Pregnant and I’ve been eating so much turkey

[Idiotturkey]

I feel so so so stupid. I somehow didn’t realise it was a deli meat.

I have had FOUR turkey sandwiches this week. Obviously I won’t have anymore but I am so worried.

I’m 12 weeks.

could I have hurt the baby or is it mostly the risk of food poisoning?

Cravings are difficult. I lived on French brie cheese for the first 6 months pretty much. Nobody got hurt.

What's wrong with cold cooked meat? Never heard that one before.

I didn't know there was anything wrong with turkey when pregnant!! I honestly wouldn't worry!!! Really, it's fine!! As long as your not taking heroin, smoking or drinking during your pregnancy, I'm sure all will be well!!

(My son was in a study as a tiny baby, that involved giving infants as young as 12 weeks all the foods that you are traditionally meant to avoid (eg. egg, peanuts, wheat, cow's milk etc...) He's 10 now and turned out fine!! (He's actually a young endurance athlete and is exceptionally fit and healthy!!)

Chill! And relax! All is fine and well

Do you mean processed sliced turkey and a potential listeria risk? It's very low risk so I wouldn't worry.

What’s the specific concern? When people say “deli meat” the concern is normally to do with the preservatives / nitrites in things that are cured. If it was just roast turkey then it’s unlikely to be an issue.

If you are concerned though why not get some Bernard Matthews roasts from Iceland for when the cravings come back?

You are allowed to eat cooked turkey
The meats to be careful with are cured meats that haven't been cooked e.g. pepperoni, chorizo,etc

@JackieCollinshasnoauthority yes I mean that.

Thank you all. I haven’t been ill so fingers crossed I won’t get ill and will obviously not have it anymore!

Suggest you re-read the NHS guidelines. Cooked meats are fine

www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/

It's fine OP, cooked turkey is really healthy and you need nourishing food. Go with it.

I thought 'deli meats' referred to meat that wasn't cooked like Parma Ham etc rather than normal cold cooked meat.

You will be fine OP.

Cured meats are a higher risk as they are not cooked there is a small risk that some bugs remain (eg salami, sauccison etc.)

Pâté should be avoided as it contains liver which has more of a dose of vitamin A than is recommended for pregnant people.

Obviously other cooked meats eg some bacons contain nitrates which people are getting nervous about for the affect on health (not pregnancy specific)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with other cooked meats. The risk with cooked meats is that if they are sitting out for a while eg in a buffet, breakfast bar, or deli, they can be a breeding ground for bacteria as they should be kept cold and wrapped. So there is a higher chance of food poisoning from cooked meats in a buffet than say from cooked veg. However pre packed cooked sandwich meat from a supermarket, if it's good quality and not full of weird ingredients, properly stored in a fridge and with use by instructions followed etc is no issue at all.

That's quite a complex message though so it's easier just to say no deli meats in pregnancy.

I should say I'm not a doctor though and if your doctor has said specifically no cooked turkey then fair enough

There's no risk to eating pre cooked turkey as everyone has said. Stop beating yourself up about it, as you haven't taken any risks or eaten anything that you are advised not to. Continue to eat turkey if you want to!

Thank you! It’s been from A deli so it’s cold but obviously cooked at some point.

This is a new one 😂

Baby will come out covered in feathers but apart from that it will be fine.

@Valid8me Please don’t be horrible. I’m a first time mum and saw a picture of someone eating a turkey sandwich post partial saying they’d missed it. I googled and this came up.

That looks like an American website so perhaps it’s a different kind of meat. No reason not to eat cold cooked turkey and if you are craving it it will be for a reason.

Always go by the NHS advise OP. You'll be fine with this OP.

That's US based advice and they give different advice, due to differences in the health system, the culture there, the rules around food safety/hygiene and so on. In the UK, the only advice you really need is from the NHS web site. It's specific to the UK, it's based on evidence and updated when necessary.

Try to ignore the unhelpful posts. I think sometimes people forget what being pregnant for the first time is like. It's all new and women get bombarded with "advice" as well as judgement pretty much whatever choices they make.

I think Turkey is fine OP

You’ll be absolutely fine. How many times have you had listeria from eating cold deli meats before? I would assume none.

Actually, the greatest risk of listeria infection in commercial foods is often vegetables. Things like bean sprouts, melons, lettuce, pre-prepared veg.

Fwiw, I personally didn’t avoid runny eggs or rare meat or pate or deli meats or unpasteurised cheeses (all in moderation) in any of my pregnancies. I like food and I work in public health and I estimated that for me, the risk was low enough to enjoy a few nice foods.

Thank you. I am in the US so that’s probably why I read different advice but trust the NHS and I haven’t become I’ll so hopefully I can calm down!

Im sure it’s absolutely fine.

I couldn’t eat much other than those kind of meats - ham etc - in my first trimester of first pregnancy. Only thing that didn’t make me feel ill. You have to eat something.

Pate was the main food I totally avoided. I think that’s the one that’s a total no. And mold based cheeses (although was very happy when I found you could have Stilton).

Obviously didn’t drink or smoke.