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Pregnancy

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

goats cheese

65 replies

Rinnyx · 21/06/2010 21:11

I have read sites that say yes, others say big fat no, what is your view?

I'm only asking cause we have out 20 week scan friday and are off out in the evening to celebrate and me being me have already picked what I want, its only pizza express but I really want the pizza with Goats cheese on it then the next day I am off to lunch with some friends and picked out a dish with grilled goat?s cheese.

Should be fine right? its not like I am eating it everyday for 9 months, whats wrong with 1 little treat

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bebemoohatessnot · 21/06/2010 21:25

I have heard that it's only if it's 'raw' goats cheese with the rind on. If you have the rindless kind or it's cooked it should be ok.

But some women don't want to chance it at all.

Hevster · 21/06/2010 21:27

I have avoided the pollo salad in Pizza Express when pregnant as I think it's chevre cheese which quite a few sites say no to. The bosco salad is pretty good though. You shoudl be ok on cooked goats cheese as the cooking would kill off any listeria bacteria

LittleMissSnowShine · 21/06/2010 21:36

Unpasteurised cheese is a listeria risk but most supermarket kinds of cheeses are grand, apparently. And, cooked cheese is supposed to be ok too. Nom.

japhrimel · 21/06/2010 21:51

Moldy cheeses (with white rind or blue) are still a risk even if pasteurised I believe - and that includes chevre. I've been avoiding it because it's rarely well cooked if used in salads or on pizza - not like if you had a bit of hot sauce with thoroughly melted and cooked brie in it.

skihorse · 22/06/2010 08:22

I've eaten it, hot, cold, pizzas, sarnies, soups, salads. Nom nom.

japhrimel · 22/06/2010 14:07

Well that's definitely not considered okay! Hope you don't get listeria.

starshaker · 22/06/2010 14:11

Ive eaten it plenty during this pregnancy. Midwife said its ok as long as its pasturised

MtnBikeChick · 22/06/2010 14:29

I have eaten it too (a lot - on pizza, in salad, in restaurant dishes, etc), mainly the non-chevre (rind) kind and never unpasturised. I am 35 weeks and fine. My attitude to these things (which I am sure many will disagree with) is that our mother's weren't subjected to these kinds of rules and we all turned out fine!

skihorse · 22/06/2010 14:31

japhrimel - unlikely isn't it?

Pootles2010 · 22/06/2010 14:34

Yeah its unlikely but its still not advised. Best to let people know the risk, then make up their own mind surely?

The hard goats cheese (ie without the soft white rind) is fine, its really nice and i've had it lots instead of the chevre!

Chevre is ok cooked, but pizzas are a funny one as they're only under grill for a few mins, i wouldn't have that personally.

RibenaBerry · 22/06/2010 14:41

This article is interesting on this topic..

MakemineaGandT · 22/06/2010 14:45

Very interesting Ribenaberry - thanks for that. I have read that before, but very interesting to read again

RibenaBerry · 22/06/2010 14:48

Yes, it crops up from time to time!

I actually did quite a lot of research when pregnant and ate for known risk factors, not the advice in booklets. So yes to most cheeses, fish, etc, no to anything from a buffet or a dodgy takeaway!

TheklaVonStift · 22/06/2010 14:51

When I did some research on this I found that most listeria cases are from pre-washed bags of salad and chilled ready meals.

RibenaBerry · 22/06/2010 14:53

Yup, me too.

I only ate normal lettuce. Can't bear most ready meals - would rather have cheese on toast!

foureleven · 22/06/2010 14:54

Do it. I wouldnt avoid goats cheese if my life depended on it. MMMMMmmmmmmm goats cheese.

To be honest even eating out in a restaurant is a risk.. you cant avoid everything so go for it.

japhrimel · 22/06/2010 14:59

Well yes, it's a risk. But listeria in pregnant women can be serious and even if you don't get that sick, it can be fatal for the baby. You're also more likely to pick it up when pregnant because of having a suppressed immune system.

Depends whether you're happy with the risk.

Fwiw, pre-washed salads meals are also not recommended in pregnancy and usual advice is to be very very careful with ready meals.

Mold-ripened cheeses are still not recommended even if they are pasteurised.

