Food Dos/Don'ts Question

[D2M]

I was generally pretty strict in the first tri and then eased up as time went on. I had never heard of avoiding honey or nuts, though, and I ate soft cheeses that were pasteurized (the only place I saw unpasteurized cheese was at the farmer's market and at upscale specialty stores, so this was very easy). The smell of coffee made me want to hurl in the first trimester, so I had no problem avoiding it in the beginning. Now, I drink half caf/half decaf if I want some coffee and I'll have a sip of wine every now and then. I really haven't been taking too many sips these days, though, because I only have 10 weeks to go and I figure it's not that much longer that I have to abstain.

[thatgirl2478]

Mar 25, 2014 9:06:28 GMT -5 @mjmksb04 said:

I have eaten deli meat my entire pregnancy. I am not worried.

I did through my entire 1st pregnancy - no problems.  And the thought of microwaved deli meat makes me want to puke.

[gerberdaisy]

Like everyone else it depends on what you're comfortable with. I tried to be super diligent in the first trimester, but have relaxed.

My OB only said no drinking or hard drugs and everything else in moderation. So I just try to be smart about it. No sushi, cause I don't really want it. only pasturized soft cheeses, no high mercury fish, no bean sprouts, and limit deli meat. Other than that I just try to eat healthy. I've had a few sips of wine here and there, but never more than a quarter of a glass.

Oh, and no advil or other drugs, occasional tylenol if I need it.

[smock]

Mar 25, 2014 8:51:30 GMT -5 motzie said:

I'm vegetarian so most of the food limits don't apply. I do eat soft cheeses as long as they are pasteurized.

Ditto; being vegetarian means I'm only avoiding a very small number if things that honestly I didn't really eat before anyway, like unpasteurized cheese.

(And HI!)

[theatre4life]

I only eat deli meat if it is warm, I have cut back on caffiene to one cup of coffee or a soda a day, as well as cutting down wine to a sip here and there from what my H is drinking (which didn't happen until the 2nd tri).

I am allergic to eggs (which has gotten worse as I have gotten older), so nothing with mayo or any egg yolk anyway. I have been avoiding sushi, and hot dogs as well. (Though I did have one from 5 Guys a couple of weeks ago because it is the only thing that sounded good, so tasty!)

I don't eat non-pasteurized stuff in general, so that's not a huge concern. Definitely go with what you are comfortable with.

ETA: As far as meds, I as a general rule, don't take many. I don't take Tylenol (it doesn't usually work, and scares me personally) though I have had to cave twice since getting pregnant, because I couldn't see straight. I will occasionally take an allergy pill, if they are out of control. But otherwise, I try and avoid most meds, but again, that is normal (pregnant or not). 

[kermit]

The only "forbidden" things I have are caffeine in the form of one Coke Zero per day (okay, sometimes two) and deli meat. I was good about heating the deli meat during first tri but I don't really like it that way and haven't been doing it lately. I have a sandwich for lunch on the weekends so it's not too often. I always buy the prepackaged stuff, not from the deli counter, so I think that's somehow less risky. IDK. I've had a half glass of wine a few times too.

[IndiaInk]

Mar 25, 2014 9:41:18 GMT -5 SJ said:

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.

I highly recommend this book.  I think I bring it up in every thread that discusses food rules for pregnancy.  It really helped me get a better understanding of what the risks (or lack thereof) are, based on current research.  I'm a lot less paranoid now that I have some solid facts.  

[vtdiamond]

Mar 25, 2014 10:23:40 GMT -5 IndiaInk said:

Mar 25, 2014 9:41:18 GMT -5 SJ said:

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.

I highly recommend this book.  I think I bring it up in every thread that discusses food rules for pregnancy.  It really helped me get a better understanding of what the risks (or lack thereof) are, based on current research.  I'm a lot less paranoid now that I have some solid facts.  

Thanks for the suggestion, I saw an article about this book not to long ago.  I will be sure it pick it up.

[starlily]

It just depends on your personal comfort level.

The only things I avoid entirely are raw dairy products & rare meat. I also limit cold deli meat.

Otherwise I believe in moderation for everything else. I drink coffee daily, eat nuts, have raw sushi from one place, drink a glass of wine now and then, etc.

