Scared stupid because I had a steak that wasn't cooked through

[charleypops]

and I've just discovered I haven't had any previous exposure to it - therefore I am at risk.

Can anyone reassure me please?

Thanks

Charley I have some understanding of the worries- carrying my fourth boy and two of mine are autistic, so know how it feels to wonder what if and watch every little thing. CP though- its nothing you did at all. Its perfectly normal to worry about anything for a preggie mum anyway but not knowing makes it worse doesn't it? Get yourself a big bar of chocolate, and try to relax as best you can. make sure you take it easy on yourself.

Charleypops I wouldn't worry too much - I was told that toxoplasma is usually killed by freezing meat in a household freezer for more than a day. It's highly unlikely that a gastropub would buy meat fresh every day, it's almost certain to have been frozen at some point in it's life.

Probably why you haven't had any exposure to the virus even though you regularly eat rare meat!

Worth telling your midwife though - just in case.

I agree with young visiter - that freezing kills toxo, and pub food is likely to have been frozen.

just read about your ds's cp. oh dear, no wonder you are so wound up.

but really, there is no reason to worry and no reason to think that there is anything wrong this time or that you are at particular risk of eating foods.

and really, your DH should be reassuring you about this too, not making you feel worse. we all have those sudden pregnancy moments of "omg what might I have done" but in your case it must be harder to dust yourself off and realise you are worrying unnecessarily.

hope you can relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy

Apparently while cows can be infected with Toxoplasma it's much much less common in cows than in pigs or sheep. And it's not exactly common in pigs or sheep, either. Your chances of picking up toxoplasmosis from one rare steak are very very small (toxoplasmosis isn't about meat hanging around for any length of time, it's about whether the animal was infected in the first place -- which is unlikely as it would have been fairly obviously ill (with symptoms not dissimilar to BSE) and no reputable slaughterhouse or meat supplier would have touched it with a bargepole).

You should be safe from salmonella too (which could be influenced by meat hanging around) because it was a solid steak and the outside was cooked -- the salmonella risk comes when the product involves mincing (e.g. sausages, burgers) so that the inside and outside are mingled and then the middle (which now contains some bits of inside and some bits of outside, IYSWIM) isn't cooked through properly. A steak will be fine.

Don't worry charleypops - I really don't think it is something to worry about. You'd know by now if you were unwell..........

skidoodle, toxoplasmosis is at its riskiest in the 3rd trimester, not steak per se. Yes, DH is mad because he forced out of me why I've been calling the dr - I had to tell him it's because I ate a pink steak and I've been worried ever since. He's not big on reassurances unfortunately and has now been panicking himself. I can feel the baby moving around - sometimes i wonder if he's moving a bit too much but I'm not allowing myself to worry about that.... Thanks for your reassurances though.

VP - over the past couple of years I've actually been finding out just what a massive struggle it is to get what your child/family needs/is entitled to unfortunately, also how strangely one's family can react. My mum's practically disowned me, and I don't really have anyone else, mind you our relationship was rubbish anyway tbh. I wish I could relax more and enjoy this pg - but I get myself into a state every week or so over something or other..

My ds's dx wasn't much of a shock really, I always knew something was wrong after the seizures he had shortly after he was born, and yes, he was in SCBU for over a week. We wanted another baby very soon after he was born, like we'd planned, but I think due to the stress it didn't happen until he was just over 2. This one's due in May - 21st as it happens (I'll be having a caesar this time) x

My goodness, I'd forgotten how fast this forum is lol! Sorry for all the crossed posts!

Thank you for all your reassurances

YeahBut (love your name) thanks for explaining about the minced meat thing - that makes sense.
Have called dr already - I'm having another toxo test - just to torture myself a bit more.

Peachy, I know, cp, like autism and loads of other sns are totally unavoidable and blameless, but I think our eyes just get opened - we're no longer part of the "it only happens to other people" gang. Love the chocolate suggestion - have a box of Green and Blacks biccies in the cupboard...

I don't want to freak you out but my DD has a retinal scar because I was exposed to toxoplasmosis in pregnancy, she is blind in that eye.

You woulod not be puking your guts up, you might feel fluey, if you get toxoplasmosis and you might not even realise you have been infected.

As such, there is absolutely no point worrying yourself sick over it, what has been done has been done and all that but I have to set the record straight that cats are not the primary cause of infection, it is cooked/chilled foods and undercooked meats (according to the advisor I spoke to from the toxo support line I spoke with) in the UK.

What are the usual symptoms of toxoplasmosis?

