Do you consume pregnancy no-nos?

[mommylamb]

Ok, honestly, do you ever eat/drink any of these?

Alcohol
Caffeine
Tuna Fish (from a can)
Big fish (not from a can)
Sandwich Meat
Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda)
Red meat that isn't well done
Sushi
What else am I missing?

Can you tell that I hate the self sacrifice of pregnancy? I guess I'm just a selfish person. Anyway, here are my answers:

Alcohol- I didn't have any until I was into the 2nd trimester, but now I have a small glass of wine once a week.

Caffeine- About once a week I have a cup of caffeinated coffee. I do drink tea with caffeine about 2-3 times a week, and I have chocolate. I do not drink Soda at all.

Tuna Fish (from a can)- I think I've had it once during this pregnancy.

Big fish (not from a can)- Not at all. I do eat smaller fish that are not high in mercury frequently because I love seafood and I think it's good for brain development.

Sandwich Meat- I heat it up. I am dieing for cold sandwich meat.

Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda)- Not at all. I'm not a big sweetener person to begin with, but I've switched to using honey anytime I would have otherwise used Splenda. I haven't done the pink or blue stuff in over a decade though.

Red meat that isn't well done- I usually go for medium or medium/well. I so miss rare meat though. I like my cow still mooing, to be honest.

Sushi- I haven't yet, but I'm not opposed to doing this from a good restaurant (other than the big mercury fish). I LOVE sushi.

[roseyloxs]

Alcohol - No but I don't drink that much to begin with.

Caffeine - limited, I hate coffee and just switched to caffeine free sodas.

Tuna Fish (from a can) - occasionally

Big fish (not from a can) - yes but mostly wild salmon, haddock or cod.

Sandwich Meat - maybe about 5 times during my second pregnancy

Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda) - I would have caffeine free diet coke a few times a week.

Red meat that isn't well done - Yes, all the time.

Sushi - No. I would get a couple cooked or veggie ones from time to time to hold me over.

[amldaley]

GUILTY. Caffeine - 1 -2 servings about 3 or 4 times a week.

ETA: I don't eat any of the other stuff on the list when not pregnant, so it wasn't hard to give up. But I can not function without caffeine some days.

[Melaine]

Alcohol nope, none during pregnancy. I rarely drink otherwise so it's a no-brainer.
Caffeine I have switched to one or two cups of half caff coffee. I admit there are days when I have an additional small serving of soda (like 12 at most oz). That's just been in the second trimester though, I really didn't like the taste of coffee during the first.
Tuna Fish (from a can)-I have had it maybe twice. I don't personally feel concerned about tuna, and it's good with the fatty whatever stuff.
Big fish (not from a can) Is this a mercury issue? I don't avoid fish but rarely eat it anyway. I know it has health benefits so I think the trick is to find the kind that is less mercury.
Sandwich Meat I only rarely eat deli meat and I HEAT it and pick the nitrate/nitrite free versions.
Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda) None unless it is snuck into a meal at a host's home.
Red meat that isn't well done: Nope never
Sushi: Nope never

I would add soft serve ice cream and milkshakes because of listeria risk. I think the risk is extremely rare but I decided it was worth adding to my list (although it is a painful one to give up).

I am also avoiding deli packaged food, like cold salads, hummus, spinach dip, etc. Anything that is made on sight at the restaurant or grocery store because you don't know their safety guidelines, unless it is heated before eating. This is also to avoid listeria risk and I decided to avoid these based on talking to my friend who is the DHEC "detective" for our state. Her job is basically discovering what is making people sick and whether or not recalls need to take place, so I trust her. I realize it's probably an unnecessary precaution but I'm fine with those during pregnancy.

[mommylamb]

Big fish (not from a can) Is this a mercury issue? I don't avoid fish but rarely eat it anyway. I know it has health benefits so I think the trick is to find the kind that is less mercury.


I would add soft serve ice cream and milkshakes because of listeria risk. I think the risk is extremely rare but I decided it was worth adding to my list (although it is a painful one to give up).

I am also avoiding deli packaged food, like cold salads, hummus, spinach dip, etc. Anything that is made on sight at the restaurant or grocery store because you don't know their safety guidelines, unless it is heated before eating. This is also to avoid listeria risk and I decided to avoid these based on talking to my friend who is the DHEC "detective" for our state. Her job is basically discovering what is making people sick and whether or not recalls need to take place, so I trust her. I realize it's probably an unnecessary precaution but I'm fine with those during pregnancy.

By big fish, I meant the fish that are big mercury concerns (which are the large fish at the top of the food chain) like Tuna, Shark, Swordfish, etc.

I had no idea that soft serve ice cream/milkshakes are a no no. I don't eat this on any regular occasion, and haven't during this pregnancy, but that's good to know.

By Deli packaged foods, do you mean those salad things that are sitting out at the deli counter? I wouldn't touch those with a 10 food pole anyway. I hate mayo. But I do eat hummus that's packaged in the regular section. I love the Trader Joe's organic hummus.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Alcohol- I had a glass or 2 while pg

Caffeine- soda 1-2/ week

Sandwich Meat- I didn't follow the rule on heating this up. I ate it sometimes.

Red meat that isn't well done- I like it well done so a non issue. During my pregnancies, I wasn't eating red meat though. I didn't eat it for 20 years. I probably would only do well done while pg though.

I didn't include the things I wouldn't eat or use even if not pg.

Beth

[Simon]

Alcohol: No, but I have a family member with Fetal Alcohol Syn., which is pretty awful, so I am extra cautious.
Caffeine: a bit, I am not a regular drinker even when not pg though
Tuna Fish (from a can): less than 1x month
Big fish (not from a can): maybe?
Sandwich Meat: yes, I get cravings for subs when pg, but I try to avoid
Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda): yes, lots I am sure, I don't check labels for this stuff
Red meat that isn't well done: No
Sushi: Only vegetarian, like avocado maki

[MSWR0319]

I have had two lunch meat sandwiches in the last week. They were lunch meat cut from the deli section and not prepackaged. Not that it really matters, but it makes me feel a little better about it.

[swissair81]

I'm terrible about caffeine when I'm pregnant.
I do have limited canned tuna- just chunk light though.
The biggest fish I eat is salmon. Does that count? I eat an awful lot of it.
No to everything else.

[rin]

Alcohol - Yes; in the first trimester I limit myself to a few sips, no more than the equivalent of 1/4 a glass of wine a week. In the second/third trimesters I let myself have the equivalent of one glass of wine/beer a week.

Caffeine - yep, one cup a day. No research has ever found risks for less than 200 mg of caffeine a day (about a 10 oz cup of drip coffee)

Tuna Fish (from a can) - occasionally

Big fish (not from a can) - rarely, but I don't eat it when not pregnant either

Sandwich Meat - rarely, but I don't really ever eat sandwich meat

Artificial Sweeteners (including splenda) - no, but I don't anyways

Red meat that isn't well done - Occasionally; I eat red meat maybe once a month, and like it medium. I don't make any changes for pregnancy

Sushi - Yep, I've read numerous studies and can't find a single one that shows heightened risk for eating sushi while pregnant. The only risks that seem substantiated are eating high-mercury fish, so I avoid those (eel, tuna, etc)