese (though this isn't an issue for me).
This is my second pregnancy, so I drink a little caffiene every day, and sometimes there is deli meat on a salad I eat.
It's a personal decision. Get the answers and do what you're comfortable with. Good luck!
And thanks to Panic-Free Pregnancy, I avoid pork cooked at low temperatures and rarely eat peanuts.Â
I thought the nut avoidance during pregnancy was only if a nut allergy runs in your family? (And maybe it does in yours, but I am curious to see what Panic-Free Pregnancy says since I haven't read that book).
FYI to you and other nut lovers: my son has a peanut allergy, and his allergist just told me that the new recommendation is to NOT avoid nuts during pregnancy, to continue to eat them. So, I'm trying to eat PB where I can. Though, I didn't avoid with my son, and he's got an allergy, but I digress...
To add, the only real universal rules are not to drink.
I would argue that this is not universal and is about personal comfort level. My doctors in France said it was okay to still have an occasional glass of wine as long as I was eating a full meal along with it.
I don't really avoid any foods. I drink one cup of coffee most days, sometimes two but usually just one.
I do avoid any medication not on the safe list so I wouldn't take ibuprofen or anything. I've also been avoiding tylenol for the most part just in case.
for food I don't like sushi so that's n/a. But I will eat steak that is medium/medium -rare and I eat soft poached eggs regularly. I also eat deli meat if I feel like it. The last outbreaks of listeria I recall hearing about were in fresh produce so I kind of feel like to avoid listeria you'd have to avoid every food. I eat peanut butter daily.
I also am fine with having a drink occasionally, though I did avoid alcohol completely in the first trimester.
My OB clinic puts out a 140+-page guide for what to expect during pregnancy (what happens at each appointment, guides to genetic testing, birth plan options, etc). The only foods it says to avoid are rare/uncooked meat and fish, unpasteurized cheeses, mercury-rich fish, cold deli meats, and alcohol. It recommends a 250mg/day limit on caffeine. Really you have to do what you feel comfortable with, and follow your doctor's instructions.
Myrrhine, I'm curious -- did your doctor tell you to avoid honey? Mine didn't say anything about it, and I've been eating it -- a friend mentioned that it drove her crazy to avoid honey, so I did some research. From what I've found, as long as the honey is pasteurized, then it's fine. The risk is botulism. Babies' intestines aren't mature enough to kill botulism, but adults' intestines are. So if you ingest honey, your body should kill any bacteria in it, and nothing will get to the fetus. But you definitely don't want to feed honey to babies.
I had to stop coffee due to a UTI that I had. I miss it. I might start drinking it again in 2nd tri. I limited it to one cup.
I only gave up unpasteurized cheese, raw fish (including sushi), deli meat (unless heated), certain otc drugs, raw eggs and I don't really eat hot dogs.
Ditto everyone else, it is all about determining your personal comfort level. I still eat sushi, occasionally eat deli meat, take sips of wine and beer.
Myrrhine, I'm curious -- did your doctor tell you to avoid honey? Mine didn't say anything about it, and I've been eating it -- a friend mentioned that it drove her crazy to avoid honey, so I did some research. From what I've found, as long as the honey is pasteurized, then it's fine. The risk is botulism. Babies' intestines aren't mature enough to kill botulism, but adults' intestines are. So if you ingest honey, your body should kill any bacteria in it, and nothing will get to the fetus. But you definitely don't want to feed honey to babies.
Ditto on the Honey. I never once avoided it throughout pregnancy. I get local honey that is pasteurized.
To add, the only real universal rules are not to drink.
I would argue that this is not universal and is about personal comfort level. My doctors in France said it was okay to still have an occasional glass of wine as long as I was eating a full meal along with it.
I think the universal rule is not to smoke. Or limit this down to as little as possible.
Wine & Beer is fine on occasion. (4-6 oz) Just don't get shitfaced drunk ever.
Post by thatgirl2478 on Mar 25, 2014 8:52:03 GMT -5
Basically my Dr said that just about anything in moderation was ok.
