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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Help! I've just eaten a medium steak!

47 replies

Correlation · 31/10/2020 15:18

Please help, I stupidly ate a medium steak for lunch (it was a bit pink on the inside but not red though there was also some pink juice on the plate). For some ridiculous reason I thought it was fine but now I'm worrying about toxoplasmosis and even if baby is ok now they may not be in the future. I'm 18 weeks. Can anyone help? I'm considering asking for a toxo antibody blood test but will have to wait a few weeks for antibodies to show up - is this worth doing? I'm really stressing out. Tried calling the midwife but can't get hold of her as it's the weekend!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Whoooootaminute · 31/10/2020 15:20

You'll be fine.

Try not to worry.

AlternativePerspective · 31/10/2020 15:21

Since when has medium steak been a thing to fear?

you’ll be fine. Honestly most of the stuff on the forbidden list is just being over cautious. Other than liver which I detest anyway there is very little I wouldn’t have eaten when I was pg.

And they change the list year on year anyway.

I’d never heard that medium steak was on the forbidden list though, is that a new thing?

DrFoxtrot · 31/10/2020 15:23

You will be fine. People all over the world eat all kinds of food and there are those people who don't know they're pregnant yet eating everything.

nicky7654 · 31/10/2020 15:23

Lol never heard of.that!!

Spotthedoggies · 31/10/2020 15:25

It's not a new thing but OP please try not to worry if you can as the risk is very, very small. The meat may even have been frozen at some point which also kills the parasite, but it's only present in a very small proportion of beef products and it sounds like most of the meat was cooked enough that the chance of the parasite existing in the tiny pink bit is really miniscule

More people than not are immune from previous infection as well. You can have an antibody test if you think that finding you've had prior infection will put your mind at rest, but I would wait a few days as you may find the worry fades a little

QuentinWinters · 31/10/2020 15:26

It will be fine. Other countries have no guidance on eating raw meat, steak is quite safe anyway which is why we eat it rare.

I mean, there is a risk which is why we have the guidance but it is TINY. Most ppl are immune to toxoplasmosis.

There's nothing the midwife can do so leave it til monday, but honestly you will be fine.

Terrace58 · 31/10/2020 15:28

Medium steak is perfectly fine

I had hyperemesis my entire pregnancy. The only times I felt sort of ok were when I managed to eat a medium steak. I think it was the extra protein. At no point did my doctor advise against this and he was well aware of my diet since it was so hard for me to eat anything.

Blondiecub0109 · 31/10/2020 15:29

So the way I understand toxoplasmosis and beef related food poisoning is - the bacteria etc is in the outside of the meat so if it’s cooked on the outside it’s generally ok. If you start mincing it ie burgers the bacteria is all through it so minced products need to be cooked properly through.

You’ll be fine. I drank tonic water for weeks with DS1 I had bad cramps until I found out that’s not recommended. He’s fine.

Suggest you read ‘expecting better’by Emily Oster. There’s also a GP who used to tweet about this (criticisms of Emma’s Diary) if I can find it

dementedpixie · 31/10/2020 15:30

You'll be fine. The advice didn't used to say to have steak cooked all the way through. Better to have a pink steak than a pink burger

dementedpixie · 31/10/2020 15:31

I've never seen tonic water on the don't drink list!

GoldenBlue · 31/10/2020 15:31

I only like rare steak so I asked my doctor about it when pregnant. He confirmed that as long as the entire outside was seared then it was acceptable as the beef texture makes it hard for bugs to spread within the meat, they typically just stay on the outside. I ate rare steak throughout my pregnancy without an issue.

Bunnymumy · 31/10/2020 15:32

Lol reminds me of when i had OCD and would worry about random nonsense.

Eat what you want, sushi, rate steak a glass of wine, whatever. The kid will be fine. The biggest danger to it is your stress.

