is it only me that doesn't pay attention to the "you shouldn't eat this, you shouldn't eat that.."

[thepowerofvoodoo]

i'm in the early stages of pregancy with dc2. during my first pregnancy i didn't pay any attention to what i should / shouldn't eat (I luckily don't have to think about smoking / drinking as I don't smoke and hardly ever drink in any case - although i certainly would still have the occassional drink if it's offered) but my favourite foods are rawish meats, blue and smelly cheeses, runny eggs, seafood etc - ie all the stuff they say to avoid. i just can't believe that there is any substantial risks to these foods - or certainly none more so than getting in my car and driving to work every morning.
in my first pregnancy, a lot of people thought i was being very reckless - but really, I can't believe that I'm the only one that pays no attention to this. do you all pay attention this stuff?

I take a lot of it with a pinch of salt, but I love liver and pate and do avoid those...

No, I don't pay attention to any of that stuff. You're allowed to drink in moderation, but I don't drink that much anyway, and I don't smoke. The food stuff I largely ignore.

Why can't you believe there's any substantial risk to eating these foods?

You don't need anyone's approval if you want to take a risk with things you eat. Your baby, your body etc.
Personally I am a bit more risk averse because I do believe that there is a risk associated with particular foods and I would never want to do anything to jeopardise this baby.

I do pay attention to the guidelines but then I make up my own mind on the risks. I'm not going to start knocking back raw oysters for example because I don't love them that much and there's a proportionately large risk of getting sick. Runny eggs on the other hand, I love and the risks of salmonella and listeria from them are so minuscule that I'm willing to take that teeny tiny risk.

It's my understanding that these foods are 'dangerous' because rare meat etc hasn't been fully cooked and could cause food poisoning which is dangerous to an unborn baby, but I have no idea why!? Most of the stuff doesn't really apply to me as I hate eggs unless their in cakes etc and I licked the spoon when I made a batch the other day! lol I also ate goats cheese last week

I did avoid peanuts when preg with DD as there was evidence of a link between eating them and asthma etc and I have asthma and hayfever but this has changed since and now I'm pg again it's apparently fine to eat them!?

I'd be far more concerned if I seen a preg lady smoking than if she ordered a med steak!

The main reason for not eating those foods is the risk of listeria. It isn't so much that there is a substantial risk of contracting listeria if you eat blue cheese etc, but that the consequences if you do contract it are serious and can be fatal for your baby. It's your decision - no-one is going to hold a gun to your head, but you should at least do some research to find out why these guidelines are in place before you make your choice.

I have had 2 mcs so my babies are (ok I am) extra precious. I followed the advice because (although I thought there was only a slight risk) I would NEVER for give myself if my actions caused a problem or made me lose my baby.
But... And I blame pregnancy brain for this! I ate crunchy nut cornflakes through most of pg 1 and um failed to realise they contained nuts! I also intend to spend the rest of my life indulging in everything I avoided for those few short months!

Wolfie nuts are ok! link

"If you would like to eat peanuts or food containing peanuts (such as peanut butter) during pregnancy, you can choose to do so as part of a healthy balanced diet, unless you are allergic to them or your health professional advises you not to.
You may have heard that some women have, in the past, chosen not to eat peanuts when they were pregnant. This is because the government previously advised women that they may wish to avoid eating peanuts if there was a history of allergy (such as asthma, eczema, hay fever, food allergy or other types of allergy) in their child's immediate family.
This advice has now been changed because the latest research has shown that there is no clear evidence to say if eating or not eating peanuts during pregnancy affects the chances of your baby developing a peanut allergy."

I've never understood this 'showing off' about disregarding the current guidelines when pregnant. Ffs it's only nine months of your life and it's all in your control, it's your choice, whereas your baby is trusting you to do the right thing.

Last night I had a tart which had nuts in it and with my brakfast today I had two runny eggs.

I dont eat blue cheese or pate (though last night I used my pregnancy as the excuse not to have pate while at PILs :o) so I dont really care that Im not allowed these.

