Can you eat Beef Wellington when pregnant?

[polly30]

Hi

I've only just discovered that I'm pregnant so am only 3 weeks and found out tonight I'm being given Beef Wellington but I don't want to say that I'm pregnant. It's going to be home made so I don't know if it'll be liver pate or mushroom pate or homemade pate-esq paste... what should I check for? Also if the middle of the filet beef is pink, is that ok?

Thanks

[EauRouge]

Congratulations! :)

THe current advice is to avoid pate- liver pate because of the vitamin A content and other pates because of the risk of listeria. If it's cooked then the listeria risk would be reduced I think, but you'd need to know what was in the pate in case it was liver.

Undercooked meat is on the avoid list as well but it I don't know if it would depend on how pink the meat was and how hot it got.

There's some good info here on what to avoid and why.

Of course these are recommendations and the risk is pretty small so it's up to you whether you want to eat it.

If you don't want to then a fake stomach bug might work or sudden vegetarianism?

[polly30]

Thanks, think I'll just have to see how it's made and then show my hand if I have to.

[winnybella]

Oh, fgs- a slice of liver here and there will not harm a foetus. It's an excess of vitamin A that might be dangerous. Unless you're planning on having fried liver for dinner every night, you'll be ok with an occasional consumption.

Beef is fine to eat pink/rare.

Listeria infection is very rare and you're more likely to get it from salad leaves or tomatoes. I wouldn't recommend eating pates and deli meats from shady shops, but that's just common sense.

[winnybella]

And beef wellington is cooked- the pate is underneath the pastry and than baked in the oven. Of course it's fine.

[caramelcoffeelover]

I agree, we can be too cautious when pregnant. Just use your common sense. If whoever is going to be cooking is not a good cook, i.e. not known to poison people and the products wouldn't have been bought from dodgy shops (you know the person cooking, should be able to tell)than you are fine. As somebody already said, they are guidelines only and are there to cover somebody's back. Use your common sense and you will be fine, enjoy your dinner, sounds lovely!!!

[caramelcoffeelover]

sorry, waas typing too fast, "if whoever is going to be cooking is a GOOD cook"...

[PavlovtheCat]

absolutely fine. As per winny's post.

[happycamel]

Yep,. fine just don't have pate habitually for your lunch and don't keep it in the fridge for days. Occasional consumption, especially when cooked will be fine.

Rare red meat is fine, it's all about avoiding food poisoning so you need to be careful with poultry, fish, shellfish, pork etc. Personally I wouldn't have rare red meat if it was out of date or I wasn't sure about the hygiene of the place cooking it (more relevant for restaurants than dinner parties though).

[CupcakesHay]

Or - just scrap the pate bits too the side?

And congrats

[spilttheteaagain]

Actually it's not just food poisoning with rare meat, it's toxoplasmosis. I found this out to my cost after my baby died at 20 weeks due to a toxoplasmosis infection. The parasite lives in infected meat and is transferred to you by eating it or by contact with the poo of animals that have (like cats).

I've done lots of research since my loss as I too was told and believed that rare beef etc was ok. It transpires that only 30% of the UK population are already immune to toxoplasmosis and that the most common route of infection is from undercooked beef and venison (cat poo is a less common source purely because you have to ingest the parasite and most people don't clean litter trays and touch their mouths).

So yes the risk is very small - it's unlikely the meat will be infected, but it's not a risk I am willing to take anymore.

[JimmyChoo17]

I have to agree with split the tea again above.

I caught a nasty bug from foods when I was 4 or 5 weeks pregnant. I lost the baby.

I now have the power of hindsight and would just not risk it. Sure there are people who have got away with it but for me personally the risk is just not one I would ever take.

I'm now 16 weeks with a sticky bean and will not be risking losing this little bubs.

Can you not ring and say you have not been well so would like to stick to veg or plain foods? If it's someone u may offend offer to bring food yourself? Cook a dish and bring that instead of a bottle?

Cases like mine are rare I should add but it's just my thoughts on the matter and the heart ache for a dinner...just not worth it. I learnt the hard way. X

[polly30]

Thank you for all advice, think you're right about not being over cautious. Can't say I have been ill as they have kids!

[CupcakesHay]

Can you not tell the hosts the truth but swear them to secrecy?