Ate pate and now in a panic!

[Eliza1986]

Morning all! Just looking for some advice - I'm 26 weeks pregnant and yesterday I ate a small amount of chicken liver pate before finding out it's on 'the list'... I feel like such an idiot and have googled it all night. Naturally I'm in a panic now, presuming I'll end up with listeriosis which will inevitably cause serious harm to baby!! I called the local birth centre and they just said "don't have any more". Helpful
Has anyone been in this position before? I'm thinking of asking for a blood test at my m/w appt at 28 weeks, but not sure they'll do anything if I don't have any symptoms and just present as neurotic and paranoid! Any thoughts would be helpful

One tiny amount of pate, presumably in date and bought from a shop, rather than home made, is most unlikely to do you or the baby any harm at all.
The nhs won’t give you a test, they’ll just reassure you, as they tried to do.

It was homemade in a restaurant - tiny bit on a small sandwich has caused me quite some stress! I'm just a worrier! Thank you for replying

Listeria is massively rare in this country and an outbreak would make the news! Don’t worry about it.

I was like this in my pregnancies, especially the first.

I remember seeing a tiny bit of pink in a steak I ate and that was it, I thought the baby was going to be born with all kinds of abnormalities.

I think the precautions, while being informative, can really be unnecessarily worrying and do not really state that the risk is so minuscule it is not worth the worry and panic we put ourselves through.

Honestly, you're fine.

Thank you for the reassuring messages all! I'm trying not to overthink... not easy for me as all I do is over analyse everything!

I thought the list of things not to eat during pregnancy was because of the harm to you not the baby.
Women’s immune systems go all out to protect the baby, leaving the mother vulnerable, the food list is a guide of things to avoid as they may cause harm, if you feel ok, there are no hidden dangers to your baby. Well that was how it was explained to me anyway

In France they literally can't believe that pregnant ladies in the UK are told not to eat Brie, Pate etc.

They're eaten as normal throughout pregnancies in France.

You'll be fine. Pinky promise!

It's fine honestly. I ate a bit of pate with both pregnancies. Obviously you have to be careful but the chances of anything bad happening is so low. My midwife told me it was to stop people eating it all the time.

Thanks everyone. I'm gradually calming down thanks to you lot

Glad you're feeling calmer. It's not like alcohol where it can pass across the placenta; it's literally to protect you from listeria which, although vanishingly rare in the UK, is slightly more of a risk in pregnancy. Similarly with blue or soft cheese, rare meat etc. - having never had food poisoning or listeria before I personally choose to eat small amounts of these things when the occasion arises, but it is personal choice.

Pate was my craving in my second pregnancy and I ate it weekly! You will be fine x

You'll be fine. It's high in vitamin A which is why it's on the avoid list I thinking but that amount as a one off really won't have any effect at all.

The stress is worse for you than pate tbh. Pate isn’t recommended in pregnancy due to the vitamin a content, but you’d have to eat tons of the stuff everyday for it to do damage.

Honestly, try and stay a bit calmer. Worry about the important stuff, not a late sandwich.

*pate sandwich

Back in the day, I was told to eat lots of liver... now banned for the vitamin A. My 4 kids (now 21-27) are fine... seriously I know that guidelines are good, but people have managed to have babies for years without avoiding lots of foods. Relax :)

*In France they literally can't believe that pregnant ladies in the UK are told not to eat Brie, Pate etc.

They're eaten as normal throughout pregnancies in France.*

I know of nobody among my family and friends who live in France who was told this was ok. I was told several times to avoid all paté. And any meats from the deli counter. It's just a no, here, really big taboo, like drinking. Even my MIL who is fairly old school knows not to server her pregnant DILs paté.
However, OP, try not to worry what you can do nothing about.