Is medium rate steak really a big no no?

[Tranquilitybaby]

Oh how different things are now pregnant with no. 3! I followed everything to the letter with my previous too good and drink wise whilst pregnant, but I really really want a nice medium rate steak. Is it really such a big no no?

Medium rate steak is always a no-no.

It should be highest-rate steak.

You know what I mean! Bloody autocorrect!

I was given to understand that as long as the steak is fully sealed on the outside, medium-rare is ok. Having said that, I've just looked on the NHS website and it says that advice was recalled.

Not so much. Medium rare is about as rare as you shoulld go with steak though and burgers need more cooking (bugs tend to be on the outside)

Medium rare isn't cooked enough to kill any toxoplasmosis bugs, so there is a risk.

Up to you whether you want to take that risk. NHS recommends not to. Toxo is pretty rare, but very nasty for the baby if you do get it.

I would kill for a rare steak right now

Ah well.
Yes the guidelines say no, but my iron levels were dropping each time I visited the midwife, there was talk of iron tablets (you know, the ones that leave you with constipated black poo). So I took the executive decision to buy really good quality steak from good quality shop and cook it the same day. Medium rare on a bed of spinach. Lovely.
Iron levels have popped back up and I am one happy well feed 39 week pregnant lady. I am treating myself and my dh to one a week.

Wouldn't have done it in the first trimester to be fair, and would always cook pre-processed meat thoroughly. But a nice sirloin should not be cremated.

I wouldn't do it until the second trimester at the earliest, feel so exhausted I thought a bit of iron might help, plus I'm craving a juicy steak.

These guidelines change all the time don't they. When I was last pregnant, peanuts were a big no no, now they're deemed fine!

Thanks

Glad it helped you ffa

Spatone is good for non constipating iron (but steak tastes better...)

They must have just changed advice v recently because I'm 35 weeks and my nhs book says it's fine as long as the outside is cooked.

I got toxoplasmosis in early pregnancy and it has been very stressful. It could well be different in the UK but here in the USA they believe 50% of cases are caused by undercooked meat and that is how I believe I got it-the rarer the better for me normally as far as steak is concerned!
Just a point on feeling it's safer eating rare meat later in pregnancy, the damage the parasite does to the baby reduces but the chance of the baby contracting congenital toxoplasmosis increases from around 15% in the first trimester to around 70% in the third. It's very rare but very nasty and I wouldn't want anyone to go through this.

Nyan I think possibly your book hasn't been updated. The nhs website has said meat needs to be fully cooked through for some time now (I think at least a couple of years as I'm sure it said fully cooked when I was pg with DD?). I guess they are slower at updating the paper handouts which is a bit unhelpful really.

Hope your baby is ok Scummy, how scary. That's interesting about it getting more likely to transfer in later pregnancy.

On the continent I believe all pg women are tested for immunity to toxoplasmosis at the start of their pregancy - if immune (ie had it before) then they can eat rare meat, but if not they are told to avoid and also have regular blood tests to check they haven't caught it.

How scary scummy I hope you're ok. Looks like it's well done or nothing for me then, not worth it x