[shekels1222]

Mar 25, 2014 8:05:54 GMT -5 blushing said:

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?)

This. First pregnancy=thought I'd be struck down by the pregnancy gods if I ate deli meat. This pregnancy=heat that shit up and eat it, add a spicy salmon roll on the side too please.

It's your comfort level. I drink one small cup of half caf a day, eat heated deli meats, have sushi of I want from reputable places...and maybe a sip or two of wine during Passover this year.

[anaps28]

Mar 25, 2014 9:43:23 GMT -5 thatgirl2478 said:

Mar 25, 2014 9:06:28 GMT -5 @mjmksb04 said:

I have eaten deli meat my entire pregnancy. I am not worried.

I did through my entire 1st pregnancy - no problems.  And the thought of microwaved deli meat makes me want to puke.

Ugh I microwaved my turkey for lunch today. So gross.

[rbp]

Mar 25, 2014 10:23:40 GMT -5 IndiaInk said:

Mar 25, 2014 9:41:18 GMT -5 SJ said:

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.

I highly recommend this book.  I think I bring it up in every thread that discusses food rules for pregnancy.  It really helped me get a better understanding of what the risks (or lack thereof) are, based on current research.  I'm a lot less paranoid now that I have some solid facts.  

I should have read this. I just arrived at my own lax guidelines. LOL

I've always been very sensitive to caffeine, so I probably average 100 mg/day and don't want more.

I did cut WAY back on artificial sweeteners--not something my doctor mentioned, but I'm not comfortable with feeding my fetus large amounts of aspartame. I went from two Diet Cokes a day to maybe once a week. 

I've had a few sips of alcohol here and there. I plan to have a glass of wine on our babymoon.

I mostly avoid deli meat, except when it's the only thing easily available. I have eaten it a few times. 

I eat rare steak and sushi with zero qualms. 

I've felt free to take any meds my doctor cleared, which has included Tylenol, Zofran, Sudafed, Mucinex, Tums, and Duac (benzoyl peroxide acne cream). It drives me nuts when people say things like "Being sick while pregnant is so miserable because you can't take anything!" Um, I have no desire to be a martyr when my doctor says it's ok. I am a bitchy sick person.   The only meds I've been avoiding (that I may have taken otherwise) are ibuprofen, naproxen, and Pepto-Bismol. 

Most of the fish I eat is salmon or tilapia. I don't know that I've ever eaten mackerel or tilefish, so I didn't have to change my behavior to avoid mercury.

[vaportrail]

Coffee was disgusting to me in the 1st tri, but now I drink 1-2 carefully measured cups a day. I've had a fair amount of deli meat and my H will pour me about 3 oz of his beer every few weeks. I still hit up the salad bar at New Seasons...my ob didn't see a problem with it. I don't usually take any medication, but right now I'm on Prednasone for Bell's palsy (yay pregnancy!)which is supposed to be fine in the second tri.

[loira]

I have the occasional very small glass of wine, all deli meats, ate plenty of cheese in Paris last week that am pretty sure was not pasteurised, and refuse to waste a good steak by cooking it all the way through.

I avoid sushi, have developed an aversion to coffee, and don't like liver anyway.

[chickadee77]

Huh. So many people avoiding deli meat kind of surprises me, for some reason. I eat lots of cold deli meat, have had a few sips of alcohol, and limited caffeine (don't drink much anyhow). I avoid raw eggs, too (homemade Caesar dressing at restaurants, mostly), and if I'm eating medium rare beef, I make sure it's fresh. I avoid high-mercury fish, but it's not like I eat a lot of shark and swordfish regularly, anyhow.

Raw sushi has not appealed to me this pregnancy, so that's a non-issue. That's actually the only thing my doctor told me specifically to avoid.

[Myrrhine]

Mar 25, 2014 8:26:02 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Mar 25, 2014 8:08:18 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

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.

The book may be out of date, but it says that women who eat peanuts during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with peanut allergies. In one study, women who had peanuts more than once a week were 3x more likely to have a kid with a peanut allergy, but so far the studies are not conclusive enough to make a definitive recommendation. Every other thing in the book was like "sleep on your back, it's cool to have a couple drinks a day. Sushi won't hurt your baby and neither will raw eggs! Don't worry about drinking enough water." so when there was something the author was cautious about I paid a bit more attention. The book is from 2004 though. It seems like the AAP may have reversed on this in 2008.

