Anyone else keep eating the wrong things?

[LittleDoe]

Help. I'm 6 weeks pregnant and in the last few days have managed to eat both pasta carbonara (presumably with partially cooked eggs) and a beef burger which was slightly pink. Both were in restaurants/pubs. The carbonara was piping hot and the burger was from a decent place that specialises in gourmet type burgers (100% beef etc). But I am still very worried about having eaten both.

The stupid thing is that on both occasions I went through the menu crossing off things I definitely couldn't eat. But I somehow totally failed to remember that carbonara would have partially cooked egg in it and the burger menu said "All our burgers are cooked through" so I didn't think to ask. (As my DH said, if I was American I would have sent it back - I'm now really cross with myself for not doing that!).

Should I be worried? Anyone else eaten stuff you're not meant to?

I'm just completely paranoid about my poor little baby being deformed or something as a result of my stupidity.

Don't worry! I've eaten almost rare steak, very lightly cooked burger, lots of runny eggs and all sorts of other things that are supposedly off the list. The chance of having a problem is really very very low. It's important that you enjoyed your food ( I hope you did)!

If you;ve not felt ill effects don't worry about it, a lot of those things are about not taking a risk of food poisoning.

I've eaten smoked slamon yesterday as I just couldn't get it out of my head. I'm 9 weeks and this is baby no 3 so I really should know by now.

both things are because as a pregnant woman you have a lower resistance to food poisoning - and worse consequences if you get it. Hence if you're not actively ill now, you're fine.

Thank you.

Yes skiingone - I did really enjoy both (rather guiltily!)

I wasn't sure about the risk of toxoplasmosis when eating undercooked meat (read somewhere that the symptoms can be non-existent but it can still be really dangerous for the baba).

Oh well, I'll not worry too much about it. It's a very steep learning curve this pregnancy business! I will hopefully be a bit more clued up next time I eat out.

Muppetgirl -- smoked salmon is fine, the smoking process kills listeria. I have been practically living on the stuff!

Megbusset
NO!!!! I am going out to buy some more as we speak....my body is demanding the stuff!!!

Ive been craving pate or brie on toast but have so far managed to resist but Ive still got 21 weeks to go!

I'm 18+2 and have eaten prawns, peantus, brie, runny eggs and am having the odd glass of wine as well...

Apparently the biggest risk is food poisoning - which I've never got and am not likely to get from any of the above - and even if I did it would just be unpleasant for me, not harmful to baby...

I suffered badly with sickness through my 1st pregnancy and the only thing I ever ate at lunch time was a prawn sandwich - honestly I swear when the midwife told me what I coulfdn't have, she didn't mention shellfish - it was only at my ante-natal class when someone mentioned they were looking forward to having prawns again...... and very worried, but everything OK.

Try not to worry too much. I have made spaghetti carbonara a few times this pregnancy - I think it is fine as by the time the eggs have hit the hot pasta (and even hotter heated plates) they are cooked....I hope! If it was in a restuarant they may have been naughty and not even used fresh eggs.

I did have the same thing happen with a burger in a restaurant (I had assumed it would be well done), but luckily my husband's was a bit more well done so I swapped with him. But nothing bad came of it.

I was very blase with last pregnancy (sushi, 2 beers a week, lots of unpasteurised cheese etc, but 2 weeks ago in this preg I ate my usual bit of raw milk cheese and got the most awful food poisoning, vomiting for 2 days and was really worried I'd got listeria. As far as I know baby is OK (am 22 weeks) but I must say it was a wake up call. I still wouldn't think twice about a slightly pink burger or slightly runny boiled egg though..

My only craving when I was PG with DS (10) was Spaghetti Carbonara - I ate it almost daily and he turned out fine! I agree with Deaconwood - I think the eggs cook enough with the heat of the pasta. 20 weeks PG now and have not developed any cravings yet - except huge desire to eat pate, but I think that's just because I know I'm not supposed to!

I've just read this and am now confused - can you eat prawns?? I've been eating them loads and am now a bit concerned - I'm 20weeks. Advice please!

Prawns are fine as long as they are cooked (ie pink). You would never be eating raw (grey) prawns anyway. I ate loads of them when I was pregnant. Don't worry!
here

cabonara fine as cooked and sure that burger is fine too

Yep prawns are fine Unfortunately I realised, while cleaning the pot for recycling, that the prawn cocktail I had just shoved down my neck was 3 days out of date!
This was yesterday lunchtime so I'm sure I would have been ill by now but it really really freaked me out!

I've had carbonara twice last week (in restaurants). Am 16wks. Not worried as the eggs cook in the sauce. I have a childrens recipe book and one of the recipes is for carbonara....made with fresh eggs - and it says there its fine for kids to eat it as the eggs will cook with the heat of the pan and the pasta. So if it's fine for young children there is obvioulsy no risk. Don't worry - it's all about salmonella and that is now very rare in this country I believe.
Also don't worry about the burger - think of all the french women guzzling blue and rare steaks when they are pregnant (plus loads of cheese and red wine - their babies turn out fine!)
( I must admit to having had a few bits of rare roast beef etc too - just wouldn't eat pate or blue cheese).

Oh and also went through a few days of eating piles of smoked salmon. Yum. The smoking process does kill off any bacteria etc (similar to the cooking process) so it's fine.

The only thing I really make sure I avoid is liver and liver pate as the vit a (I think) are way too high rather than just the food posioning bit

Re the link FSA referred to by PinkPussyCat - it says you don't need to avoid
"Shellfish, including prawns - as long as they are part of a hot meal and have been properly cooked"

So does that mean prawn sandwiches and prawn cocktails no good as prawns are cold?

Third pregnancy for me and still confused about this one. I love prawns as well

No, prawn sarnies are absolutely fine as they have been cooked. As long as you don't do a 'Fruity' and eat it 3 days out of date - I'm still not ill btw so I think I escaped with that one - phew Will carefully check the BB date next time!

There is a small risk of toxoplasmosis with undercooked meat, but it is pretty small. If the food has been frozen for more than 3 days beforehand I believe (though can't remember where I found this info) that it kills toxo. I shoud think many restaurants use frozen meat so you are probably okay. Also, toxo isn't very common in British meat but is much more widely found in Europe.

That said, I don't eat anything on the banned list. I have had a previous stillbirth (not food poisoning related) and it really really isn't worth even a tiny risk IMHO.