Pregnancy labels

[KATS2020]

I'm just over two months pregnant and while I battle internally on whether I'm obsessing because it's my first pregnancy and still very early on, or whether I have legitimate claim to feel angry, I am pregnant and I have had enough.

Since I've found out there is a strawberry-sized baby inside of me I've tried my best to stay clear of "dangerous" foods. I've completely altered my weekly shop as, for example, the Waitrose branded cheese does not say if it's pasteurised or not. I've stopped going to Pret as no one can tell me if the mayo has raw egg in it. I've been told opposing information at my favourite restaurants on different occasions. HOWEVER, they can all tell me if it's vegetarian or vegan friendly.

Now, I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans; my sister has been the latter for years and I massively admire her efforts to find alternatives to cheese - her favourite food ever. I do, however, take issue with supermarkets, restaurants, etc going to the effort of knowing if something is v/v but cannot tell me if the cream on the pasta has raw egg or pasteurised milk and could potentially damage my unborn child.

I've only had a month of knowing I'm carrying a baby and I couldn't be happier. At the same time, I'm furious, frustrated and would love to have answers to these simple questions. All these establishments know what they are putting into their food, why can't it just be label as such?

You’re being really entitled and a bit odd over this sorry OP. The irony is you’re going to places that sell food you could easily eat with zero concerns (the vegan food) but rather than just doing that you’re determined to make a fuss about being pregnant instead.

Op we take it all back
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48557421

A big chain like pret is going to use mayo that's fine to eat while pregnant. You're worrying about nothing.

Best to stay away from pre-made sandwiches, bit then we always knew that was a risk.

Expecting Better pointed out about listeria that it wasn't predictable. Not just one thing contains listeria and it happens randomly, such as this. You can't just stay away from pre packed sandwiches cos you could get listeria from the lettuce you or in your own sandwich.

Just be sensible when earthing anything that is prone to food poisoning. Like rice or pasta. Someone at work broght a pasta dish in for everyone and it was just left around (covered) on the table at room temperature. No way would i eat that.

Left overs should be eaten the next day and properly reheated. Cold salads like pasta for me should be eaten on the day they are made. I'm a vomit-o-phobe so i tend to get paranoid anyway.

You can't eradicate all risk.

But bad thinking for that article!

Oh god those poor people, you don't expect a food safety issue within a hospital do you 😱

I was very careful during my first pregnancy and had no problems. I got listeria during my second pregnancy and miscarried. Will never know what from but where I live melon got withdrawn from shops as listeria was found to be in the melons. I had a craving for melon. I was very relaxed and ate everything that pregnancy. It was an awful miscarriage as I was 13 weeks pregnant. I got pregnant a few months later and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Shit happens I guess.

OP's getting a bit of a hard time here IMO! You don't know this stuff as a first time mum and you do get bombarded with information about what you can and can't eat and do (often conflicting) and it can be quite worrying, especially if you are an anxious person (like me).

I've not avoided Pret but I have been on their website to check out their rules on pasteurization (everything is btw OP). Advice to relax is helpful but when half of the world is telling you "god you don't want to be eating/doing/breathing that do you" perhaps the cries of entitlement and eye roll emojis are a bit unfair.

@KATS2020 unpasteurised dairy is fairly uncommon. There aren't that many providers of it (and it's still illegal in Scotland), most cafes, restaurants and supermarkets will sell or use pasteurised as standard. Anything raw will be advertised as such because it's quite trendy.

There is actually very little you should avoid, refer to the nhs website rather than relying on rumours or 'horror stories' (were these from the daily mail by any chance?).
Here's a useful link for you 🙂 www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/foods-to-avoid-pregnant/