Accidentally ate goats cheese 😢

[Blessedandstresseddd]

So as it says in the description, I accidentally ate goats cheese yesterday. I’m 6 months pregnant, first baby! I had been told that if it was cooked it was ok, it was with rind and grilled at a restaurant. I ordered it and ate maybe 2/3rds but found that it wasn’t super hot in the middle which has now given me so much anxiety!!
I’m so guilt ridden in case anything happens to baby, I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with listeria? I know it’s really rare, but am now worried I could have it and not know 😅

You'll be fine, but maybe give your midwife a call today, they will be able to reassure you.

You'll be fine. I ate things I wasn't meant to regularly.

I accidentally ate one half of a bacon and brie sandwich (completely forgot that I shouldn't), then went on to eat the other half when I realised (figured I might as well). It was absolutely fine.

It's unlikely you'd have listeriosis and not know as you'd feel like you have a stomach bug. NHS guidance says not to worry unless you have symptoms: www.nhs.uk/conditions/listeriosis/

Just to put things into perspective, think about how often you've eaten cheese, pate, etc. without becoming unwell afterwards... we wouldn't eat them if we were constantly unwell as a result!

I’m old and goats cheese wasn’t even mentioned when I was pregnant.

I.e. there are generations of children born perfectly healthy with mothers who ate goats cheese

Your body is an extraordinary thing. It will not think twice about a few mouthfuls of goats cheese.

Don't panic. It's very cautious advice, our advice completely conflicts with other countries who don't discourage soft cheeses etc and their kids come out fine. The stress is worse for you than the cheese. Breathe...

Poppins2016 Brie is fine cooked according to the NHS website.

OP it's fine if it is thoroughly cooked but I guess now all you can do is hope it was and they were just slow getting it served. You'd have to be really unlucky to become unwell and even unluckier for it to be so bad it impacts your baby.

Your baby will be fine.

I ate shellfish, drank red wine twice a week and on my 30th birthday had rare steak and champagne in a restaurant.

DD is now 12, very academically bright and has no health issues at all.

(ps. I know you don't drink now, but in 2007 we were allowed one or two units, once or twice a week - so used to go for red wine after NCT classes 😉)

Aw I remember the fear when I did something similar (think I ate Brie and seriously considered making myself sick). The chances of anything happening from one time are very small. I'm sure it's not the last time you'll panic about something but try to put it out of your mind x

@Jobsharenightmare

Poppins2016 Brie is fine cooked according to the NHS website.

OP it's fine if it is thoroughly cooked but I guess now all you can do is hope it was and they were just slow getting it served. You'd have to be really unlucky to become unwell and even unluckier for it to be so bad it impacts your baby.

I know... Unfortunately my sandwich had uncooked brie in it! Oops!

The goats cheese itself won't hurt the baby. It is only advised against because there is a tiny risk of food poisoning and if you got that badly it could be problematic.

It is very cautious advice, and many other countries don't give the same advice, but have millions of healthy babies born.

If you feel well now don't worry about it. No harm done.

Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate all the advice! My partner says the same that the risk is so tiny that it likely won’t be an issue. Think I’ll stay away from all goats cheese for the next 3 months lol. Thanks again xxx

I think you're more at risk from the stress of worrying about it than you from actually eating goat cheese 💐
I gave birth 30 years ago, we used to eat anything especially cheese, DD is alive and kicking with no issues, relax op you'll be fine 😉

Goats cheese and shellfish don’t automatically become poisonous once you become pregnant.

You’ll be fine.

Oh, OP. I was like you when I was pregnant. Wait until you get nearer your time and you'll be eating as much soft cheese as you want, zero fucks given.😆

Not that I'm encouraging you to go out and eat more, but think of how many times in your life you've eaten soft or unpasteurised cheese - have you ever had listeriosis? The risk is tiny so please try not to worry, and we've all done it (mine was a pepperami...).

A lot of countries don't even have that "rule" for pregnant women. Don't worry, it will be fine

I think the problem is only unpasteurised or mold ripened cheeses? It would depend in the goats cheese.

Either way I really wouldn't worry, they are just precautions and these seem to really differ from country to county or even year to year!

I had to respond. My DD is now 18 , when pregnant with her I regularly ate prawns and soft cheese . I had no idea I was not supposed to until I was about 8 months pregnant !! I then tortured myself googling it and reading all the risks. I eventually spoke to a lovely midwife who said ‘stop! It’s just a slight risk so we advise not to but you are fine just don’t eat any more and don’t think about it again!’

Just so you know my DD was a very healthy baby no damage and is now a studying to be a Vet at uni so I don’t think I damaged her too much

My mum had a very small glass of Guinness most days when she was pregnant with me as it provides nutrients apparently!

I turned out fine!

Recent European outbreaks of listeria have been due to frozen veg and sweetcorn and yet pregnant women don't avoid those.

Most country's (and even some UK areas) don't advise you to avoid soft cheese, shellfish or even all alcohol in pregnancy. You will be fine.

You can eat shellfish and soft cheese. They just advise against mould-ripened uncooked cheese. I accidentally had a rare burger and the consultant said not to worry about it at all!

to be fair unless it was unpasteurised which is highly unlikely, it won't have any nasties in it whether cooked through or not.

You and the baby will be fine! You would likely know by now if you were going to become ill. Of course the NHS advise you not to eat any food that carries a tiny risk - you might as well avoid as much risk as possible but is is vanishingly unlikely that you would be harmed from one piece of goats cheese in your whole pregnancy.

DD was a surprise baby so I got very drunk (twice), drank a lot of caffiene and ate a lot of Brie and pate before I realised I was pregnant. She’s 2 and doesn’t seem to have suffered any ill effects.

I'm sure French women don't stop eating unpasteurized cheese when pg- I do think we need to remind ourselves that guidelines are guidelines, they're just there to slightly reduce risk. In the case of cheese, I think it's about avoiding food poisoning- so if you didn't get food poisoning, baby is fine, it's not that goats cheese is dangerous to babies in itself.

I wish this was made clearer to new mums as I do feel sad when I see mums to be panicking because they ate x or y or had some drinks before they knew they were pg when these things only b advised against to minimize any risk, not because ingesting any of them will instantly harm your baby or risk your pregnancy.