My first pregnancy I didnt drink at all, but this time I have had half a tin of pear cider twice. I dont smoke.

Tbh I dont know what my thoughts on it are. I can see why there could be a risk, but there are people who do it all by the book and sadly lose their babies. I guess its just upto the individual.

If its on the nhs list I mainly follow the guidelines and wouldn't touch liver or pate as the risks are clear but things like a lion stamped runny egg doesn't bother me or cooked goats cheese. I don't bother eating steak when preg as I like it still mooing so would rather wait untill I can have it how I like it. I get irationaly annoyed when people panic over eating things like curry or Chinese (did an AIBU about this apparently I'm in the minority to have noticed it). I also get mega wound up over people saying you can't eat raw prawns- who the fuck eats raw prawns anyway???? I saw someone on here fretting because they ate a hot dog. I'm fully aware of my short fuse for these things and tend to just not comment when people ask crazy questions but they wind me up a gooden!

no i would never disregard the guidelines. pregnancy (my experience of it anyway) if fragile enough without further risking it.

is there was a 1 in 1000000000000 change of me eating something and it causing problems i wouldn't risk it.

everyone is different i suppose i can personally wait 9 months to eat blue cheese and have a drink.

I didnt realise people were showing off I thought this was a genuine discussion.

I've been a bit lax this time around (second pregnancy) - this thread has made me worry a bit though as I'd completely forgotten about pate!! Had quite a bit with lunch the other day - just didn't occur to me not to, was busy avoiding the soft cheese! Off to refresh my knowledge of NHS guide lines!

I have struggled with infertility and loss and will Acknowledge that it has a bearing on my behaviour.

With DS i had medium rare steak BUT back then it was allowed! (2009)
Back then i also wasn't much of a fan of blue cheese pate etc. Had runny (not snotty) eggs all the way through. Also didnt like smoked salmon back then was rather unadventurous with food!

This time i was bloody in love with parma ham blue cheese pate etc, however as the guidelines are to avoid those (although there is a question mark about parma ham) I have done. I love my steak rare but as the guidelines, could cope
Med rare but now advice is it has to be cooked fully id rather go without. I have eaten eggs and peanut butter not together and have been pleased to see salami is allowed.

I dont smoke abhor it normally and makes me puke during pg! i'm not much of a drinker and for me I wouldn't even have one as I just cannot see the point.

Its all about your own risk
/ reward feelings, I am looking forward to a hamper of camembert brie parma ham pate etc maybe even a glass of wine!when ive had this baby, and figure that for 9 months I can do without, as for me the worry just isnt worth it, But unless i saw a pregnant woman pissed out of her tree I wouldn't judge her on choosing to eat X Y or Z.

Cant extend that sentiment to substance abusers or for me personally chain smokers. I had a blazing barney with my own mum over her smoking in pregnancy, I just cant reconcile it. But to the point of the thread I wouldnt judge, and would probably only notice i it was something I really wanted myself

I am careful this is pregnancy number 4 and I have become more worldly with each baby I carry.

With my first 2 pregnancies no nuts and no raw milk cheeses were advised. Now nuts are fine as are hard raw milk cheeses, alcohol in small amounts was also seen to be under your discretion

With my 3rd pregnancy no alcohol what so ever and the nuts and cheese were under your discretion. Now nuts and hard raw milk cheese and alcohol in small quantities are o.k

Shellfish has never been on the o.k list as they are bottom feeders but I ate them occasionally as I could never see the harm. Liver is a no because of vitamin A, but I know my Grandma lived off it when she carried my mum and all was fine.

I never eat rare stake that is bloody because of toxoplasma parasites but medium is fine and I won't eat under done runny egg or pate as the listeria risk although very low is too scary to see the benefit to the risk.

I guess I use the guide lines with a pinch of salt as within the years of carrying and raising children they have varied a lot of the what you should and shouldn't dos, that goes for breastfeeding and weaning as well; as the guidelines always change on weaning your baby. As long as your careful and know what and why your doing it and weigh everything up I think the choices you make are yours alone to make as are any potential consequences.

