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Pregnancy myths vs facts?

3K views 87 replies 32 participants last post by  Green_Tea 
#1 ·
I would post this in a pregnancy forum but a lot of those women are crazy pregnancy nuts and I know I would not get "real" answers from them.

The only "do not do" my doctor gave me (aside from smoking/drinking) is to not eat deli meat, but I've had friends docs say don't eat leftovers/sushi/peanut products/soy/cheese/cookie dough/yadda/yadda/yadda. I want to be safe but I also want to EAT. What kind of things did you avoid during your pregnancy and WHY?

My $.02 says that the popularity of these "don't touch anything with bacteria" pregnancy forums form a direct correlation with the rise of peanut allergies, but I have no medical expertise.
 
#2 ·
I have a couple of pregnant/new mother family friends at the moment (one who insists that her daughter calls me "Uncle Geoff" even though I am only 24 FFS). They say that the seafood should be avoided because of the potential for (fetal) mercury poisoning.

I think they're being a bit paranoid...according to this link some types of seafood can be enjoyed in moderation even when pregnant (as they should be enjoyed in moderation even when you aren't pregnant because, well, mercury sucks).

Of course, when it comes down to it, it's your baby's health and your choice.

I'll let the more learned comment on the other stuff. :)
 
#3 ·
There is evidence that eating peanuts during pregnancy could contribute to peanut allergies but it's not a guarantee. My mom didn't eat peanuts with me and I'm allergic, and she did with my younger sister, who's not allergic.

I'd say avoid raw foods with high chances of bacteria (like deli meat, raw sushi, and cookie dough). You could still eat the cooked sushi thought right, like unagi? And I personally wouldn't worry about peanut butter as long as you do'nt eat it like, everyday. (There are a lot of other nut butters out there!). And same with soy. :)
 
#4 ·
My doctor really didn't give me a laundry list of DON'Ts - he basically said women have been having healthy babies for centuries just about everything is OK in moderation. I'm actually surprised your doctor told you about Deli Meat, thats kinda an "old school" one

I personally chose to avoid:

Mass amounts of coffee (I had one cup a day)
Raw Sushi
Alcohol
Raw Cheeses
Fish with high levels of mercury
 
#13 ·
stay away from larger predatory fish, as they are the ones that bioaccumulate mercury. for example: tuna steaks, shark, swordfish, marlin, etc. fish like salmon, canned tuna, halibut, cod, etc are generally okay. but even still, it's recommended not to exceed two servings a week, or 12 oz a week. methylmercury crosses the placental barrier and is associated with neurological deficits in children.

alcohol can lead to many things including mental retardation, which i am sure you all know.

also, make sure you supplement with folate both in the immediately pre-pregnancy, and during pregnancy. i believe the amount is 400 ug/day, which confers pretection against neural tube defects (spina bifida, anencephaly, etc).
 
#5 ·
I've never even heard of the deli meat one.
I ate anything I wanted. Of course I avoided coffee and alcohol.
I still drank my daily Dr.Pepper, ate fish, peanut butter even raw cookie dough on occasion.:rofl
My Doctor never gave me a list of what not to eat. Only what medicines not to take.

All three of my children are perfectly normal and healthy. No allergies of any kind.
 
#7 ·
The biggest offender is actually soft cheeses in terms of bacteria. Deli meats shouldn't cause harm in and of themselves, but they are often loaded with nitrates and other not-so-great preservatives. Occasionally they're ok though.

I ate peanut butter in all six pregnancies and have no children with peanut allergies (Emaan is yet to be seen, but I'm pretty sure).

I'm with MaryP1; moderation is key, and avoid the really nasty stuff. :magwink



 
#9 ·
Deli meat is commonly linked to listeria, really bad for preganacy, as it can cause miscarriages. In Canada we actually had a major outbreak this year, (Maple Leaf foods), and quite a few companies have had recalls. I'd look that one up and make a decision on your own, but that is the reason for the risk, and the major the reason why it's avoided. It is recommended that if you do want to eat deli meats, you reheat them until they are very hot, to kill any bacteria.
 
#14 ·
also, fish consumption during pregnancy is correlated with increased cognitive performance in children, mostly attributed to omega-3 fatty acads EPA and DHA in fish. so cutting out fish completely may not be the best thing, or perhaps supplement with omega-3's from some other source.
 
#17 ·
My hubby actually sent me a link on that, they said definitely continue to eat fish (except for trout and bass I think) on a weekly basis because fish=smart babies.