Yes, you have to strike a balance, but as I said it's what level of risk you're happy with.

skihorse · 22/06/2010 15:00

Thank you RibenaBerry - I've seen that article before but must've deleted the link - and I want to post it on almost a daily basis! I too have come to the conclusion that "bagged salad" was my biggest risk - and even then, is this a bag I pick up in the supermarket which looks nice and fresh and is in my fridge within 20 minutes, or is this something that's been hanging around a wedding buffet* and is slightly slimy?

I particularly love this quote re: Listeria:

"Get it without noticing it? If I got listeriosis, the national papers would know about it. It would be the third outbreak that has occurred in this country in the past 20 years. "

*Wedding buffet = the most dangerous food known to man!

barkfox · 22/06/2010 15:11

Can I just ask what "usual advice is to be very very careful with ready meals" actually means?

Genuine question - what would constitute extreme care in these circumstances? (I'm assuming things like 'don't roll ready meals in garden dirt before eating' and 'don't buy from that bloke who sells out the back of his van down the industrial estate' are taken as read).

Does it mean heat thoroughly? would a ready meal lasagne that arrived in my fridge infected with listeria be okay once I'd warmed it up as per instructions? What about 'picnic' style ready meals in summer - ready made falafel, stuffed vine leaves, cold chicken drumsticks? No one cooks them after buying, do they?

I'm just baffled by what "be very very careful" could possibly mean...

skihorse · 22/06/2010 15:12

barkfox - well, if I'm anything to go by - place a napkin down your front because you'll spill it down your tits if you're not careful!

barkfox · 22/06/2010 15:24

Heh - skihorse, I was thinking along the lines of 'Dismount from unicycle/tightrope/trapeze before consuming.' 'Do not use electrified cutlery.' 'Caution - may contain Lions.' etc.

japhrimel · 22/06/2010 15:31

Get them home quickly, refridgerate well, make sure piping hot and well cooked throughout. Some midwives/baby books say don't risk it though.

Bagged pre-washed salads should be rewashed at home.

RibenaBerry · 22/06/2010 16:02

Yes, you are more likely to pick it up when pregnant, 20 times more likely according to the NHS guidance I just found online.

So, if the risk across the whole population os 2.7 per million (from the Zoe Willimams article) and its 20 times, that's 54 in a million, or 1 in roughly 20,000.

Now that's dodgy maths, because pregnant women were included in the 'whole population' sample and risk varies widely compared to diet.

But, let's assume its one in 20,000. That's a pretty low risk. In 2006, road deaths in the UK were 5.4 per 100,000 (according to the ONS), again roughly 1 in 20,000. A pretty much identical risk. So, your risk of dying in a road accident is as high in a given year as of getting listeriosis when pregnant, even if you eat normally.

Of course, you want to do the best for your unborn child and bring that risk down. But the big point in all this is that recent outbreaks came from butter and lettuce. Not goat's cheese, whether with or without a rind. If you genuinely want to reduce your chances of listeriosis during pregnancy, changing your cheese consumption is a teeny, tiny change. You would be better of altering your diet re ready meals, buffets, and bagged lettuce (as mentioned above).

I feel really strongly about the advice guilting pregnant woman and making them feel it's all on their heads. I also feel that, however well meaning, advice about 'it all being the level of risk you are comfortable with' is misplaced. Would you ever hear someone say that about getting in a car whilst pregnant, or crossing the road?

WhatWillSantaBring · 22/06/2010 16:14

And apparently in France they don't say anything about avoiding soft cheese, blue cheese and goats cheese. Either it means that France don't have listeria (mind you, they didn't have Mad Cow Disease either, they only ever had "staggers") or that the French have taken a much more relaxed view of the world.

I totally agree its up to each individual to make their own (hopefully informed) decisions though. For me, I'm trying to avoid all the standard "higher" risk things, not because I think it will necessarily help, but because I would feel guilty if I took a risk and lost the baby as a result.

RibenaBerry · 22/06/2010 16:17

WhatwillSanta - I totally agree about avoiding high risk things. It's just a bit of a soap box topic of mine that the information you get from midwives etc doesn't actually identify correctly what those things are.

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