Arrrgghh I've found something else to panic about!!!

[Meandyou150]

Ok fresh panic from me

I've eaten quite a few pre packed sandwiches and ham during my pregnancy. I'm now 33 weeks

I've also eaten some smoked salmon and I don't always remember to wash my fruit before I eat!!!

Anyway now I'm panicking about listeria!! I've looked up it can have no symptoms in the mother but is usually fatal to babies. I'm terrified

I has no idea pre packed sandwiches were such a risk!! At least if this bloody thing had symptoms I could watch out for them- however usually pregnancy means you don't get any!!

HELP!!!!

Agree with Penguins - for you, OP.

Accepted risk factor is 1 in 2.7 million people. You are far more likely to get hit by a bus.
You need to seek advice on your anxiety, that is a real issue and one you can work on improving. Good luck.

not pathetic. totally natural to worry but I think you need to speak to your mw as this level of worry is irrational and the last thing that you need. pregnancy is stressful and worrying and scary but if we panicked over everything then we would never get to enjoy the feeling of baby kicking or wriggling and knowing that in a few weeks you will have a beautiful baby in our arms. you should cherish this time, not panic it away. its not good for your mental health to feel like this
just chill and have a

Thanks everyone, I will look into my anxiety issues and see what help I can get. I just wish I'd never looked bloody listeria up

Smoked salmon is fine in pregnancy isn't it? And I eat a pre packaged sandwich most weeks and have never washed a piece of fruit in my life .
I agree that you could do with some help with your anxiety. If you worry about this for the next 6 weeks you will drive yourself insane! Is your baby moving around ok? Do you feel well?

Yes baby seems to be moving ok- and I feel well I think- although pregnancy does make U feel a but rough at this stage anyway I guess.

I feel like I want to ask for a test- but when they ask me why- I won't have any reason! LOL

Oh I do have a really bad pain in my pubic bone- did I read somewhere that's supposed to be a sign?!

thats probably just your baby's weight bearing down on your pelvis. I would mention that to your midwife though. it is nothing to do with anything that will hurt your baby honest!

Pain in your pubic bone is pretty common in your third trimester, honestly! There's a lot of weight on it.

That's more likely to be SPD than listeria.

I used to worry about listeria. I found reading up some statistics about it helped a little. I'll try and find a link. To be honest, I think I stopped worrying about it when I found some other worry. My pregnancy was filled with worry. Now I looked back and I wished I enjoyed it more so I fully fully understand how you feel

naturalscientist.blogspot.co.uk/2007/03/ask-scientist-listeria-and-pregnancy.html?m=1

Whilst it does contain the info about where listeria is found, it has some very reassuring statistics and some common sense advice about what to avoid.

Thanks for the link, I will try and put this out of my head for now but it's so hard

When I pregnant I suffered from awful anxiety, I'd obsesse about tiny things to the point where I was almost sick with worry.

It wasn't until after I'd given birth and my mental state returned to normal that I realised I'd most likely been suffering from anti natal depression. Please talk to your midwife or GP about your level of anxiety.

No3 here too- have lunched on pre packed salads and sambos here (too busy and tired to prepare them myself unfortunately).
I did the same on no1 and 2. I remember reading how different the FDA recommendations were to here on my first. Seriously though - doesn't sound like you re at any more of a risk of listeria.
It does sound like you should try some relaxation - I found it really helpful when I was tired and worried - and it helps for labour and parenting too. I hope you don't think that s dismissive - but I used have several anxieties I would let overwhelm me, finding a way to keep perspective and keep positive relaxed hormones flowing (as opposed to constant adrenine and cortisol ) and keep myself happy and positive, really helped me. It s such a stressful worrying time havig a baby, it s nice to be able to do something empowering and helpful for yourself and your baby. You sound really well informed on pregnancy and that s brilliant to be so proactive.
Enjoy those last few weeks of freedom, it won't be long until you meet your little one now!

The rules on processing and packaging of foods are different in different countries. For example, in the UK you don't have to refrigerate eggs, in the US we do. Eggs sold in the US would not be legal to sell in the UK, and vice versa.

If you did get listeriosis, you probably wouldn't have no symptoms at all (that's possible but not likely). You'd probably have flu-like symptoms. I've been panicking about it as well when I got a stomach bug, and my OB told me that I would probably have felt really sick from it. The stomach bug I had was probably a viral or bacterial illness I caught from my toddler.

I'm an anxious person, there's always something in pregnancy for me to panic about. It was chromosome problems at first (I'm 40), before I had a CVS. I was anxious enough (and nothing but certainty will satisfy my anxiety) that I didn't do any screenings, just went straight to a CVS in both pregnancies. Then it was listeria, because of the stomach bug. Then it was some other major birth defect, before the 20 week ultrasound. Now it's gestational diabetes (I'm needle phobic, and can't imagine giving myself a shot, so I'm very, very scared of getting diabetes and having to use insulin). I had the same panics about chromosome problems, birth defects, and gestational diabetes in my first pregnancy. I don't like going to the OB or to the doctor when I'm not pregnant, because I'm always afraid they'll find something terribly wrong.

I completely understand - I've worried about everything- spotting in early pregnancy- miscarriage

Then we had increased ventricle scare then lack of baby movements

However this one has hit me the hardest Definately- it's just the fact that it's pretty much fatal to babies if you are the unlucky one, and midwives usually never see it- so would anyone actually suspect listeria until it was too late.

I wish I'd been more careful about what I've eaten - but what's done is done I guess

What us a working woman meant to eat for lunch if not packaged sandwiches!!

Lol that was my thoughts exactly!!

Wish id bloody washed my fruits though!

Meh....

Meandyou - as others have said, worrying this much isn't good for you. Please do ask for some support. But in the meantime I don't see there is any reason to worry about sandwiches you ate last week, for example. If you had got listeria it would be more than obvious. You've not been unwell and the baby is still moving, yes?

Going forward, if it makes you feel better to wash your fruit and avoid pre packed sandwiches then that's fine (within reason!) but I think you can safely say if any of your past actions were going to cause harm, you would know about it by now.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Thanks everyone for your support -

It's made me feel a little bit better, however no doubt I'll be worrying about it for a while yet x