Pregnancy food advice throughout the world?

[jubles]

I've always been curious to find out what the "rules" about what pregnant women can eat are in different countries. For example, an American friend of mine was told she couldn't eat chocolate because of the caffeine content. Don't know if that's standard in the US. I imagine the French aren't quite so strict about what cheese can be eaten.

Anyone have any experience of the advice given to pregnant women outside the UK?

[ARV1981]

I don't know if she was taking the piss or not, but my sister told me that in France they have an inoculation injection so you can eat cheeses during pregnancy. Her best friend from high school married a Frenchman and apparently that's what she told my sister. But my sister is always trying to get me to believe bullshit so it could be that...

[TakesTwoToTango]

I'm in the USA and the 'rules' on chocolate/caffeine are the same as in the UK. You are however, allowed to eat all cheese (including, as far as I can tell, mould ripened cheeses) as long as the milk is pasteurized, actively encouraged to eat liver for the iron and not allowed to eat pre-cooked meats (ham, chicken etc bought from the supermarket)! Oh and they weigh you at every appointment and advise 300 extra calories a day from the word go.

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

My Italian friend said that they get a blood test for toxoplasmosis immunity, so if you know you're immune you haven't got to worry too much. Also she can be a wind up merchant.
My Bangladeshi friend said no pineapple as it's thought to bring on labour too early. I have no idea if that's official guidance though.
The US seems a lot stricter than UK regarding cold meats etc

[neomamma]

Yes it is true they routinely test you for it during pregnancy in Italy. wish they did it here...no gorgonzola is much worse than no wine for me!!

[charlieis30]

The French/francophones are really weird about raw veg, especially carrots for some reason. I work in Belgium and people ask me all the time if I'm sure about eating raw salads etc

[MissTwister]

Much of Europe recommend against raw fruit and veg outside the house because of toxoplasmosis risk

France have the same cheese rules as us.
US ban all deli meats eg chicken, ham

[Caterina99]

I'm in the USA. Got told one cup of coffee is fine per day (tea drinking Brit anyway!) and they never mentioned chocolate. Obviously they are v against any alcohol, and then they have some crazy guidelines about deli meat. Eggs are not guaranteed vaccinated like in UK, so they shouldn't be eaten runny, but cheese is fine as long as it's pasteurized.

Yes I get weighed at every single appointment! They never mentioned extra calories though. Perhaps they felt I was doing fine on my own there. I also got tested for toxoplasmosis as I own a cat and group b strep as standard.

[na5ima]

I didn't get weighed, in fact they didn't even have scales as I was curious to know if I put on weight or not.. Apparently it's more about the baby so they don't bother weighing the mother which I found very strange..

[MissTwister]

Thet only weigh once usually in UK - surprised me too

[Scotinoz]

I'm in Australia. I wasn't ever weighed or had my belly measured. My OB told me a decent coffee each day was fine as was a glass of wine when I fancied. I'm sure the literature he handed out at the first appointment talked about listeria etc, but we had regular discussions about the restaurants we'd eaten at recently and what I'd eaten at them never posed a problem.

[HazleNutt]

I'm in france and no, sorry, there's no cheese vaccination shot here. Advice is pretty much the same as in the UK - no soft cheeses, no raw steaks, no alcohol, wash your fruit and veg (was not told to avoid any).
They do test us monthly for toxoplasmosis though, if you're not immune. And weigh every month.

[GlitzAndGigglesx]

AbbeyRoad I've heard about the pineapple thing too but I think you'd have to eat heaps of it for it to have any effect

[LilyWasThere]

My cousin is in Spain and the only guideline she was given was to avoid chorizo! Nothing about wine or cheese or rare steak or pate...... So jealous only 7 months to go....!

[Skiptonlass]

The swedes certainly take no notice of caffeine restrictions or of the "not too much fish" thing :)

All the pregnant ladies in our office are still intravenously hooked up to the coffee machine - I've never known a nation that drinks so much!

Also pickled herring is divine.

[geekymommy]

US here. They didn't tell me no chocolate. They do say no deli meat or refrigerated smoked fish. They didn't say anything about liver either way. But I hate liver, so I don't eat it, pregnant or not.

[geekymommy]

I think those of us of Scandinavian descent may have more of a need for caffeine than some other people. The restriction to 200 mg of caffeine per day has been, far and away, the hardest thing about pregnancy for me. Some people tell me I'll get used to it and feel less crap. I'm 32 weeks, and that HASN'T HAPPENED YET. It didn't in my last pregnancy, either. I'm so glad it goes up to 300 mg per day when breastfeeding.

[TheMidnightHour]

In 'Expecting Better' the author mentions that pregnant women in Japan are advised to only eat dolphin once a week, max...

[ARV1981]

Thank you hazelnutt! I knew my sister was having me on...

[misssmilla1]

In the US I've been advised to avoid deli meats, pre packed salads, fruits and veg (due to prior listeria outbreaks) pre packed sandwiches, soft ice-cream (and I assume for the same reason fro-yo) soft unpasteurized cheeses, runny eggs, rare meat and liver.

Makes you wonder what you can eat My Dr however is very sensible and has advised just using common sense - so I'm buying office lunches etc from places with high footfall and decent seeming hygiene practies. Never been advised to avoid caffeine or chocolate but I have heard anecdotes of obviously pregnant people being refused coffee at places like starbucks