Ok, I'm curious if you ate cold lunch meat during your pregnancy? My first doctor said to not eat it unless it was cooked. This doctor didn't mention it and I forgot to ask her.

Oddly enough, the one thing I want more than anything is a turkey sandwich, but the paper that my first dr gave me scares me.

Thanks.

I've never heard of that before...but, I ate sandwhich meat (cooked) like that when I was pg and all the time and never got sick or seem to affect Sam in the slightest. But if the doc said, I'd follow it b/c I'd be scared something might happen.

I always craved sandwiches when i was preggo with my daughter. I would go to subway (lunch meat is cooked their) or go to the store and by some turkey (cooked as well). Usually all the packed lunch meat at the grocery store are cooked.

Some drs say not to eat cold lunch meat bec it can have Listeriosis on it - a bacteria that can kill a fetus - if you heat the turkey until it is steaming hot, it will kill off any possible bacteria and then it is ok to eat.

I used to nuke my cold cuts or toast them until they were super hot, then let them cool back to room temp and eat them. I don't think listeriosis infections happen all the time, but I figured it wasn't worth the risk.

Here is a site with more info:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/listeria.html

I frankly haven't paid any attention to that "rule" and eat it anyways!

Although my midwife did tell me that that bacteria is usually found in processed meats... the ones where it looks like the pushed a bunch of meat into a tube... but if you get the actual turkey breast, where you can tell that cut it right off the breast that that is fine.

Some drs say not to eat cold lunch meat bec it can have Listeriosis on it - a bacteria that can kill a fetus - if you heat the turkey until it is steaming hot, it will kill off any possible bacteria and then it is ok to eat.

I used to nuke my cold cuts or toast them until they were super hot, then let them cool back to room temp and eat them. I don't think listeriosis infections happen all the time, but I figured it wasn't worth the risk.

Here is a site with more info:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/listeria.html

Tfs hun! :wink:

I think sodium nitrates is a big reason you hear not to eat lunch meat or hot dogs.

Cindy,

I'm so happy for you that your pregnancy is going so smoothly. I've been praying for you!!

Deli meat is quite dangerous to eat during pregnancy, for the reason alot of the other ladies mentioned...the specific bacteria in it can cause birth defects. Ditto for raw eggs (found in mayonaisse & certain salad dressings like Caesar, for example).
Also, fish high in mercury is really bad (swordfish, etc.) and all raw fish (like sushi) is forbidden. But cooked fish- only if low in mercury- is good.

The other thing I discovered from my research is soft cheese (like goat's milk) is risky too, during this time, for a similiar reason.
I think the government has a webpage with a list of foods to avoid while pregnant. So does www.babyzone.com
They have a great list of good foods to have & bad foods to avoid
while pregnant.
It seems like too much to remember...but it gets easier...I'm following the same info while we are TTC now.

God Bless you....Jennifer

Thank you, Jennifer.

I've decided to just stay away from lunch meats. I don't want to risk it. The baby is too important to me to risk it over a turkey sandwich. So, I figured that dh can pick me up a sandwich from Panera after the baby is born!!!

I'd rather be cautious, it makes me feel better.