I accidentally ate some Brie today and now I'm in a right flap about it ...

[SaltySeaBird]

I'm 11+4 and today I accidentally ate some Brie.

I've been obsessing all afternoon. I was having lunch with a colleague and brought what I thought was a pear, bacon and cheese salad roll from Pret. Munching away I thought wow this is good and looked inside - only to discover the cheese was Brie. I'd eaten half of it and left the rest.

I've been worried all afternoon Googling listeria effects on pregnancy. It's only made things worse.

Should I go to my GP? Can they test me? Should I just calm down?

[NickNacks]

Okay I've emailed Pret to ask if it is pasturised

Are you serious?

[Runningupthathill82]

What Mintyy said. And I also can't quite believe you emailed Pret

[lavenderhoney]

Argh! I'm sorry, banned wasn't a good word:(

I guess I said drink lots of water because it's good for you than lots of tea or coffee. IMO!!

Hope you feel reassured op. ( not by me, sadly)

[LadyofDispleasure]

Unfortunately pasteurisation isn't the issue with Brie, it's the fact it's mould-ripened. Pasteurised Brie is unfortunately still a risk. Please try not to worry, though (easier said than done). I had a little panic a few weeks ago over some cheese I ate while on holiday in Spain (still to this day have no idea what type it was!) Anyway, I was quite worried, did some research, and found the following reassuring, so I hope you do too:

1. The likelihood of you contracting listeria from that tiny amount of Brie is v v low. You'd have to be very unlucky.
   
2. A lot of online literature says that you can have listeria without any symptoms...this worried me a lot. However, looking at the American obstetrics and gynocology guidance on listeria in pregnancy, the following is recommended for management of listeria in pregnant women when exposure to listeria is known (e.g. In cases of an identified outbreak):
   

-no symptoms: no testing or treatment needed
-some mild flu-like or gastrointestinal symptoms without fever: monitor, consider possible blood test
-fever: blood test, penicillin/antibiotics as treatment.
Link
Basically, it appears as though you would get symptoms from a listeria infection. I found this really comforting to know - basically if you don't develop symptoms within the next two months, you're fine. If you do get a fever within this time, you can get to the GP ASAP, know exactly what to say, and insist on a listeria blood test, in order to get the appropriate treatment, which should minimise the chances of baby being affected.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

If it makes you feel better, I spent most of my first pregnancy living in rural Romania, where you couldn't even get pasteurised/long life milk. We used to get it in a churn from the farmer and boil it like mad. I had soft rind cheese, runny eggs, chicken liver and was fine. Ignorance was bliss!

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

Well, it's nohting to do with pasteurisation - as the PP said.

But it also won't be anything serious - likelihood is vanishingly rare.

The most likely outcome is that Pret will be scared of you suing and send you a voucher.

I hope they don't discontinue the sandwich though. It sounds lovely.

Enjoy your pregnancy

[DoloresLandingham]

What LadyofDispleasure said - pasteurisation is relevant for milk, irrelevant for cheese, and I'm always surprised by the number of posters on MN who don't understand this. Hard unpasteurised cheese is OK; soft mould-ripened pasteurised cheese isn't.

That said, you'd have to be seriously unlucky to suffer any ill-effects, OP.

[eurochick]

I really wouldn't worry. The risk is tiny. The risk of harm is bigger each time you get in a car (there are a lot more than 170 odd car accidents per year!). I'm not trying to make you scared to get in a car, just giving you a bit of context. You have another 6 months to go. Try to relax and enjoy it.

[SaltySeaBird]

Okay I've emailed Pret to ask if it is pasturised

Are you serious?

Yes, I'm well aware I'm over reacting and being irrational about the risk.

However, spending the last seven years of my life in a cycle of TTC, fertility treatments and having had two miscarriages, the last of which left me unconscious and in a potentially life threatening state (complicated medical history / condition) ... I think I probably can get away with being a little paranoid and irrational.