My mum was severely anaemic and some of the advice she was given was to eat liver and drink Guinness while pregnant with me! Heh...

I almost followed the guidelines - same as wolfie partly because I would blame myself if something happened, and I can be very good at blaming myself, and is it really worth even a tiny risk? (I had 2 MCs before my 2 children so may have been extra-careful). Having said that I had one (I think one!) Mr Whippy soft ice cream per pregnancy. I just couldn't not have one for the whole summer(s). Was gutted when I found out its also a listeria risk (its soft because they keep it only just above freezing, so a bacteria risk - unlike proper solid icecream).

I'm writing (very slowly.... ) a book on pregnancy and parenting. Here is a synopsis of actual research (as opposed to a lot of paranoid pregnant women spouting nonsense.....) on listeria: (Bear in mind I live in the States - these figures are relevant to a U.S. population, but I'm sure you can understand the point):

'On average, from 1998-2008, 2.4 outbreaks per year (of listeria) were reported to the CDC. Before 2011, the largest outbreak occurred in 2002, when 54 illnesses, 8 deaths, and 3 fetal deaths in 9 states (emphasis mine) were found to be associated with consumption of contaminated turkey deli meat. The population of the United States, according to the most recent data available at the time of writing (July 2011), is 311,591,917. Statistically speaking, therefore, and using the most conservative data available (i.e. the figures from the worst outbreak in recent history) you have a one in 57,702,20.7 chance of contracting listeria. Using this information, you may decide that the delicious looking piece of feta at the buffet table is less likely to kill you than you thought....'

If you really want to avoid something in pregnancy, don't get in a car! The highest cause of fetal death is maternal death, the highest cause of maternal death in pregnancy is road traffic accidents.

And I'm currently preg with DC3, btw! Yes, I do understand the need to feel you are protecting your baby, but I prefer evidence-based medicine to witchery-voodoo. OP, I'm with you all the way.....

I didn't eat anything that may possibly be contaminated with listeria, with any of my three pregnancies.

With DS (who's now 20) I was anal about everything. Excecptionally paranoid & anxious. I had a friend who'd just had a stillborn son at 38 weeks, and that terrified me. Chicken was charred to almost inedibility before I'd eat it. I avoided all washed 'ready to eat' salads, warmed foods, and soft cheeses. I also avoided a lot of herbs, such was the fear of things such parsley causing miscarriage (really paranoid as I said).

With DD1 (now 2yrs) I was pretty much the same - 18.5yrs hadn't mellowed me, plus the fact that I was now older, therefore felt more at risk anyway.

With DD2 (my last pregnancy last year) I was slightly more relaxed, in that I allowed myself to eat foods with herbs in, cooked soft cheeses etc. I probably ate the healthiest - no refined foods, complex carbohydrates etc. Still, the pain I felt at losing her, is still very raw, and I still feel so much guilt about what I may have done wrong... if I'd have eaten foods on the forbidden list I'd feel even worse.

chocolate statistics are great, unless you're on the losing side!

i'm certainly not showing off, i was just wondering if it's just me. i'd read somewhere that the risk of getting listeria whilst pregnant was something like 0.014%, which to me is so very small as to be almost meaningless. as chocolateisafoodgroup says above and I put in my initial post, getting the car every day is FAR more dangerous than eating a runny egg, yet pregnant ladies don't generally avoid this activity. if it is 57m to one, then I'm almost 4 times more likely to win the lottery.
i'm glad to see it's not just me - which is what I was trying to find out - not "show off". I'm not really sure it's possible to "show off" on an anonymous internet forum?

i would personally rather have 0 in 57,702,20.7 chance than 1 in 57,702,20.7

If you really want to avoid something in pregnancy, don't get in a car! The highest cause of fetal death is maternal death, the highest cause of maternal death in pregnancy is road traffic accidents.

Seconded!