Listeria Worry!

[SimplySmeeks]

Hi all!

I'm 25 weeks pregnant now and have got complete baby brain so thought I'd be okay having some Brie (cheese). When my partner questioned me after eating it I then googled and realised that you aren't meant to eat it!

I don't know what to do as I've read it can cause Listerosis(?) and can cause harm to my little one!

I've eaten Brie at least once a week this whole pregnancy. Don't know if that helps.

I ate soft/rinded cheeses my whole pregnancy. I didn't have Listeria for the 39 years before I was pregnant so took my chances that I wouldn't for the 9 months that I was. I would also take a chance that the brie you ate was pasteurized anyway so not a massive danger. Enjoy!

You'd know if you had listeria... you'd feel ill!

The chance of catching listeria is minute - the probability doesn't increase just because you are pregnant (it's just the severity of harm that would be worse).
You'll be absolutely fine.

You’re fine. You’d know if you had listeria and you would be very ill indeed.

Listeriosis is very rare and you and the baby are almost certainly absolutely fine. My understanding however is that the illness can be quite mild for the woman, and the incubation period quite long, so I don't think it's necessarily correct to say that you'd know if you had it.

It's worth noting also that regardless of any impact on the baby, pregnant women are more vulnerable to some infectious diseases than they would be if they weren't pregnant. It doesn't make sense basically to think "well I never had x before, so I won't when I'm pregnant". It's this vulnerability and not just concern for unborn babies that meant pregnant women were offered the vaccine back in the swine flu outbreak a few years ago.

Best thing to do is chat to your midwife. The chances of anything going wrong from a one off nibble of brie are miniscule, but she'll be in a much better position to put your mind at rest than us internet randoms.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2007/may/29/health.medicineandhealth

I found this very helpful when I was pregnant (while ago now) but may reassure

Read the book expecting better - it was a game changer for me. It explains the reasons for all the 'pregnancy rules' and the actual chance of something bad happening . It made me realise most of what we're told not to do is bollocks.

Now, the only rule I give myself is don't get drunk (Although I'm not a smoker anyway).

I remember that article, coffee. It's good.

The only thing I'm not too keen on is that you could read it as saying there had been no cases of listeriosis for however many years, which isn't at all true. There might not have been any outbreaks (which is what she says), but there had definitely been individual cases reported in the preceding years - hundreds in fact (although obviously not all related to pregnancy).

Thanks @coffeeagogo that was really interesting. I knew some of this( I think my friend read the book and told me about it), but it's really well written and succinct explanation.

Thanks everyone, I had read that it was rare but mind immediately went into overdrive 😕 And yes it was pasteurised anyway so fingers crossed all good xx

Like I said, you're almost certainly fine, but it isn't the pasteurisation (or lack of) that is the issue with brie, it's that it's mould-ripened. Parmesan often isn't made with pasteurised milk, but it's not regarded as being an issue because it's hard, dry and salty. Bugs don't tend to multiply in it, basically.

I think there's a lot of understandable confusion around this stuff.

Yeah that's what I've seen there's conflicting statements all over the place but I'll keep an eye on myself so to speak :)

Have a look at the NHS guidance op. Unlike posts by randoms like me on forums such as this, or articles in newspapers (even broadsheets), it's reviewed regularly

Please try not to worry OP, the chances are absolutely minuscule! You and baby will be just fine

To correct PPs though as there is so much misinformation - no, you wouldn't necessarily know if you've had listeriosis as it's often not symptomatic (I have had it at some point in my life and had no idea) and yes you are more likely to have it if you are pregnant

But please don't worry OP because it's still v v v v v unlikely 😊