Would you eat luncheon meat or ham

[RosieLemonade]

I stick to all the advice and try to keep myself informed but man am I craving some deli meat.

Yes, I did. Never realised I shouldn't have!

I did in all three pregnancies, I didn’t know you were advised not to.

I’ve eaten all deli meats.

There's actually very little you can't eat in pregnancy in the UK. Google suggests you need to avoid all sorts of things because American food standards are lower. But if you look on the NHS website you'll see there isn't much you have to avoid.

I've never seen any guidance advising the limiting of deli meat, let alone the complete exclusion of same. Are you feeling anxious about eating in general?

I vaguely remember that the deli meat thing is more of a US restriction. It's fine to eat pre-packaged ham etc from the supermarket in the UK.

That comes from a place of care, not snark. I just realised it sounded a bit, you know...

Nhs doesn't say to avoid ham or other similar meats. Cured meats can be eaten if cooked or frozen for a few days beforehand

www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/

I suggest you read this link from the nhs

As PP have said, these food "rules" are usually from America.
Read the book Expecting Better by Emily Oster. She examines these myths from a science/statistic point of view.

Remember that nothing sold really carries salmonella/listeria these days. Just the risk is slightly higher for certain foods if stored/handled in less than ideal ways

I wouldn't eat luncheon meat because yuck not because you can't have it 😂

Ham is particularly fine as it's cured AND cooked before you eat it. Use the link posted above, and enjoy!

You need the stay away from Spanish ham as that is cured raw and any other deli meats that are raw. Anything that's cooked should be fine

She doesn't need to stay away from them. If they are in a cooked dish or frozen for a few days before eating then she can still eat cured meats

@dementedpixie no idea about a lot of deli meats but Spanish ham is not something that is typically cooked. It is generally eaten as is... We get tested routinely for toxoplasmosis here during pregnancy because the risk is quite high from eating ham 🤷 each to their own I guess but if my doctor and midwife tell me not to eat raw cured meats, I think I'll stay away from them, better safe than sorry.

Yes, ham is completely fine. It's cooked. Anything that's cooked is fine. Otherwise if it's just cured you can freeze it for a few days and then it's fine, as others have suggested.

I ate ham etc in the USA, never knew you weren't meant too! Only things I avoided was unpasteurised cheese and raw fish

I'm having some smoked ham with my breakfast this morning.

Last two pregnancies I followed all the rules and avoided everything, and miscarried anyway. I'm having a far more relaxed approach this time. Obviously won't be doing anything obviously reckless, but the odd bit of soft cheese, smoked salmon, ham, proper coffee, etc. I'm sure will be fine.

Smoked salmon and ham are not prohibited though. Maybe limit caffeine and cook soft cheeses or have a hard cheese instead. You can make some of the foods safer rather than missing them out

Obviously won't be doing anything obviously reckless, but the odd bit of soft cheese, smoked salmon, ham, proper coffee, etc. I'm sure will be fine

None of those things are prohibited in pregnancy. The only one you’re advised against is mould ripened cheese. Other soft cheeses are fine.

What about feta cheese?

Fine as long as it’s pasteurised (it usually is)

Yep, feta cheese is fine, it says so on the NHS link given above. Unless you're buying it from the farm gate from an artisanal dairy sheep farmer that doesn't pasteurize, if such a thing exists 😂

I'm on countdown til I can have a really soft gooey goats' cheese salad tbh, I can't wait!

I thought luncheon meat was ok, I thought I'd read it was only chorizo type meats (i.e. cured rather than cooked that should be avoided).

The only thing I really want to eat are brie and baked camenbert; the rest I'm ok without haha.

Baked Camembert is fine, as it’s cooked.

All thats COOKED and pasteurised is fine dont worry .. ham is fine.. its more the salami and pastramis and those kind dried meats that should be avoided