To be worried about hospital food whilst pregnant?

[ahhgowan]

I'm in hospital at the moment and I'm 11 weeks pregnant. I'm really worried about the food I'm eating because there's so many rules to follow and stuff you're not supposed to eat but there's not much choice of stuff I can eat, mostly limited to a few veggie dishes and salads but you're not supposed to eat salad that's not been washed properly and I don't have a clue if it is or not. I had to eat a sandwich with salad in earlier because I was starving and now I'm worrying about it!! I'm trying not to be OTT but I'm feeling sick after everything I eat here now which is properly from anxiety. I'm just sick of all the worrying about food all the time now it's exhausting.

There are some seriously ill people in hospital. I'm sure they wash the salad to avoid those sick people getting any sicker.
Surely they have pasta and meat dishes? Why cant you eat those?
Are you always this anxious? Do you have problems with food generally? I think you should discuss with your MW. This seems a really extreme reaction!

Hospital food is horrible but not worth getting overly anxious about.

Are you worried about the recent Listeria outbreak? Can anyone bring food in for you if you're very concerned, you need to eat

TBH there have been recent Listeria outbreaks in some hospitals from the sandwiches provided so I would actually not eat them at the moment and get someone to bring me food in or try and order a jacket potato or something. I’m usually pretty relaxed about these things and I don’t want to scare you but it’s not work the risk.

Yes the recent listeria outbreak in hospitals is definitely making me feel a lot worse! Plus I've had a miscarriage earlier this year so feeling like I have to be extra cautious this time even though I know it's normally nothing that you've done that causes a miscarriage. There's just so many things that people say you can't eat it's hard to know what to do for the best. Sometimes I don't think about it and eat something and then panic and google it after to see if it was safe. I don't eat meat and don't like cheese so that's why my options are more limited because all the veggie dishes seem to be cheese based here!

I really can't imagine there can be that much on the hospital menu that you can't eat? I'd be more concerned about eating the pre-packaged sandwiches after the listeria outbreak.

What is it you're worried about? Even those foods you're meant to avoid in pregnancy are only the uncooked versions.

Have a read to ease your worries
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/foods-to-avoid-pregnant/

It’s hit and miss but you should eat to keep your strength up. I’m sure they wash the salad.

When I was in having my baby a few months ago I lived off jacket potatoes with cheese and beans which were always exceptional.

X post on no cheese. I’m veggie and sure they’d have left the cheese off my potatoes if I’d asked. Omelettes? Veggie curry? Pasta? Soup? All stuff I was offered.

I doubt there much you can't eat to be honest, the menus are designed for those that are unwell so they dont have high risk items on. The salad will have been washed. There are also sometimes extra choice menus for those with certain religious beliefs / allergies. If there genuinely isnt much choice that's vegetarian and cheese free then maybe ask if there are any other options available.

I've already eaten a sandwich now, I thought it would be more of a risk to not eat. I'm having scans and X-rays and more scans which is scary as well, it's just 9 months of worrying when you're pregnant. I didn't feel like this in my last pregnancy, I didn't stress about anything then but I'd never experienced a miscarriage at that point so the thought of things going wrong never really entered my head.

Google the nhs list of food during pregnancy. There is very little you actually have to avoid. Almost all cheese (except unpasteurised and blue cheese is safe which carry a tiny risk of listeria) and I very much doubt they'd be serving unpasteurised cheese in hospital,

The sandwiches here are made by a different company than the one which had the listeria outbreak so that's making me feel a bit better about it.

If you're pregnant you really need to keep your protein up. Try to get some cooked eggs or beans.

I think your worries are probably groundless - I have been in hospital with neutropenic sepsis and they have to be really careful about what you can eat - and many people have to have special diets because of medical conditions so I'm sure they will be up on what pregnant women can or can't eat.
That said there has been the recent listeria scare, and you are obviously very anxious.
I would avoid the samdwiches and go for other stuff you can pick from the menu. I am veggie too and I know it can be a bit limited, but usually can get a baked potato and beans, or curry or similar.
I've always found in hospital (and I am in a LOT) that the nurses will make you a snack if you are hungry - toast and jam usually, they have a little room where they can make tea, toast, biscuits etc. So always worth asking if you are starving.

Who have you got visiting ? Can you get them to bring you food in - it is fine to do so, lots of people do, you could get your Mum or partner if you have one to bring you in a couple of packs of sandwiches, and stuff like crisps, puddings in pots, biscuits etc. Or make you up salads,slices of quiche or whatever at home and brng them in.
I wouldn't worry to much about your diet being perfect, just eat so you aren;t hungry and get some calories even if it means you are eating crisps or crackers etc.

Unless they're serving you liver or swordfish, just eat whatever the cooked options are.

In my experience hospital food was just things like lasagne, chips and peas and custard/rice pudding. I wasn't offered any stilton or pate.

@ahhgowan I understand how you feel to some extent. I also had a miscarriage earlier this year and I'm now pregnant again.
Nothing you do is realistically going to affect whether or not you have another miscarriage or go on to have a successful pregnancy. Stressing yourself out isn't going to help. Once you're out of hospital I'd really try and get some help for your anxiety.

Can you go to the canteen instead?

Can you go to the canteen instead?

Can you go to the canteen instead?