Listeria/toxoplasmosis

[Paperchains1986]

I'm being a rubbish pregnant woman.

1. Ate half a pink burger before I realised it was pink in the middle (posh place, though). Left the pink middle when I realised.
2. Ate a slice of cured ham with no idea it was on the 'don't eat' list
3. Had some white-rind goats cheese without knowing it was on the 'don't eat' list (knew about brie, camembert and soft blue cheese)
4. Been eating smoked salmon (which the packet says has been frozen, so think actually this is ok)
5. Used essential oils in the bath - who knew!
6. Had a couple of small glasses of red in first trimester (one at a time)
7. Prob had over recommended caffeine amount some days

I'm 14 weeks and a mild hypochondriac. I've read up on everything now so won't do anything else wrong, well, hopefully. Should I ask to be tested for listeria and other things by the midwife at my next appt?

Very stressed.

I think the chances of actually getting Listeria is very small. Have you had any illnesses since bring pregnant ? If not, then I wouldn't worry

No, but but the burger was on Wednesday evening and the cured meat was at a buffet last night. Reading online it says that it can take 10 weeks for symptoms to show. Annoying thing about being anxious is as soon as you know the symptoms, I start to experience them. My heart rate is raised, achey shoulders and err... loose stools (sorry for the TMI). I imagine this is all attributed to me panicking. I also have a weird bruise on the side of hand from nowhere, so obviously convinced I'm dying. Argh, so frustrating to be me! Haha

Just to reassure you, these things are very unlikely in this country as most of the things you mention are made safely - however the guidance is there for a reason and I would just mention it to your midwife next time you go.
I too have made some of the same mistakes as have millions of other women so please try not to worry and just follow the guidelines from
Now on. X

In terms of cheese (and this is from someone living in France, we eat cheese - ALOT) - my LO is 3 months old so am up to speed on the current prenatal advice. Doctors here don't leave anything to chance (for example they do Toxo screening test on a monthly basis in addition to urine etc). The official advice re cheese is to avoid cheeses from unpasturised milk only, regardless whether its soft or hard cheese. So if the cheese is from pasturised milk you should be fine.

p.s. exception is blue cheese which is a massive no-no

I don't know if it's pasteurized as it was in a panini from a cafe near my work

If this was any of my friends or family, I'd be giving them the same advice but so hard to accept your own advice, isn't it! Gah!

@paperchains

Don't panic! I was the most hypochondriac pregnant woman- and accordingly spent an awful lot of time googling. Even so, I still managed to do all of the below... some because I had to, some because I wanted to, and some because I didn't know not to... my perfect, albeit slightly mental, 16 mo DS is currently sleeping next to me on the sofa...

drank red wine, and guiness. (One at a time) but probably once a week, sometimes twice, after the 4th month

Steered my narrowboat for hundreds of miles, including working locks/ climbing lock ladders etc. (The worry there is weils disease from rat pee in the water/ on ropes etc). I lived aboard, so no choice

Climbed up and down scaffolding to get on and off my boat while it was in dock - see above

Ate sushi - because I like it

Ate smoked salmon - because I like that too

Ate rare steak - because well done is a crime

Ate unpasteurised blue cheese -didn't realise until after

Had osteopathy treatments - because my Sacroiliac joint was not enjoying pregnancy

Weight lifted / strength trained - because I'd have gone mad if I didn't

Blackleaded the stove (okay that one was totally and utterly thoughtless. Did freak a bit about that one)

Anyway... you can't live 9 months (nearly 10 in a bubble). If you're eating well, resting enough, drinking lots of water, keeping to small amounts of booze, not smoking, not taking drugs, and taking your vitamins, you're doing plenty.

Give yourself a break, and stop worrying

@paperchains

Unpasteurised cheese is generally "good" cheese. A cafe sticking cheese in a panini will not be using unpasteurised cheese, so definitely let that go...

@paperchains

And when I was pregnant I bruised like a peach. Not medical but I personally put it down to extra blood volume

If it was in a panini it'll have been hot so it's fine. You can have cured meats. Advice re alcohol is none but no studies have showed adverse effects from a glass or two of wine. Smoked salmon is fine. Weight lifting is fine! A tiny bit of pinkish meat is also unlikely to do any harm. Honestly, a bit of worry in pregnancy is normal but you'll drive yourself mental if you second guess every meal. Relax. You'll be fine!

There is a great book called 'Expecting Better' which might be worth you reading if you're feeling anxious

It looks at the actual scientific studies used to support the advice for pregnant women, and shows that lots of it is very very over-cautious and therefore you rarely have anything to worry about

+2 for reading Expecting Better.

Thank you all so much. That has helped enormously and I'll check out expecting better, sounds useful to balance my default way of thinking... x

QueenNerfertitty - thank you for your detailed response. I stopped smoking as soon as I found out (about 2/3 weeks after conception), no drugs, taking my vitamins, lots of sleep, could do more water probably and eat better but def trying to do my best. Thank you!

Seriously, don't stress. I do all of those things and fairly regularly. I've never avoided any foods in pregnancy. I'm smart about what I eat, as in I don't eat it past it's sell by date, if it's been sitting out, if it comes from somewhere dodgy, all soft cheeses are always pastuerised, etc., but I don't avoid any foods as a group and I didn't in my 1st pregnancy either (though I was a vegetarian then, so I wasn't really eating much pate anyway). Certain things, like pate or a small glass of wine, I don't have often, maybe a handful of times and only in small amounts, but I enjoy them when I have them. Most listeria outbreaks for instance in recent years have NOT come from any of those 'banned' foods. They're mostly in commercially processed fruit and vegetables. I refuse to live off air for 9 months. It makes it much easier and less stressful to eat what you want, enjoy it, but not go crazy.