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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

I ate parma ham ... now worried

37 replies

Madigan · 28/02/2010 07:29

Last night I ate parma ham, and now i am really worried about it ........... 28 weeks pregnant and feeling soooooooooo stupid. Reassurance please????

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

hoopyloopycow · 28/02/2010 07:57

umm I had parma ham yesterday, wasnt aware I shouldnt! sorry thats not very helpful is it?

Original poster

Madigan · 28/02/2010 08:05

Well at least I am not alone .........
This is my 3rd preganancy, and I always manage to do something stupid to make me worry. Now I will be completely paranoid unless someone tells me to get a grip ................

OP posts:

EmmaBemma · 28/02/2010 08:06

There is a small risk in pregnancy of catching either salmonella or toxoplasmosis from cured meats like parma ham, but it's likely you've already had toxoplasmosis sometime in your life without realising it (usually causes mild cold/flu symptoms, but sometimes none at all), which means you can't catch it again as far as I know. It's also most dangerous in the first trimester, and you're way past that.

Salmonella is not fun but won't directly harm the baby and if you caught it from the ham, I think you'd already be feeling dodgy.

It's very unlikely that you've caught either bug from this one incident, so try not to worry too much! And if it makes you feel any better, I ate loads of salami in my last pregnancy before I found out it was a no-no. Loads. I had salami cravings.

hoopyloopycow · 28/02/2010 08:13

where in the world are you? just had a quick google on this and in sunny england it seems its allowed!

Original poster

Madigan · 28/02/2010 08:15

emmabamma - I have had toxiplasmosis tests with each pregnancy, and I am not immune ................

hoopyloopycow - you are def not allowed to eat parma ham here, because it is uncooked meat.

OP posts:

hoopyloopycow · 28/02/2010 08:23

My apologies, it doesnt say anything about it on the food standards agency website, but it just found it on a few others whoops

EmmaBemma · 28/02/2010 08:28

Madigan, I don't think anyone's going to be able to tell you successfully to "get a grip" because no-one knows for absolutely sure that you didn't catch toxoplasmosis, just as no-one knows for sure that you won't win the lottery next week. But you've got to try to keep the risk in perspective.

porcamiseria · 28/02/2010 10:22

I ate parma both pg, tbh the only thing I avoid is shellfish and excessive booze!

in china they resoloutely ban pineapple, so there you go!

If I were you Id stop worrying

symone · 28/02/2010 10:29

I'm in my first trimester and ate quite a lot of parma ham last night too and never gave it a second thought-but now you're freaking me out!

I think if it had made us ill we would feel it already and if it was very dangerous it would be better known that you are definately meant to avoid it. Thats what I'm telling myself anyway.

It's really easy to start questioning your every move during pregnancy (especially when like me its your first) but for my own sanity I have to remember that some people don't even realise they are pregnant til a few months into it and carry on as usual with no adverse effects and also that women have been doing this since the dawn of time, without knowing all this medical advice and having healthy babies. I know there are a million other things you can tell yourself abiout that, but as I've eaten the stuff now I don't know what else to think. I'll no doubt be freaking out about something else next week anyway.

PS I also have 2 cats, so when and how can I get tested for toxoplasmosis?

sweetkitty · 28/02/2010 10:33

I wouldn't worry TBH

Yes Parma Ham is uncooked but during the curing process it is salted a lot which means any nasty bugs like Salmonella or E.coli O157 will die out, there is data where they deliberately add these bugs in high numbers then test over time as they die off. As it is seen as a high risk product extra care is taken in the manufacturing process. Listeria will also die off.

If I weren't a vegetarian I wold happily eat parma ham in pregnancy, IME you are more likely to catch Salmonella or Listeria off fresh fruit and veg.

pandora69 · 28/02/2010 11:44

I ate tons of the stuff in first pregnancy, and DD is fine. I've eaten it this pregnancy too. When the Boxing Day buffet table is laden with pate, Stilton and cold meats there's not a lot left to eat if you are steering clear of everything. Even the prawn ring and salads had the potential to be dodgy!

notnowbernard · 28/02/2010 11:45

Erm... 18 weeks. Why no Parma ham?!

tartyhighheels · 28/02/2010 11:49

You have to base your life on the probable not the possible, otherwise you will go bloody bonkers.

