So can I eat a McFlurry?

[cupofteaplease]

I really fancied some ice cream and suggested a McFlurry as we were going near McDonald's, but dh said no as it's the same as Mr Whippy and I can't eat soft ice cream.

So I googled, and got conflicting advice, and during my Googling I read that pregnant women can't eat hot dogs either- what? Why? I know they are not nutritionally beneficial in anyway, but I have eaten a couple this pregnancy when I couldn't face anything with any real taste or texture!

Oh, and also, I ate feta cheese yesterday. Thought that only blue/soft cheeses were bad, but feta came up during my Googling.

Any other bizarre foods I should avoid? I'm getting it all wrong!

[BizzeeBee]

Lizzy, to correct what you have said about eating cheese in France, I am currently pregnant in France and I assure you that there is official advice here to avoid soft cheese (like brie) and cheese made with unpasturised milk.

This is the advice on the social security website:
in French
in English via Google translate

[LizzyMathsWhizzy]

I stand corrected, BizzeeBee, my french friend laughed at me when I said I wasn't supposed to eat Brie, she said that there was no advice about it there! I still think a little in moderation is unlikely to do any harm, but each to there own.

[pirateparty]

As other people have said you are more vulnerable to getting listeriosis etc whilst pregnant due to your immune system being compromised. And no, you haven't had food poisoning until you get it - very odd argument saying I'd you've not had it so far what are the chances now?! As is our parents ate x, y, and z and we're all fine.... Yes because we aren't the babies who miscarried because of listeria etc. But there were those who did, and continue to do so. And we don't look for them after early miscarriage so we don't know either way how many there are. Also some of the infections can just be mild flu like illnesses not severe d&v etc so you wouldn't necessarily know you'd had them.

I don't see not having pate and unpasterised soft cheese for 9 months of my life a massive sacrifice compared to reducing the risk of miscarriage or still birth. But they are risks you can't exclude altogether but you can reduce them, so why wouldn't you?

[cupofteaplease]

Thanks fo rthe link Lizzy

[BizzeeBee]

Lizzy I agree that women should be able to make their own informed decisions about what they eat during pregnancy. :)

[Bunbaker]

"I agree that women should be able to make their own informed decisions about what they eat during pregnancy."

I agree. The key word here being informed. The guidelines are advice only. It is up to you to decide whether the risk, albeit very small, is worth it.

Anecdotal evidence from the previous generation, who drank, smoked, ate liver etc throughout their pregnancies, is just that. It isn't evidence based research. The ones who were OK will say that it is nonsense and the ones who miscarried will never know that it might have been due to eating some unpasteurised cheese or whatever. So make your own mind up.

The advice the doctor gave me was exactly that, and he also said that if anything went wrong I would always wonder if it was because of something I ate or drank, and I would have to live with that.

[nickelbabe]

"Toxoplasmosis from uncooked carrots or medium rare beef is apparently more common than from cat litter! "

but I can only eat carrots if they're raw! I would be sick o nthe spot if I had to cook them first!
(I might conscend to wash them first. [ooh] )

[CointreauVersial]

Pirate - you are right. I was reading a thread a few months back where someone had miscarried due to toxoplasmosis. So sad.

[LivinInTheMoment]

Lizzy thanks for the link to that article! V interesting.