I'll be raising it with my consultant for their advice too this week!

Thank you to everyone for your advice and reassurance

[LibrariesGaveUsP0wer]

It is fine

Honestly, more and pre these days I am coming to the conclusion that the Internet is sucking all the joy from pregnancy and motherhood. A generation ago you'd just have gone 'oops. Oh well, I am not poorly'.

Read Zoe Williams on listeria OP. Or Emily Ostler.

FWIW I chose not to avoid any cheeses if pasteurised. I did, however, avoid buffets, any slightly dodgy takeaways and re washed pre washed salads.

[SpanielFace]

When I was about 30 weeks pregnant with DS1, I went to a wedding where the evening buffet was a cheese board :) they were a home brew / making-your-own-cheese kind of couple, and the cheese was all made by little artisan cheese makers from unpasteurised sheep's milk, that kind of thing. I stuffed my face before suddenly thinking "shit!" - I still can't believe I just didn't think, but I was having such a good time and I do love cheese. Anyway, I worried for a few days, but it was fine. DS is three now. The risk of listeria is tiny, and especially from the couple of mouthfuls you would have had in a sandwich.

I know pregnancy is a worrying time (I'm 23 weeks with my 3rd baby at the moment, but I lost a baby last year at 21 weeks, so I know all about the fear), but the list of foods to avoid is just that - it's not "foods that will poison your baby", it's "foods that are linked to an increased risk of food poisoning". There is a risk of food poisoning with any food, as other people have mentioned bagged salad is meant to be one of the worst and it's not even on the list! In the nicest possible way, I would try to keep it in perspective.

[kjwpn]

Hi I had similar - I accidentally ate some parma ham on a pizza - assumed it would be cooked but it wasn't but by that time I had forgotten I needed to check and only on my last bite realized! OOps! Midwife assured me it would be fine though.

[maybebabybee]

OP, I am fifteen weeks pregnant and thus far I have eaten:

• sushi (I eat sushi quite regularly as it happens)
  
• very rare steak, twice
  
• a rare burger
  
• brie
  
• camambert
  
• unwashed fruit and veg
  

None of the above were done on purpose except the sushi, I just forgot to be honest. I did do what you are doing and panic for a bit but then I realised a) I couldn't do anything about it now anyway and b) the risks are minimal.

My mum is totally poo poo about all the stuff the nhs says not to do - she ate all sorts during pregnancy and has had four healthy babies. Good enough for me!

[LibrariesGaveUsP0wer]

Properly cured and aged Parma ham is fine. I read a big long article a while back. The cheap stuff isn't

[sophiaslullaby]

SaltySeaBird I did same thing at similar stage of pregnancy, I even knew it was brie (Brie & Bacon panini), was halfway through when suddenly realised and thought "sh1t, what am I doing?!" I too went to Dr Google but only asking Mumsnet reassured me. Admitedly i have stayed clear of it but one lovely mumsnetter said what are the real chances of you getting listeria from a couple of bites of brie when pregnant when you've eaten it most your life when not pregnant? And most brie is Pasterised as mentioned before.

Relax and enjoy rest of your pregnancy x

[SaltySeaBird]

Thanks everyone.

Pret have emailed back to confirm it was pasteurised but they recommend I don't eat it again during my pregnancy. I'm going to try and calm down and if something goes wrong with the pregnancy then I know in all likelihood it won't be down to a couple of mouthfuls of Brie!

[BertrandRussell]

Would it help you to know that I practically weaned my dd on prawns because she loved them so much, and only discovered too late that they aren't supposed to have them til 12 months and not many even then because of the iodine which can cause thyroid problems? She's nearly 20 and I still fret about it sometimes. If she ever does have thyroid problems I will be beside myself with guilt........

[BeautifulLiar]

I REALLY wanted a brie and grape sandwich from M&S yesterday (15 weeks) but didn't in the end :(