Although people infected with toxoplasmosis are often unaware of having this disease, typical symptoms of toxo are flulike symptoms including swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches and pains that last from a few days to several weeks. If your immune system is normal, you cannot get the infection again.

I am a midwife, I have never come across anyone who has contracted toxo in pregnancy. It is extremely rare. I did generally try to avoid rare meat whilst preg myself but on the occasion did eat slightly pink beef (kind of accidently iyswim), did worry a bit but both children are fine. Please try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy I can see that it must be hard after what happened last time.

Hi WCL, I'm really sorry to hear that.

I'm having a blood test soon, although I read somewhere I have to wait until 3 weeks post possible exposure? I'll have to give that helpline a ring to make sure I'm tested at the proper time.

MB, that's reassuring, however, not many people get tested for it do they - I had to ask especially for mine in early pg, I'm glad to hear your kids are ok.

Oi Charley! Lovely to see you. And lovely to hear you are pregnant again. So sorry about the CP. Is it a consequence of the difficult birth?

Eleusis (Uwila)
-former Junie

PS You know where to find me if you want to talk about sections. Don't forget your arnica.

I rang the Toxoplasmosis Trust which are part of Tommys. We did not find out about the infection until she was 3, we thought she had a squint but when we took her to the Eye Hospital the diagnosis was Toxo infection in pregnancy so I don't know when you would need to be tested. I had to see an Optemetrist that reports to the Department of Health and he had not seen a Toxo infection for 5 years, it is very rare.

I had expected to be immune to Toxo because we had a dog as a child and I had cats of my own.

No not many people get tested for it, but a lady I looked after who worked in a cat surgery told me that she was non immune to it and she had been told that the vast majority of the population are too.

I always have my steak med rare with blood, I couldnt eat it any other way.. I am 20 weeks and have been eating rare steak since 6 weeks. I have had 2 scans so far and baby is doing well with all bits etc in the right place.

I really wouldnt worry, so many people were so quick to say you cant eat this why are you eating that etc, FGS leave me alone my body my baby.... this is my 2nd and ate what I wanted with my first she is now 8 and very healthy and rarely ill.

I find that the woman that have stuck to these pregnancy rules about food actually have children that suffer more with illness! The baby either develops allergies or something else. My 8 year old eats rare steak with me she has a strong stomach. I think it was because I gave her the best start in the womb by providing her with all different foods.

I also eat runny eggs, brie and goats cheese, mayo etc.

Good luck all!

Phew thanks Likerabbits. I am usually a rare girl, have been having medium rare but you never know 100% what you're going to get! I must say I was pretty horrified to read all of this thread, wish I hadn't, but good to know some people are as lackadaisical as me (also slack second-timer!)

I recently moved to France, and trying to get your steak well done over here is virtually impossible although I think it's tasteless like that anyway! Then I thought 'what do French women do??' they eat theirs almost raw and have healthy babies, so I've been eating my steak the way I love it eversince- medium rare. Hey Likerabbits, I'm 22wks and the only thing I miss is my fried runny eggs. Our neighbour who has his own organic chickens gives us ours, do you think these will be ok runny? Here's hoping....

I eat runny lion eggs. Not sure how these can be both vaccinated and organic but they are! Any chicken farmers here? Make sure the white is well done though. Recently they tested over 30,000 lion eggs and all were negative for salmonella. Don't eat raw egg elsewhere (mousse/mayo/aioli etc) though as when the white is raw it's dodgier. That's what I read anyway.

The french test pg women monthly for toxoplasmosis if they are negative. If you are worried, go to your docs and ask for a blood test.

I found out I was pregnant whilst in France and think I must have eaten virtually everything on the UK "Do Not Eat" list.

However, I am not worried because every country has it's own, completly different, Do Not Eat list, for example, Americans are told not to eat chocolate and the Spanish are told not to eat salad.

Since they eat all the stuff we don't and we eat all the stuff they don't I am not paying to much attention to it myself.

PLEASE don't worry. When pregnant with DS1 I went walking among damp ferns in Brittany - got back to hotel - found a tick on me (awake all night worrying about Lyme's disease). Next day in Paris I had a blue steak hache - THEN found out the next week about toxoplasmosis and spent the rest of the pregnancy obsessing about that. Went t the Bahamas for a relaxing holiday, while DH away for the day went waterskiing - DH horrified said I would damage the baby. Then went swimming with dolphins and was told when I got back to work that dolphins carry a virus that can hurt foetuses . The week before DSs born (in January) I was knocked out of my canoe in the Thames by a rower, and waters broke next day, so felt guilt about THAT.
Luckily Ds survived all that and thrived, but 10 years later still find things every day to feel guilty about...