Toxoplasmosis

[Sappholit]

I think I am probably being a touch paranoid here, but . . .

In my pregnancy, I have eaten:-

A small bit of medium rare steak that came in a baguette I ordered in a pub. I should prob have sent it back, but it looked so delicious...

A quite large piece of medium rare lamb in a very good restaurant.

Several slices of salami and chorizo.

I am trying to be rational about all this, but I am now one week away from birth (c-section next Friday) and I am crippled with worries about the baby.

So, what are the chances that I've given her hideous infections and a lifetime of health trouble?

Since you ask, the chances are incredibly, incredibly low. But that may not stop you worrying. Only next Friday will do that, then you will have lots more to think about!

I used to panic about Toxoplasmosis a lot too, when pregnant with ds1. It goes with the territory of being pregnant (is this your first?) But gardening without gloves is the main cause in this country - touching cat or dog poo. Not eating meat, which is good quality. (Hope that is reassuring, rather than giving you a new panic!)

Incidentally, my last 2 months of pregnancy no 1 were blighted by MIL at Christmas, who told us as we left her house that her final milk delivery of 16 bottles of milk, on Christmas eve, had been opened by some animal unknown, which had clawed off the lids!! She hadn't wanted to waste it all, so had boiled it, let it cool and was really pleased that we hadn't noticed. I'd been drinking it for 3 days and went ballistic! I rushed to my midwife the next day who said lots of reassuring things but still felt sick until said baby was safely delivered. I know just how you feel. It's quite normal. Keep on posting and best of luck for next Friday

What my mum always says is that when she was pregnant, there weren't all these rules about what you could and couldn't eat, and she ate everything and drank alcohol (naughty) and we turned out fine.
I know it's hard not to worry, but I think the chances of anything being wrong are minimal.
I took an oral thrush tablet in early pregnancy as I didn't know I was pregnant at the time. I worried myself sick about it as it is a no no during pregnancy.
But I now have a perfectly normal toddler - you and baby will be fine .

Thanks! That's exactly what my mum says, too.

It's so hard to get it in perspective, though. They say 'Don't eat rare meat because of the risk of infection' and it's really hard to remember that just becasuse you do eat it, it doesn't mean you will get infected.

Between rare steak an dthe midwife's tape measure, I'm a bit of a nervous wreck at the moment.

The other reassuring thing is that most of us have been exposed to toxoplasmosis without realising it. So you would be immune to it already and your baby would suffer no harm even in the very unlikely event that the meat had been infected.

I've eaten all the things you have mentioned - didn't even think about salami and chorizo being off limits

I did worry about the medium rare steak I ate but I have also heard that as long as the meat is seared on the outside then it's ok???

Also undercooked minced meat is much more risky apparently.

Well I spent my whole pregnancy avoiding smoked salmon, especially at Christmas when I would have loved some.

I then found out 3 days before my due date that you could eat it in pregnancy! [doh]