So I am reading way too may food threads and then checking up but I am hungry all the time

Any way after reading mcflurry thread I noticed something about cold meat now please tell me if I can have Ham, Chicken, Tuna, Prawn on my sandwiches or mayo (just in case) what the bl**dy hell can I have at this rate I will turn into a block of cheese (pasturised of course)

I am begining to think that they dont want pregnant woment to eat at all or if they do it is toast and jam and ginger biscutes

I think everything you mention is fine as it is cooked or pasteurised. Cold meats are mentioned as some are not cooked but dried or cured. But ham is cooked...

I know the feeling!! I would advise not to read too many different things as everything seems to contradict itself and like you said, we would never end up eating anything!!

I have decided not to worry about it anymore. My mum grew me on Big Macs (and cigarettes - although this I do disagree with!) and I turned out okay

Good luck with your sandwich...I reckon a bit of ham or chicken should be fine! H x

If you have ham or other deli meats I think you are either meant to have them as a toasted sandwich or microwave the meat for 20 secs to kill all the nasties (mainly listeria I think). You can have tuna, but not too much (have heard everything from between 1 can and 3 a week) because of the high mercury content. No idea about prawns because I thought they were okay and other people have been told not to have them. You can have cheese or egg mayo too. Sucks I know lol. xxx

Regarding the packet ham, I will only use it if I'm the one opening the packet so I know how long its been open. sounds a waste but I only use it as soon as its opened cause of bacteria getting to it once its opened. But I am over caucious and worry about everything.

You can have Tuna (no more than 1-2 tins per week) and you are allowed mayo thats pasteurised. How about having a cheese salad sandwich? with cucumber and lettuce and tomato or something?

corned beef?

I know what you mean though when youre hungry you just want to eat but theres so much we're not allowed to eat its frustrating!!

xxx

*making me hungry*

I am always hungry I am going to be bloater at this rate

Thanks girls, you know it is just not any good all this banning stuff, my dr said she can remember reading of anyone with listeriosis in the last 10 years!! But my Dr was also a bit wierd.

I cant toast or micowave as I am at work all the time so I am going to have to home that ham and turkey are just ok as someone said on a post recently it is unlikly that pregnant japanese women give up sushi!!

I will still stay away from bacon and brie panninies mmmmmmmm just in case

I'm taking a real life approach. I have never been ill from a slice of cold meat, so although I understand there is a tiny risk of listeria, if I have bought it, stored it properly and eaten it within the number of days it says on the packet, then I'm carrying on as normal. Shop bought jars of mayo are ok as they have been pasteurised. I'm only avoiding raw egg and pate (no raw egg = no licking the spoon with the cake mix on it ) I don't eat rare steak anyway.

When our mum's were pg, they weren't told any of this and I don't think any of them suffered or put their babies at risk.

The best thing I did was quit smoking when I started ttc, that would have been far more harmful to my baby than a ham sandwich.

I think if we do buy deli meat we should maybe ask for it to be sliced a little thinner or thicker than what they display just so they cut it freshly for us. The chiller where the meat joints are kept was kept at around 1 degree whereas the counter is much warmer as the back is open. I used to work on a deli and know how long some of that stuff sits around, most of it especially the quick sellers are sliced SEVERAL (like crazy amount of times) a day BUT the really slow sellers sometimes sit out all day and get flipped over when the colour fades (happens due to the lights). Also with the slow sellers you don't know how long the joint has been open even if you get it freshly sliced. You should also consume all the meat you buy within 2 days because that is the only period of time the meat is guaranteed to be within the manufacturers use by date.

If you buy prepacked meat make sure it is in date, don't be tempted to think "oh, it still looks okay" (have done that myself before!) because I read the other day that the way it is packed means that you cannot see when the meat is spoiled. It still looks good but it could still make you ill if you eat it.

We never had any complaints from anyone about our products causing health problems and we even had routine spot check visits from environmental health and such who never found any problems.

To be honest, I'm not being extra careful. It's just not how I am. I'm kind of lucky to be vegetarian so I don't have to worry about raw meat or fish but I pretty much eat everything else. Just not in huge quantities: I had one tiny piece of blue cheese, I ate a spoon of cookie dough... And I don't change kitty litter.