As for the honey, according to the internet (!) pasteurizing and filtering honey does not kill botulism spores, but it seems like they don't cross to your baby, so that is less critical. I most often encounter honey though when I am at a restaurant. There are lots of locally sourced things on menus here which increases the chances of it being unpasteurized. Fwiw, Mayo clinic says:
"There is a lack of scientific evidence on the use of honey during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Honey may contain contaminants that may be harmful to pregnant or breastfeeding women, or to unborn babies."

[robinsbff]

i've read several if the books suggested in this thread, googled (using reputable sources!) and just arrived at my own decisions for what i'm comfortable with and what i'm not. after first tri i've basically done everything in moderation. for meds it's mostly tylenol only but i have an RX from my doc for a migraine med they said is safe. i've been so lucky and my migraines are pretty much gone during pregnancy but i did take it once.

i've backed off artificial sweeteners and gone to using organic sugar and things like full fat dairy products too instead of the fat free half and half or whatever. but that has more to do with taste and desire to get calories in me than anything else (i'm still below my pre-pregnancy weight though dr isn't concerned).

starting recently i will split a beer or hard cider or glass of wine with DH. it usually takes me 2-3 hours to finish my half glass and i always eat at the same time or right before so i'm not worried about that.

[earlgreyhot]

I'm an everything in moderation person. Most of the information out there is overly conservative and contradictory. Listeria does happen but the chances are minuscule and as others have pointed out isn't limited to deli meats or cheese.

What I do focus on is making sure I get enough quality, healthy food and limit my sugar intake.

[gretchenindisguise]

I haven't been as strict this time. I actually forgot about the deli meat thing until last week when I was chowing down on some amazing medium rare roast beef.

I also haven't been cooking my meat more. I've had ceviche twice. I'll eat sushi with more aplomb in 2nd tri.

I'm not drinking alcohol and have severely limited my caffeine intake. Caffeine is more so when I really need it a small coke or decaf coffee is enough (coming from an avid coffee drinker this is huge).

The biggest thing I'm paying attention to is mercury levels in fish and missing my beloved ahi tuna bowl at our favorite lunch place.

[MrsDarcy]

Mar 25, 2014 21:05:52 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

Mar 25, 2014 8:26:02 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

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.

The book may be out of date, but it says that women who eat peanuts during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with peanut allergies. In one study, women who had peanuts more than once a week were 3x more likely to have a kid with a peanut allergy, but so far the studies are not conclusive enough to make a definitive recommendation.

.

Yeah, according to my son's allergist (my son has a peanut allergy) this thinking has recently been reversed. The current recommendation is that you should not avoid peanuts/peanut butter. He said that studies are showing now that avoidance can increase the likelihood of the child getting a peanut allergy.

[Myrrhine]

Mar 26, 2014 6:41:54 GMT -5 MrsDarcy said:

Mar 25, 2014 21:05:52 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

The book may be out of date, but it says that women who eat peanuts during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with peanut allergies. In one study, women who had peanuts more than once a week were 3x more likely to have a kid with a peanut allergy, but so far the studies are not conclusive enough to make a definitive recommendation.

.

Yeah, according to my son's allergist (my son has a peanut allergy) this thinking has recently been reversed. The current recommendation is that you should not avoid peanuts/peanut butter. He said that studies are showing now that avoidance can increase the likelihood of the child getting a peanut allergy.

Well, I have been religiously eating 3 peanut butter Girl Scout cookies every weekend as my one serving per week. It will not take much to convince me to increase my consumption of them!

[MrsDarcy]

Mar 26, 2014 8:01:11 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

Mar 26, 2014 6:41:54 GMT -5 MrsDarcy said:

.

Yeah, according to my son's allergist (my son has a peanut allergy) this thinking has recently been reversed. The current recommendation is that you should not avoid peanuts/peanut butter. He said that studies are showing now that avoidance can increase the likelihood of the child getting a peanut allergy.

Well, I have been religiously eating 3 peanut butter Girl Scout cookies every weekend as my one serving per week. It will not take much to convince me to increase my consumption of them!

You gotta do it for your baby!