Runny eggs are fine, runny eggs are fine, EAT THE EGGS

[milpool]

This is something I've seen come up a lot.

So to clear it up: if you're in the UK, runny eggs are absolutely fine to eat during pregnancy.

Run wild and free and eat your eggs.

As you were...

[summeraupair]

AND SUSHI! I've had a couple of friends lecture me about my occasional trips to Yo Sushi. It's only dangerous if it's pretty much freshly plucked out of the sea - if it's been frozen (and if you're eating it in the UK, especially in a chain, it almost certainly has been) then IT'S FINE.

Honestly, the way one of my more sanctimonious friends carries on you'd think I'd been mainlining the poisonous blowfish that nearly kills Homer Simpson

[MrsMKJ]

[BalancingStick]

I've eaten runny eggs throughout two pregnancies - only recently found out the NHS advised against them. However, with regards to sushi I asked at several good restaurants whether their fish had been previously frozen and none of them would guarantee it. Was told that there supplier was 'meant' to freeze it but the restaurant couldn't be 100% sure. Their flakiness really worried me so I didn't risk it - I've had food poisoning from raw fish (before I was pregnant) and it was horrendous. I have eaten soft cheese though a few times bwhilst pregnant...

[SeashellHoarder]

I think it's still only if they're lion stamped eggs, so home produced still need to be cooked through.

[user1468957349]

I asked my midwife about this as I love poached eggs and she told me NHS guidelines are still to avoid and the pack she gave me says the same too :(

[blue2014]

Your midwife is wrong user, makes me bloody mad when people don't update themselves to guidelines. NHS guidance says it's fine, it was even on the news a few days ago!

[MollyWho]

NHS website still says to avoid raw or partially cooked eggs.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#cooked

[FlipperSkipper]

The Food standards agency hav changed their guidelines and say runny eggs are fine as long as they're lion marked, which means they're vaccinated against salmonella. NHS advice hasn't caught up yet.

[EreniTheFrog]

The NHS guidelines are compiled in such a way that the new FSA guidelines will probably take a while to filter through to midwives and leaflets.

I just ate a not-fully-hardboiled egg on hummus with fresh baguette. Mmmmmm.

[Ilikegin]

I still decided not to eat them just to be overly cautious. The guidelines have only recently changed so I'll let a few others test it first... Although I have missed a good runny yolk!

[AudreyBradshaw]

I've been eating them, I'm 23+3. Read right at the beginning that lion stamped eggs were fine. Midwife confirmed it at 8 week appointment. Only advice was to not eat too many as being egg bound plus pregnancy bowels (glacial) an become quite uncomfortable, quite quickly!

[milpool]

MollyWho there's parts of the NHS website that also advocate crying it out as a suitable method for tiny babies. I'll take parts of the NHS website with a pinch of salt tbh.

[catsofa]

Does everyone know how you can have stilton too? I was over the bloody moon when i found that out

[Evergreen17]

I am eating the eggs.
The hens are vaccinated for salmonella here.
I am from Spain and I wont eat them there because I dont think they are which is why is restaurants they use the egg protein rather than actual eggs.

There are papers out there with the info but NHS still saying no

I was told by Physio pregnant women shouldn't cycle and I am cycling. I am 11 weeks.

We have the power of research

Use it

[Evergreen17]

Catsofa do tell about stilton. I thought blue cheese was a no

[LuckySantangelo1]

evergreen if its pasteurised, it's fine. It's soft blue cheese that's a no no.

[MyBreadIsEggy]

I've eaten runny eggs in both pregnancies - first one being before this new info came to light. My DH used to freak out "YOU CANT EAT THAT!! ITS RUNNY!!".......The way I see it, if the egg didn't give him (or any other not pregnant person!) salmonella then it won't give me salmonella either
I don't like any of the stinky cheese on the "avoid" list and wouldn't eat them pregnant or otherwise, so the only food I'm actively avoiding is patè which is devastating because I love it waaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!

[LuckySantangelo1]

There's a great pregnancy book called Expecting Better that debunks lots of the nonsense around advice given to pregnant women. It was invaluable when I was expecting.

[AnnaT45]

I always wonder how women in Japan, France etc cope when they eat sushi, cheese etc regularly. I understand that people want the best for their babies but I've never heard of anyone getting ill from eggs etc. What annoys me is when cautious people tell you off for eating things. My boss told me I shouldn't be eating a tuna sandwich recently. I was and told him it's probably better to be relaxed for the baby than stress over these things!

[milpool]

Anna ugh people policing pregnant women is one of my least favourite things.

I had someone trying to stop me eating something at a party last time I was pregnant. While his pregnant girlfriend was eating the same thing... I just walked away!

[Northernlight22]

My midwife told me lion stamped eggs were fine - I had a runny egg yesterday, yey!

[DrWhy]

Arghh - this drives me nuts. The NHS does not say runny eggs are fine in pregnancy! Not on their website, not in their literature and not the midwife when I asked her!
It's absolutely fine to read up, know the new FSA guidance, understand what lion marked means (vaccinated against the most common strain of salmonella - not all), know why you are at more risk in pregnancy (your immune system is lower to prevent your body rejecting the baby), know what impact it might have on the development of your baby (none as I understand it, it will just make you sick as usual - unlike listeria, which can affect the baby). Then make a balanced decision.
I am 34 weeks pregnant and have yet to fall ill eating runny lion marked eggs. However, my midwife told me not to and the risk is one I'm taking myself. It really bugs me that on any discussion of food in pregnancy on MN people come on to say lion marked eggs are 'fine' when that isn't the advice given by healthcare providers to pregnant women currently.

[blue2014]

Drwhy - I'm 21 weeks and my midwife specifically informed me that NHS guidance had JUST changed so maybe that change has occurred whilst we have both been pregnant?

[DrWhy]

Hi blue it's possible that it has very recently changed but if so their online guidance hasn't yet been updated.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#cooked
It was my booking in appointment when I asked so a while back now but I mentioned lion marked eggs and the (frankly grumpy) midwife reacted as if I'd suggested drinking a pint of vodka daily!
I think this just irritates me a bit that MN as a collective seems to have decided to advise pregnant women differently to what is clearly written on the NHS site. It's definitely a topic that's being updated and one to ask your midwife about and maybe do some research on. As I said, I'm ignoring grumpy midwife - in fact I'm curious to see what my current non-grumpy midwife would say now...

[blue2014]

I've worked for the NHS in the past, it always takes an age to update their online guidance (so many levels of red tape to get through!)