My Doc said no deli meat because of the recent listeria outbreak, he said 1 year ago he did not tell his patients "no deli meat." I've also seen him dining at subway on more than one occasion so he's a deli meat fan.
 
#21 ·
I would post this in a pregnancy forum but a lot of those women are crazy pregnancy nuts and I know I would not get "real" answers from them.

The only "do not do" my doctor gave me (aside from smoking/drinking) is to not eat deli meat, but I've had friends docs say don't eat leftovers/sushi/peanut products/soy/cheese/cookie dough/yadda/yadda/yadda. I want to be safe but I also want to EAT. What kind of things did you avoid during your pregnancy and WHY?

My $.02 says that the popularity of these "don't touch anything with bacteria" pregnancy forums form a direct correlation with the rise of peanut allergies, but I have no medical expertise.
I have nothing real to add except that I adore you because of the first sentence. LOL.
 
#23 ·
I was told to avoid most everything that was listed above, but here it is again.

Avoid:
Large game fish, limit other fish/shellfish/tuna to two per week
Lunch/deli meat (can eat, if heated until steaming to kill listeria)
Soft cheeses
Hot dogs
sushi
anything with raw eggs
anything unpasteurized
alcohol

MY OB did not limit caffeine. Her opinion on this was that if you want 2 cups of coffee/soda/tea per day that's fine, but don't go overboard. I tried to stick to one a day and sometimes went days with none.

I also craved peanut butter on graham crackers and ate it alot with my first. My first is not allergic, but is not a big fan of it. My second is too young.
 
#32 ·
I'm still eating soft cheeses that say "pasteurized" In fact I had a Caprese salad yesterday and I think it was the best meal I've had since I've been pregnant!

Is it the unpasteurized aspect that's bad or is this also a breeding ground for listeria? If I can't have soft pasteurized cheese I might just go to bed and cry for the next 7 months.

Edit :^^I'm slow....
 
#34 ·
DOH!

"Proper Temperatures for Cooking Foods:

* Chicken: 165-180 F
* Egg Dishes: 160 F
* Ground Meat: 160-165 F
* Beef, Medium well: 160 F
* Beef, Well Done: 170 F (not recommended to eat any meat cooked rare)
* Pork: 160-170 F
* Ham (raw): 160 F
* Ham (precooked): 140 F"

No medium steaks for me :(

Also, I've been drinking pasteurized non alcoholic egg nog...hope that's ok!
 
#37 ·
I still ate my steak medium rare when I was pregnant :hide I can't stand well-done steak! Not that I ate them every week or anything. And I ate peanut butter, and deli meats :eyebug In moderation. Hell, I'd never even heard NOT to eat PB until I was about to pop LOL I did turn down cookie dough last Christmas, which was painful :rofl I rarely have caffeine, since it tends to affect my sleep if I have any past, oh, noon or so :twitch
 
#38 ·
I second everything that Vik said. Folic acid is important to reduce birth defects as well, but i am sure your Dr. probably covered all that with you.

Avoid Orange Roughy at all costs because it is very high in mercury and the whole sushi thing (sashimi rather since it is raw fish).

I try to avoid soy at all costs just because it isn't a good source of protein and it also contains high amounts of estrogen. It is thought that women who eat a lot of soy while pregnant have higher incidents of having a baby with Ambigious genetalia and other sex related issues. Whether or not this is true i don't know, again Vik might be the best person to answer.

I would suggest supplementing with fish oils (maybe ask your Dr. if it is okay to take Fish oil or if he suggests sticking with Flax oil or Hemp oil) but getting that Omega 3 is very important and can be good for brain development.

But most importantly, enjoy yourself!! Being pregnant is an experience and you should live it to the fullest possible.
 
#39 ·
I would personally avoid all dairy (casein, specifically) because I have a mild casein allergy and if my child inherits that, as 25% of the population unknowingly does, I don't want to be responsible for causing some damage to them, like the near-constant ear infections I had as a baby :( I'll probably cut out wheat as well since gluten is similar enough to casein to cause frequent reactions in casein-allergic people.

Ditto on the undercooked fish (I hate fish anyway so not a problem lol), preservatives, etc. I've never heard anything about the soy but I heard it's bad as baby formula so that makes sense (too much magnesium or something?)...and does the sex issue thing only affect boys? What would it do to baby girls?

I don't know that my mom avoided anything in particular during pregnancy except for booze and cigarettes. :IDK
 
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