Blondiecub0109 · 31/10/2020 15:35

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/clinical-areas/sexual-health-and-gynaecology/a-right-royal-mess-why-is-rcgp-still-endorsing-emmas-diary/

Not exclusively about food but a GP’s view of some the information put out to pregnant women

Spotthedoggies · 31/10/2020 15:35

@GoldenBlue the risk for OP is really really really tiny and there's no need for worry, but your doctor is incorrect.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite, and it exists inside the meat so it isn't like bacteria which spreads on the outside.

So if every pregnant woman ate rare meat, there would be some cases of congenital toxo, but the individual risk is extremely extremely small (so don't worry OP!)

GroundAlmonds · 31/10/2020 15:40

Honestly most of the stuff on the forbidden list is just being over cautious. Other than liver which I detest anyway there is very little I wouldn’t have eaten when I was pg.

And they change the list year on year anyway.

It’s true. Anyone with a large family has seen multiple changes in the advice.

All of these things carry a small risk, but I don’t think the NHS do enough to explain how tiny the risk of some these things is.

Birdladybird · 31/10/2020 15:43

Blooming eck in France we eat it practically mooing, not told to stop that either during pregnancy

Original poster

Correlation · 31/10/2020 15:50

Ok thank you all! I'm still stressing a little bit but less so now I've read your responses. I have my 20 week scan soon so hopefully that will make me feel a bit more reassured but honestly I've read some horror stories online this afternoon about all sorts of damage being done to the baby if I contract toxo and this damage might not even show up until later in the baby's life. I need to chill out! Thank you all.

OP posts:

Original poster

Correlation · 31/10/2020 15:52

Hi @Birdladybird I was reading today that in France most people have had toxo at some point in their lives so are immune anyway but also that pregnant women are tested for this on a monthly basis? This is partly what made me think I should get myself tested!

OP posts:

MaryShelley1818 · 31/10/2020 15:52

I'd only eat steak medium rare and I'm 25wks with a high risk pregnancy.

Seriously OP - in the nicest possible way you really need to try and calm down. You'll make yourself ill.

Flossie44 · 31/10/2020 15:58

BunnyMumy - sorry you had ocd too. But you will probably understand that any worry you feel if you suffer from OCD, isn’t ‘random nonsense’. It’s real.

Op, I hope you’ve been reassured a little from previous posts about searing the outside of the steak, so therefore I’m sure you will be fine.

I find that time makes things less of a concern so give it til Monday..if you are still very anxious over it, then call your midwife. She probably won’t be able to do much over the weekend anyway.

I remember worrying is eaten Parmesan during pregnancy and thought it wasn’t allowed. I felt sick with fear.

Don’t beat yourself up over it. But be kind to yourself.

Congrats on your pregnancy

Birdladybird · 31/10/2020 16:04

@Correlation

Hi *@Birdladybird* I was reading today that in France most people have had toxo at some point in their lives so are immune anyway but also that pregnant women are tested for this on a monthly basis? This is partly what made me think I should get myself tested!

Well i personally don't know anyone who has had it, and i havent been tested for it during pregnancy either? Please dont worry, you will make yourself ill.

dementedpixie · 31/10/2020 16:08

Parmesan is fine in pregnancy even if unpasteurised as it is a hard cheese and is not the moist environment that listeria likes.

You'll be fine OP

Original poster

Correlation · 31/10/2020 16:13

Thank you!

OP posts:

Maskedcrusader · 31/10/2020 16:18

You'll be fine. During my pregnancies my Friday night treat was a med/rare steak & a glass of pinot noir.

howmanyroads · 31/10/2020 16:45

OP I posted exactly this 2 weeks ago but mine was a burger not a steak. So according to a couple of people on this thread you're fine but I'm not

People calmed me down, the risk is there but it is minimal. I think the rate in the UK of babies born with toxoplasmosis is 1 in 10,000.

The point about meat being frozen beforehand is a good one, and also that you likely have already had it in your life if you ever played with mud as a child, owned cats, ate cured meat etc.

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