Listeria Anxiety

[2020mamma]

Hi girls!
I’m going through one of those most probably blown out of proportion anxiety moments (aided by google)
I’m 13 weeks pregnant had my scan all going well shared the news.
Now I’m in a rabbit hole of googling listeria after eating something I shouldn’t 🙈

I’ve been very strict even as far as never eating salad in a restaurant. I’m not a worrier or a germaphobe of any kind but first time pregnancy sending me crazy.

Husband ordered a dominoes (usually vegetarian) left it on the side over night. The next day I saw it, in the fridge. Thought it had been there through the night.
I ate some cold. Only afterwards to realise it had hot dog sausage meat 🤢
I know this would be ok if I had re heated it but I didn’t know it had meat on it.
Please tell me I’m over reacting! because I can’t stop worrying about my baby.

Has anyone else made one mistake like this and filled them with anxiety 🙉

You need to try and contextualise the risk. Have you ever known anyone that got Listeria from eating cold pizza toppings? How many times in your life have you done this exact thing and it’s been ok? The risks of what you’ve done are minuscule. There is so much advice for pregnant women about what they can and can’t do but the risks of most of these things are tiny or ‘just in case.’
I remember with my first, the midwife going on at me about runny eggs, by the time I had my third, five years later, runny eggs were perfectly safe. I’m not saying ignore the advice entirely but you could drive yourself mad and nine months is a long time!

You can get listeria from anything. I got it and lost my baby at 13 weeks. Shit happens. Still don't know where mine came from. At the time, I ate rock melon and a month later it was taken out of the shops due to listeria concerns. I live in the Middle East. Could have been that. Who knows? Listeria can be in so many things.

But the pizza would have already been cooked and therefore backeria killed when you ordered it, unless your husband stuck a bunch of raw hotdog slices on the pizza after it arrived in your home... You dont need to cook things three times, once is enough.

So yeah, you are overreacting! :)

I eat bagged salad every day. Have also accidentally eaten deli meats and banned cheeses. I read somewhere that a doctor said he'd only seen listeriosis in two pregnant women and both had eaten home made cheese made from unpasteurised straight from the animal milk. Imagine how many women around the world don't know the 'rules' about deli meat and cheeses! You'll be absolutely fine

@toomuchteaandcake Deli meat per se is not banned- you can have it if it is cooked, so cooked hams are fine.
It also depends on the country you live in, in the UK cooked deli meats are fine, in some countries forbidden, so of course the rules around the world are not going to be the same. In Japan having sushi with raw fish is fine, and in France women eat camembert, so you can't really compare like that.

Hi OP, when I was about 8/9 weeks I went through this. Am now 14 weeks. I ate some mould ripened cheese accidentally, I then also ate a deli meat sandwich which didn't feel completely warmed through, but thought I was fine at time, I also ate pizza which was cold with ham on.
Obviously the pizza had been cooked prior but by the time I ate it it was not "piping hot" as per advice.
Honestly tho, the risk is small. As others have said, you can get listeria from anything including salad leaves, fruit, raw or mould ripened milk products and deli meat.
I am usually vege but I've had cravings for meat while pregnant hence indulging. Each time I ate meat I thought it was fine as (a) was chicken escalope and so was heated but after I felt freaked as it was a small sandwich shop and who knows about hygiene etc and (b) pizza was cooked so thought Parma ham is fine but by time I ate it it was cold. Of course Google didn't help.
But I spoke to my midwife and she said not to worry. Yes there is a tiny risk but the chance of Listeria developing in one night since pizza was cooked is extremely slim. You will be fine. I've heard of other people eating cold pizza next day with meat and all good! I don't even know if there IS a risk.
Only 240 ish people got listeria in 2018 in UK and of that I think only a quarter were pregnant women. Something like that. The risk is incredibly small
Don't worry! Baby will be fine. If you're in the UK we have very good food safety laws so chances are so miniscule.

@MonaLisaDoesntSmile yep and I've accidentally eaten uncooked! But in Spain for example there is no guidance to avoid it in any form, and in other countries like you mention

@toomuchteaandcake I know! I have Spanish friends who were stuffing their faces with chorizo and unpasteurised cheese throughout pregnancy. But I suppose some of it is genetics too, it may be fine for them if their ancestors for generations have been eating like this, maybe less fine for peeps who traditionally do not eat smoked meats and mouldy cheeses?

I can say I'v had this concern every single pregnancy. I think pregnancy can turn anyone into a worrier. The chances are massively in your favour for everything to turn out fine. Did you reheat it by any chance? If you did it to hot you'll have killed any potential bugs that grew overnight.

Thanks for your replies! I just needed some sensible conversation about it because when you google it it’s a huge massive no because it was on the kitchen counter over night then put in the fridge and then eaten.
The most annoying thing is it isn’t like I was craving it.
I’ve finally relaxed after my scan and telling everyone and just forgot! You’ve made me feel much better!
It’s the pressure of getting everything right!

I think putting it in context is key when having these stupid moments. I ate one slice of pizza. Probably had 4 pieces of tiny hotdog on.
Pregnancy is turning me crazy 😂