Original poster

Madigan · 28/02/2010 13:29

Symone
The last thing I want to do is freak someone else out with my paranoid concerns, so I am going to shut up about it now .......... we/babies will both be absolutely fine, and no point worrying anyway.
I get routinely tested for toxiplasmosis (12 weeks and 26 weeks) with the consultant I see. You could get it done privately I suppose if your GP will not organise it for you. A lot of people are immune, so it is worth knowing so you can stop worrying about undercooked meat etc.

OP posts:

RumourOfAHurricane · 28/02/2010 13:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

yama · 28/02/2010 13:37

Porcamiseria - I lived on pineapple during my first pregnancy.

This pregnancy I had pate before I realised I was pregnant.

I worried about drinking tonic water at New Year and a throat sweet when I was unwell.

The other week I had a small amount of haggis (Scottish breakfast in a hotel) and apparently it has liver in it.

Oh, and apparently prawns and peanuts are now allowed. They were a big no-no last time.

Missus84 · 28/02/2010 13:40

Have you ever got ill from eating parma ham before?

Do you know anyone who has ever got ill from eating parma ham?

I'm guessing probably not, so the chance of you getting ill this time is pretty negligible

Same goes for packaged sandwiches, salads, softboiled eggs etc.

Missus84 · 28/02/2010 13:45

These things aren't banned because they're dangerous anyway - the advice is to avoid because there is a tiny risk you could get food poisoning of some kind.

Morloth · 28/02/2010 13:50

I didn't even know parma ham was on "the list", wouldn't have occurred to me not to eat it.

Why pineapple? The MW at my last appointment said it can be helpful for bringing on labour - hasn't bloody well worked so far.

AmesBS7 · 28/02/2010 15:13

Prama ham is 'bad', but if you're not feeling ill having had some, then it's fine. I ate some in early pregnancy before realising it was bad. The only issue is the extremely tiny risk of listeria etc.
Smoked salmon, on the other hand, is apparently fine. I was very happy to find this out.
As with any of the 'bad list', you just have to make a decision based upon risk/reward. What's the risk of harming the baby versus what's the reward you get from eating the food.
For me, any risk at all would outweigh the reward of enjoying the food in question, so it's an easy call to make.

butterscotch · 28/02/2010 15:14

Well I've had dippy eggs this pregnancy and medium steak and brie a couple of times!

In many other countries they are or aren't banned, but last pregnancy I was so strict this time I'm more chilled about it all!

Its a bit like giving a dippy egg to a toddler is still classed as a no-no but is one of my dd's fave foods she only gets it once a week and eggs here are pasterised....

winnybella · 28/02/2010 15:29

Seriously.
It will be fine.
You have more chances of catching toxo off a badly washed lettuce or ready made coleslaw than parma ham.

There is no way you can go through your pregnancy and not expose yourself to the risk of infection simply because you have to eat. And most of food poisoning s are caused by fruit and wegetables, not meat and seafood.

And I have to say it drives me nuts heraing people worrying themselves silly if they ingest a piece of liver- you do realise that even if it was proven that vit. A causes damage to the foetus, it's not because you will eat a portion of liver once in a while? If you were having it for breakfast, lunch nd dinner every day, then perhaps.

I had a friend visiting us in France from UK, we were both pregnant and she couldn't believe I was putting butter on my toast, because of vit. A. She was horrified. Madness.

winnybella · 28/02/2010 15:29

I meant catching listeria.

winnybella · 28/02/2010 15:31

And sorry for appalling spelling...toddler brain

Petsville · 28/02/2010 15:55

In answer to Symone, I got tested for toxoplasmosis privately (by an independent midwife) at the beginning of this pregnancy - you might be lucky and be able to get your GP to do it, but mine told me it's not normally done on the NHS.

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