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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

So I ate this thinking it was safe...

39 replies

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 11:37

I’ve had a few over the past couple of months and only today realised from the ingredients list that it contains rare beef?

I didn’t know as the packet just said beef and horseradish?

Would it be extreme to request a blood test?

I’ve been advised that the sandwiches are not frozen at any stage...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

GlubGlubGlub · 13/02/2018 11:45

It would be completely and utterly ridiculous to request a blood test! You will be absolutely fine.

I am a very anxious person and would have no problem eating that. It’s not like it’s raw.

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 11:46

Glub thank you this is the kind of virtual slap I need. I send myself loopy

OP posts:

GlubGlubGlub · 13/02/2018 11:49

Not problem! Got luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

AnnaLuna · 13/02/2018 11:50

There is a risk though.
I had a medium rare steak a week ago without knowing then I shouldn’t eat it. Going to request a blood test to check if I am ok. Will go private if needed.

SoTotallyOverThis · 13/02/2018 11:51

With my first I followed all the eating restriction rules. For my second I ignored them all, excepting shellfish (which being honest I don’t eat anyway) and alcohol. Didn’t seem to make any difference frankly and the rules had become so restrictive I decided that as women had been pregnant for thousands of years, I’d probably be alright. If memory serves me right different countries have different guidance, leading me to conclude there wasn’t necessarily a right or wrong....

AyeAyeFishyPie · 13/02/2018 11:51

I feel your pain, I had this in the first few weeks. I was served a pink bit of pheasant and even though I didn't eat it I wound myself right up about it. You will be fine, it will be fine. X

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 11:56

@AnnaLuna how far along are you? Have you looked into a cost of private?

OP posts:

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 11:57

Thank you all for calming me down! I’ve had a few and just didn’t even realise because it’s in a sandwich it never tasted rare if that makes sense?

OP posts:

mindutopia · 13/02/2018 12:04

I have eaten that exact sandwich many, many times in pregnancy. The beef isn't truly rare. It's more medium (pink, rather than uncooked). It's up to you what you feel comfortable with, but I wouldn't freak out and be requesting tests for anything (they wouldn't offer them to you anyway unless you were genuinely sick). But personally I eat rare and medium rare steak and have in all my pregnancies.

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 12:11

Mind I was hoping someone like you would come along who has eaten this exact sandwich!! Ok that’s good to know. So like you’ve said it’s not raw it’s just cooked pink.

I give myself such a headache over these things

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Poppins2016 · 13/02/2018 12:21

I ate rare steak (and washed it down with rather a lot of red wine) only a few days before finding out I was pregnant... Oops.

I believe the guidance is not to worry if you've eaten the wrong foods, as long as you've not had any symptoms of infection etc.

pestov · 13/02/2018 12:23

Blood tests aren't necessary for any of this! Rare meat isn't advised due to risk of food poisoning. If you're not puking or glued to the toilet baby is fine!

Pâté, deep sea fish and alcohol do however contain things that can be bad for a developing foetus. I miss pâté!

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 12:32

I’ve had mild flu symptoms on and off since Christmas but didn’t associate the two obviously, fluey aches and pains have got better so I’m thinking that must have just been a couple of bad colds.

OP posts:

katmarie · 13/02/2018 12:35

I ate rare steak throughout pregnancy, and not only was I fine, baby was fine, and the midwife said my iron levels were absolutely fantastic. Rare meats are restricted due to the risk of food poisoning as someone else said, and obviously food poisoning during pregnancy is a lot worse than normal, but a sandwich is unlikely to give you that, hundreds of people eat that sandwich every day and don't get sick.

I think with the 'do not eat' list, there's a dose of common sense needed sometimes. Some of the things on the list are specifically bad for baby (liver, pate etc) but many are on there as there is an ongoing risk of food poisoning. Also thinking changes over time, runny eggs for example. When we're not pregnant we're happy to assume some risk, eating things like rare meats and shellfish. I made the decision that rare steak during pregnancy was worth the risk of food poisoning, based on the fact that I've been eating it all of my adult life and not once been ill from it. To me that seemed a very low risk.

Oddly enough I couldn't stomach shellfish at all though, it wasn't about weighing up the risk, the thought of eating them turned my stomach.

Anyway this is my very long winded way of saying I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 12:39

Poppins I drank a whole bottle of wine the night before finding out I was pregnant but everything seems to be ok with that so far...! I think so many people get well into their first trip without realising they are pregnant it’s easy done

OP posts:

Original poster

ChippedVarnish · 13/02/2018 12:40

First tri not trip

OP posts:

FranticallyPeaceful · 13/02/2018 12:51

Yesterday I had medium rare steak for dinner, I had a salmon and cheese dish with caviar for lunch and for breakfast I had runny eggs, bacon and sausage. You could probably find something wrong with all of this! Third pregnancy and third perfectly healthy little person though. The chances are so slim, odd days of indulging aren’t going to do anything.
I wouldn’t drink alcohol but I also wouldn’t stop eating everything that carries a slight risk either to be honest, not 100% of the time at least!

Your baby will be fine!

FranticallyPeaceful · 13/02/2018 12:52

Although last pregnancy I did drink before realising I was pregnant, but he’s the smartest little person I know!

Girlwiththearabstrap · 13/02/2018 15:11

In a processed type sandwich it's probably ok. I've had my share of pregnancy induced paranoia with accidentally eating unpasteurized cheese and rare steak though.

Am a bit baffled by all the posts about shellfish/salmon though. Fish and shellfish are not on the do not eat list apart from marlin etc.

MegEmski · 13/02/2018 15:23

I think shellfish used to be on the list, yet another thing that changed!

I've been eating medium rare steak right through my pregnancy so far.

It's about weighing up (sometimes pretty much non existent ) risks

I thoroughly recommend reading Expecting Better by Emily Oster!

Alwaysaworry · 13/02/2018 15:24

OP I think it will be just fine

However, every time there is a thread about this, posters always say that the rare meat risk is food poisoning and you'd know if you had it.

To be clear so that everyone can weigh up the risks with the full info, the primary concern with rare meat is toxoplasmosis. It is a parasite and if a mother has an infection for the first time it can cross the placenta and can have long term effects for the baby. You don't necessarily have any symptoms.

A fair number of women have had it before and are already immune, and the risk is very small so of course many people will have had rare meat throughout and their babies will have been fine.

Please don't worry though OP, it's so unlikely anything is wrong! I'm surprised the meat has never been frozen at any stage

Alwaysaworry · 13/02/2018 15:25

Also don't intend to be patronising but it's annoying as NCT teacher said the same thing and everyone went off to buy steaks to eat rare on the way home - I'm sure all their babies will be fine too but I think giving inaccurate medical advice is really irresponsible!

Alwaysaworry · 13/02/2018 15:31

PPS I do say this as a worrier too though and have had a private blood test myself (although that was after high NT which can be associated with infection)

I did find it a relief to get the results back and find I was immune 😊

NerrSnerr · 13/02/2018 15:31

What do you want them to test for with these blood tests? If you had food poisoning you’d know about it already.

OutyMcOutface · 13/02/2018 15:32

Well you aren't really supposed to eat cold cuts but so many people do. I'm sure that a little bit of rare beef in the form of a cold cut will do any harm.

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