Eating in Paris

[Strawberry06]

We are going to Paris next month and ill be 16 weeks. I'm a bit nervous about eating, especially things like meat and cheese - knowing whether its pasteurized etc. I could ask but not sure they'll understand! Any tips or advice?

Unpasteurized meat and cheese are not inherently harmful to the baby. They simply carry a higher risk of food poisoning which in turn is more dangerous to pregnant women.
This food advice relates mainly to the US where food hygiene is not always great.
In fact, unpasteurized cheese and meat tends to be the expensive high quality food here!

Furthermore, there have been recent outbreaks of listeria in foods like hummus and cucumbers and nobody is suggesting pregnant women avoid those!

Read Emily Oster's "Expecting Better" for more information on these myths.

Enjoy your trip to Paris.

Just don’t eat soft cheese and you’ll be fine! Bon voyage!

Hi @Strawberry06 i went to Paris when i was 6 months pregnant. I was extreme and went self catering and took food out with me lol! My husband ate out and i found there are good vegetarian options which you could have.
Have a great time! Xx

What do pregnant French women do, I wonder?

I've already read this thread this week, I swear I have.

Just avoid soft cheese if you're super para.

The French are a thriving nation. Don't over think it.

For those curious

https://www.passeportsante.net/famille/grossesse?doc=fromage-grossesse

Essentially saying pregnant women shouldn’t eat raw milk products/unpasteurised cheese.

Just avoid soft unpasteurised cheeses (cooked cheese is fine) French women have babies too

I'm pretty sure there is other food than soft cheese in Paris. I know cheese & wine is an image we all have of France and other countries... but you can still eat pastries, meat and vegetables, rice or pasta dishes, pizza, fruits etc.

Most french women are already immune to toxoplasmosis, it is routinely checked there because of the high prevalence and there diet. So for 'non french' women who live there for example, tests are done more frequently to ensure they don't catch a fresh infection (which could be really bad for the unborn baby).
I don't want to scare anyone but I read a fair bit about this topic as I am currently waiting for my blood test results for toxo!

Just stay away from raw meat and cheese und make sure everything is washed or well cooked / hot before eating. Then you should be fine!

You'll be fine, just go for chicken or cooked fish dishes, chips, veg, or other cuisines like pasta or pizza.