So how good are you really being with 'banned' food?

[Heatherbell1978]

Ok second pregnancy here (15 weeks) and I'm definitely being a little more relaxed than last time. Currently eating sushi and haven't paid any heed to the runny egg thing at all this pregnancy. The week I found out we were on holiday and I decided I still wanted to enjoy a few cold beers. I might have had the odd glass or 2 of fizz too. Last time I was much more strict although had a few beers after the 36w mark. Just wondering if I'm alone....

[goldleaf123]

18 weeks currently and eaten a bit of charcuterie, a few white wine spritzers, and a eggs royale. And quite a few McFlurries. I'm not actively avoiding anything really, but gone off a lot of meat (especially red meat) strong cheeses and caffeine and alcohol so luckily I don't feel I'm missing out. All I've really wanted to eat is big salads for dinner, and baguettes, crisps and yogurts during the day.

[Nakupenda]

Definitely not alone.
I ate sushi, and I ate a lot of pâté
I didn't adhere to any eating rules and had 1 glass of wine once in my 8th month.

Basically didn't listen to anything apart from no drinking or smoking!

[goldleaf123]

Oh and anything cold! Fruit from the fridge and ice lollies!

[UnicornPee]

You are now allowed to eat runny eggs so that's fine.
I've eaten 3 blue steaks.
I smoked for the first 4 weeks
I probably eat too much tuna
I manage to stay away from alcohol coz I'm all or nothing when it comes to that.

[dementedpixie]

Sushi and mcflurries aren't even on the 'avoid' list

[PotteringAlong]

3rd pregnancy here and I've stuck to all the guidelines. I did it for the other 2 so would feel guilty if I didn't do the same for this one!

[goldleaf123]

Pixie, my understanding is that soft ice creams should be avoided as the machines may contain listeria, not the actual ice cream itself.

[sentia]

I'm pregnant with my second and the only food rules I'm still following are alcohol, caffeine, lukewarm (bain-marie) food and vitamin a restrictions. Rare meat, charcuterie, sushi etc - it's all yummy and the risk is SO low so I'm eating it.

My midwife rolls her eyes at me but she has no evidence-based comeback thus far.

[dementedpixie]

They are more likely to refer to soft ice cream from an ice cream van where the equipment may not be clean. A place like McDonald's will have them cleaned every day so not a danger

[dementedpixie]

Nhs says this:

Soft ice creams should be fine to eat when you're pregnant, as they are processed products made with pasteurised milk and eggs, so any risk of salmonella food poisoning has been eliminated.
For homemade ice cream, use a pasteurised egg substitute or follow an egg-free recipe.

[LondonStill83]

I am 35 weeks and have eaten most everything to be honest.

Bump and I were in india when I was weeks 9-14, often in rural locations. I figure if he survived that, he will be fine with a little English Brie...

Have stuck MOSTLY to caffeine limits (a few times have had two coffees or a coffee and a coke) and have had a few shandy's / half glasses of prosecco after 16 weeks... But mostly avoid alcohol as it actually makes me feel a bit off.

[GashleyCrumbTiny]

First time here and have taken the same attitude I do with diets: a mouthful doesn't count! So I've nibbled at tiny bits of various cheeses/cured meats etc but felt too nervous to allow myself a whole rare steak. With things like tuna/caffeine where the guidance is "not too much" I've done just that - been mindful of not overdoing it but not really bothered measuring out my intake. For me it's as much about minimising anxiety about whether I'm being cavalier as it is the actual documented risk - which is very low with a lot of stuff on the "not recommended" list.

[elmo1980]

I'm 19 weeks and think I've been quite good overall but more because I'm a fussy eater rather than worry about being good (I don't like cheese, nuts or seafood). I have a cup of tea and coffee every day, occasionally more, and have eaten runny eggs from my neighbours hens (no lion stamp, the horror!) and don't think I've eaten any red meat.

I have had a sip or two from my other half's beer if we've been out but other than that have avoided alcohol but don't think I will be worried about having the odd glass of wine at Christmas.

Everything in moderation I say. Unless you're necking bottles of wine and prawns by the bucket load each week I say go with what you fancy.

Having said that, I've got my 20wk scan on Thursday and so worried about it. You'd think being worried I would be doing absolutely everything to avoid problems but some things you can't control I guess/hope.

