I'm 18 weeks pregnant, and just read that you are not supposed to eat deli meats during pregnancy?

Question

My doctor did not inform me of this. I was told no: caffieene, high murcury fish, unpasturized cheeses, alcohol, OTC meds, exc. I have definitely been eating turkey and cheese sandwiches from the deli! What harm can this cause and how will I tell if damage has been done?

*They said it deli meats contain a lysteria-like bacteria that is very harmful to your baby!!! : o

Answer 1

Girl.... don't let it worry you too much.. It changes every couple of months... Next month they may say to stay off of the milk or it may hurt the baby.. Just use your judgment and do what you think is right. I am pregnant with baby number two.. and he is healthy.. so was my first son... I just eat a somewhat nutritional diet (that often includes deli meat!).. quit smoking, drinking, etc..

You are going to go through enough as a pregnant woman.. don't let all of these things that you hear scare you to death..

Congrats on the baby!

Answer 2

if it had done damage you would already know. The reason they say to stay away from these meats is because of the way they are prepared. They are easily contaminated with bacteria. The bacteria can cause you to get an infection. So if something hasn't happened yet you are ok, just dont continue eating the deli. Your child will not have any deformities because of the meat you have eaten I promise you, also your baby will not come early because of the deli. No worries, no need to stress, relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Oh yes and congratulations on the new life you are bringing into this world!

Answer 3

I eat deli meat at least once a day and everything is fine. Some doctors think that some women should not eat deli meats. When I started getting my headaches one doctor told me to watch out for the nitrates in deli meats and hot dogs. So most of the time I just eat according to how I feel. I think you should be okay. If you are not sure, check with your doctor or nurse and that will make you feel better.

Answer 4

I had the same thing happen with me- I had no idea about this until I heard it from a friend. I'm 18 weeks preggo too! Congrats February mommy! I called my doc on it and she said just to microwave the deli meat first to kill any potential bacteria. The risk is not that it's LIKELY you'll get the bacteria, it's that IF you do, it's fatal to the baby so it's better just not to risk it.

Here's the info from a website I found:

Listeriosis is a serious infection that you can get by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to the illness, which can be devastating to their developing babies.

Fortunately, the illness is relatively rare: The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 2,500 people contract it in the United States every year, and recent data suggest that the number of infections is going down. About a third of reported cases occur in pregnant women.

Listeriosis isn't likely to seriously affect your health, but it can. People with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening complications from the illness, such as blood infection or meningitis, as are newborns and the elderly.

Even if the infection doesn't make you seriously ill, it can have very serious consequences for your developing baby, especially if it's not treated promptly. Listeria can infect the placenta, the amniotic fluid, and the baby, and cause miscarriage and stillbirth.

Infected babies who survive are likely to be born prematurely. Many will be born severely ill or get sick soon after birth, with problems that may include blood infection, difficulty breathing, fever, skin sores, lesions on multiple organs, and meningitis. Unfortunately, some newborns will die from the disease or have long-term complications.

You might not know if you had it. Some people have no symptoms. Others have a fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as chills, aches, and headache; back pain; or possibly gastrointestinal symptoms. If the infection attacks your central nervous system, you may have a severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, dizziness, or even convulsions.

Call your healthcare practitioner immediately if you have any of these symptoms. Stomach symptoms, if you get them, generally appear within 48 hours, but other symptoms usually show up two to six weeks or more after you're infected. You'll need a blood test to find out whether your symptoms are caused by listeriosis.

Don't eat cold cuts or deli meat, refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads, or refrigerated smoked or pickled fish unless they're cooked until they're steaming hot (say, on a pizza or in a casserole). And even though hot dogs are precooked, be sure to cook them until they're steaming hot. Canned or "shelf-stable" products that don't need to be refrigerated are fine to eat.

Answer 5

This is true. I am 7 weeks pregnant. My dr informed me if I was going to eat deli meat I have to boil it first. Deli meat needs to reach 160* F to kill off all bacteria, then you can eat it right away. Also, goes the same for vegetables (tomato, lettuce, etc etc) except you wash in hot water w/soap not to a boil. So dont eat out and order anything that contains deli meat, like subway. Talk to your dr about this.

Answer 6

Try and find nitrate free deli meats. There is a brand called "Hormel" that you can buy at grocery stores. I'm not sure if the turkey is nitrate free, but you can get nitrate free ham. (I'm 16 weeks pregnant and have been craving ham sandwiches)

But don't fret about eating plain deli meat so far throughout your pregnancy. My doc actually said all foods in moderation are okay.

Answer 7

i had heard that deli meats have some sort of preservative in them that may be carcinogenic. check out possibly eating organic versions, or cooking a turkey yourself and then making sandwiches out of it (sounds like a lot of work, though!). i had also heard that you're not supposed to eat peanuts when pregnant, but of course that was after I ate a mountain of them. I think as long as it is in moderation, and you talk to your doctor about it things will be fine. I wouldn't worry about any damage, just read up on good pregnancy diets and go from there

Answer 8

Deli meats contain a lot of salt, which will make you swell, especially your feet and ankles. Can cause your blood pressure to rise in later pregnancy. Detour around the Deli.

Answer 9

They say deli meats can carry the bacteria "Listeria". Check out the website below it may give you some advice, I ate deli meat when I was pregnant and I was fine.

Answer 10

I heard about that a lil late in my pregnancy as well. I never stopped tho cause all I read about are these amazing deli sandwiches that all these pregnant women have been addicted to for nine months!!! Never heard of anything happening.