What it is
Can I eat sushi? Deli meat? Soft cheese? Runny eggs? Every pregnant mother types one of these at some point. The answer is a short list, not a long one.
Pregnancy turns down part of your immune system so your body does not reject the baby. That makes a few germs more dangerous than usual. Listeria is the main one. It is a bacteria that grows in the cold, in foods like unpasteurized cheese, cold cuts, smoked fish, and some melons. It can cross the placenta and cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or a sick newborn. Toxoplasma, in undercooked meat and cat litter, and salmonella, in raw eggs and poultry, are the others.
Mercury is different. It is a metal in some large fish that can affect the baby's growing brain. The fix is choosing smaller fish, not skipping fish.
What's typical
Listeria is rare. The CDC counts about 1,600 cases a year in the U.S., but pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get it. Most mothers eat deli meat heated until steaming, pasteurized cheeses, cooked sushi rolls, and fully cooked eggs without a second thought. Raw oysters, unpasteurized juice, and raw sprouts are the foods most lists agree to skip. Pasteurized eggs make runny yolks an option. Nearly all cheese sold in U.S. stores is pasteurized; check the label.
What's known
ACOG, the CDC, and the FDA agree on the core list: no unpasteurized milk or cheese, no raw or undercooked meat and eggs, heat deli meat and hot dogs, skip high-mercury fish, wash produce. Where sources differ is sushi. ACOG says to avoid raw fish. Economist Emily Oster, in 'Expecting Better,' reads the data as low risk from a careful restaurant. Japan's guidance does not ban raw fish in pregnancy.
What helps
- Heat deli meat and hot dogs until steaming.
- Read cheese labels for the word pasteurized. Feta, brie, and queso fresco are fine when they say so.
- Use a meat thermometer. Poultry to 165, ground meat to 160, steak to 145.
- Wash fruit and vegetables, including melon rinds, before cutting.
- Eat leftovers within three to four days and reheat them hot.
When to call someone
- Nowfever with stiff neck, confusion, or seizures, or the baby stops moving after you have been sick.
- Todayfever, chills, muscle aches, or diarrhea within two months of eating a recalled or risky food. Listeria can take weeks to show. Say the word listeria when you call.
- At your next visityou ate something on the list before you knew you were pregnant and feel fine. That is nearly always the end of it, but it is worth saying.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Meal Planner
Related
- Omega-3s and DHAPregnancy: Eating
- What to eat in pregnancy: the short versionPregnancy: Eating
- Pets, litter boxes, and pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
- Choline: the nutrient nobody mentionsPregnancy: Eating
- Cravings and food aversionsPregnancy: Eating
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Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Listeria and pregnancy
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Food safety for pregnant women
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Nutrition during pregnancy FAQ
- Emily Oster — Expecting Better
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