[dementedpixie]

But nuts and cooked seafood are both fine and don't need to be avoided!!

I think there is a lot of confusion about what you should/shouldn't eat

[Whatmirrormore]

You can have runny eggs. They're all vaccinated against salmonella in the uk now.

When preggo I ate rare steak, unwashed fruit and veg (forgot to wash it constantly), lots and lots of cured meat, lots of sushi, Brie, the odd glass of wine. Didn't take preggo vits either.

DS snoozing away beside me.

[Whatmirrormore]

I ate seafood too as I didn't realise you couldn't?! And nuts.

[LuchiMangsho]

I don't drink when pregnant. I do drink 2-3 cups of tea. I have avoided sushi in the first trimester but let's see how long I can keep that up. DH has just bought some glorious soft cheeses from a work trip to France that are just sitting there in the fridge, begging me to eat them. Runny eggs: meh, don't like them anyway. I'm not sure seafood or nuts are banned...

[ImYourMama]

I'm having 1-2 alcoholic drinks a week and 1-2 caffeinated hot drinks a day, aside from that I'm not restricting myself at all. So much scaremongering for such a minuscule risk! First pregnancy but starting as I mean to go on as a mum, by taking a balanced judgement myself on the advice given

[dementedpixie]

Sushi is OK if it has been frozen first. Cooked seafood fine. Nuts fine too

[Kariana]

I've been having runny eggs, medium steak, curred meats and smoked fish/meat - I figured the risk is very low. I've also eaten mouse and homemade ice cream though only a couple of times. I've avoided alcohol, pate, uncooked shellfish and soft cheeses, plus I cut down on tea, although that probably happened more because I couldn't drink it in my first trimester. I just have one or occasionally two cups a day now.

[Whatmirrormore]

Mouse?!

[GinIsIn]

17+3 here. I have had 2 glasses of champagne (separate occasions) and forgotten to wash an apple once or twice, but apart from that am being pretty good. Am still having caffeine but following the guidelines on it. Would KILL for salmon sushi and a blue steak about now!!

[Runningupthathill82]

Eat the sushi and the steak then? I certainly did, in both my pregnancies. Didn't think there were rules against either?

I didn't eat mice though.

[Honeybee79]

Have had sushi, banned cheese, wine. Have also probably exceeded my caffeine allowance on a good few days too.

Lots of sushi is ok - eg wasabi say all their sushi is safe for pregnant women.

[NK7995a1caX11eb0ed0bae]

3rd baby here. Had my first over 14 years ago and the banned foods list was so different then. Heaven forbid we came within sniffing distance of a soft egg or a smidge of peanut butter!

This time I've eaten pretty much everything. Sushi is perfectly safe as it will have been frozen, and if you're a heathen like me an get supermarket stuff then there's nothing raw in there anyway.

Rare beef is also considered fine now as long as it's a whole cut rather than mince, as the outside will have been seared and the inside can't have been contaminated. So rare steak is fine, rare burgers are not. I was in America in June and gleefully ate a piece of beef bigger than my head that a good vet could have revived. God it was delicious!

Peanuts are now considered a good idea nutrition wise, plus it seems to actually reduce the rates of deadly allergies if babies are exposed in utero. I absolutely haven't ever stood in the kitchen at 4am with a jar and a spoon... honest!

The only things I wouldn't ever touch are pate and other high vitamin a things (seriously harmful for the baby in too high a dose), cigarettes (obviously) and alcohol. My DP has a DC from a previous relationship who has very sadly been affected by the mother's alcohol consumption. The problems this child faces are horrendous, utterly heartbreaking. I've read an awful lot about alcohol and pregnancy and it just can't be guaranteed to be safe at any level. It's a bit of a lottery - alcohol in the baby's blood at just the wrong moment of brain development can have an impact. The same amount of alcohol just a few hours earlier or later could have no effect at all. I don't want to scare monger, and obviously no judgement on those that do enjoy the odd glass, but for our family it's a risk we just wouldn't take. NHS guidelines have also recently changed to reflect the 'no safe amount' stance.

I should point out that I had the odd half a guiness with my first pregnancy, plus mulled wine at Christmas and he is thoroughly perfect and a strapping teenager now, so no one should panic!