That said, I'm not eating fish that's considered highly contaminated. That's about the only choice I'm making.
I still have caffeine (about 1 - occasionally 2 - cans of Diet Coke daily).
I still eat deli meat (though, I am more picky about where it comes from & how long it's been in the fridge).
I still eat soft cheeses (90% of the cheese you can buy in the store is pasteurized - I'm NOT talking about cheese spread - but bleu, gorgonzola, feta - still eating that).
I rarely ate hot dogs, but will probably have at least 1 during the course of this pregnancy.
Most of the fish I eat is tilapia & the occasional salmon fillet - I rarely eat tuna - but if I want a tuna sandwich I'll eat it.
I never ate sushi, did drugs, smoked or drank much before, no reason to start.
Post by thatgirl2478 on Mar 25, 2014 8:55:11 GMT -5
oh and the caution on deli meats is as much about the nitrates to preserve it as it is about the possibility of listeria. Keep in mind that ANYTHING can have listeria in it. The other day there was a recall notice for Parker Farms brand of cheeses & peanut butter because of a possible listeria contamination. It can also spread through vegetables and fruits if they are not washed correctly.
My OB only specifically said to avoid drinking, smoking, and hard drugs. She gave me a list of OTCs that are ok, but said she wasn't worried about foods.
I have been pretty lax, mostly because my appetite has been terrible and something is better than nothing. I do avoid any fish high in mercury, buffets, and potlucks (ETA - and artificial sweeteners, when I can). I am much more worried about dirty prep or food sitting out too long than anything else. I still have lunch meat, hot dogs, caffeine, sushi, sips of wine, etc (all in smaller quantities than pre-pg, and from reputable places). I've got 99 pregnant lady worries, but food ain't one.
It's really all about personal comfort though. If you're worried, then don't do it. If you're craving sushi and you feel like its safe, then go for it. This sounds so strange, but we had a ton of issues getting pregnant and I spent a lot of time analyzing and controlling anything related to my body. I now have much more faith in my body's ability to keep a pregnancy, than I did in its ability to actually get pregnant.
My MIL started to give me a hard time bc I have one cup of coffee a day. I told her back in her day when she was preg it was ok to drink alcohol & smoke, so I think my coffee is ok. She laughed.
I've had a lot of losses. I gave up all caffeine for almost 2 years, ate really strict at times & then I found out I have a rare thyroid cancer that is not curable. I ate a couple pieces of sushi and had some deli meat. I just don't want to make myself crazy, so I'm doing what I feel comfortable doing. Yesterday I had a migraine and I had a second cup of coffee. Coffee really helps my migraines.
I've limited my alcohol to a sip of DH's beer when he has a fresh bottle. I try not to drink more than a cup of coffee a day, but occasionally I have two. That's about it for me.
To add, the only real universal rules are not to drink.
I would argue that this is not universal and is about personal comfort level. My doctors in France said it was okay to still have an occasional glass of wine as long as I was eating a full meal along with it.
I guess I should have said don't get slizzered. I'll admit that I've stolen a few sips of beer.
The only thing I've been sort of lax on is lunchmeat. But I do pay attention to how long it's been in the fridge and make sure to microwave it. I've had it maybe 10x since getting pg.
I've followed the "rules" on pretty much everything else, but admittedly don't love seafood or sushi and haven't craved it. I've also been leery of salads at restaurants and making sure to wash fruit at home thoroughly since you're actually more likely to get listeria from that than lunchmeat.
I'm not even sure how I arrived at my comfort lines. I did a lot of reading, and particularly relied on "Expecting Better" which is written by a U of C economist and cites a lot of research.
Things I avoid: caffeine*, cold deli meat, most medicines, fish high in mercury, smoking/drugs (duh)
Things I consume: cheese, sushi, alcohol (not more than 1 glass/day), eggs,
*I am actively trying to quit Diet Coke and have not had any since getting pregnant. I have not craved coffee, but if I was, I would have no problem having 1-2 cups/day.