Food poisoning? Chicken.

[AKP79]

Having a major panic. We’ve just had some chicken breast from a whole chicken I’d poached in the slow cooker. The breast meat was succulent and cooked. I went into the kitchen to shred the rest of the chicken to save for sandwiches and ate a few bits from one of the legs. When I turned it over it looked really pink. Then when I looked at the other leg it was still raw. I’m now really panicking about food poisoning and listeria which I know can be fatal to the baby. I’ve tried to make myself sick, but can’t. Do you think even though the bits I ate were cooked and the bits from the leg were mostly cooked that I could be in danger? I’m really freaking out. I’m 16 weeks.

I got salmonella when I was pregnant from takeaway chicken, I was fine in a day or so.. I don't think a few small pieces will do much harm, don't make yourself sick

Thank you for replying. I’ve got a history of misscarriage and I’m literally worrying myself sick. Xx

Really quite unlikely to be infected with listeria.

If you get sick you can leave a stool sample to gp and they’ll establish what bug it was.

I bet you don’t get sick at all though. It isn’t inevitable that undercooked chicken will make you unwell, it’s just relatively high risk as compared to some other foods. So food poisoning of any kind is not a foregone conclusion, and listeria is certainly not. Honestly don’t panic (and don’t try to make yourself sick - that wouldn’t help anyway I don’t think?).

Phone 111 if you want or need more reassurance.

Just repeating: don’t panic!

Please don't panic, I honestly think you'll be fine. Don't stress yourself

FWIW I am 24 weeks and had some form of food poisoning at about 15 weeks. It only occurred to me to worry at all a good few days after recovering and it was too late to run any tests - but I spoke with two doctors about it, neither of them thought there was anything to worry about.

Thank you so much for the reassurances ladies. I’ve been really beating myself up about it. Just burst into tears on my hubbie who has reassured me that the breast we ate was 100% cooked. He didn’t see the leg, I’ve chucked it now, but he’s also echoed what you’ve said that I couldn’t have had enough to cause a problem.

I’m a worrier at the best of times. So now I’m worrying that the proximity of the breast to the leg is an issue even though the breast was cooked!!!

If the breast was cooked, you'll be fine! The bits of the leg that you ate would have also been fine, otherwise you'd have seen pink or noticed the uncooked texture.🤢

Don't worry

Meat cooked near the bone can.often appear pink. If the breast was cooked you will be fine.

Even if you were to get ill then the most likely culprit would by campylobacter. A nasty bug which would make for an unpleasant few days for you BUT which would not carry a risk of miscarriage as with listeria or toxoplasmosis.

Thanks again for the reassurance ladies. If I wasn’t pregnant with the miscarriage history I wouldn’t be giving this another thought.

I’ve decided to head to bed with my book and try to put it to the back of my mind.

Thank you again all of you xxx

I had possible exposure to listeria at 26 weeks pregnant and spoke to obstetrician who wasnt that interested but organised an extra growth scan. This was fine but then my baby was born with meningitis, listeria the most likely cause (although whether related to the earlier exposure is anyone’s guess).

I wouldn’t scare anyone unnecessarily but I wish I could go back and take my own concerns more seriously- speak to your GP.

I had food poisoning off a kebab at 6 weeks pregnant! I was ill for a few days vomiting and the other end lol it went away and my baby was fine he’s 4 now