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Ramblings of a pregnant chick


My husband has been very cute through this whole thing. He is really good at helping me take care of myself (the fast moving, often overachiever). But lately, a few things he has questioned has gotten me thinking.

What are they talking about when they ask you to avoid sushi because you are pregnant? In my mind, they would be talking about the 'sat in the deli section all day-raw fish' sushi you would pick up at the grocery store. Not anything that was made fresh right in front of you... raw fish or not. And do women in Japan stop eating sushi because they are expecting? I doubt it. Even Sashimi (the actual raw fish kind) seems harmless when made at a decent Japanese restaurant. Isn't it the food born illnesses that they are worried about harming the unborn? I mean really, if these places were making people sick (even sensitive people) they wouldn't be in business. Right?

And what about brie and other 'soft cheeses' you 'need' to avoid? (Which just so happen to be some of my favorite foods in the world! Especially in the summer with fresh basil and sun ripe tomatoes to add to it.) What is the fear there? Do the French stop eating soft cheeses when expecting? Again, I highly doubt it.

And wine. The fear of alcohol is a real one. If you are getting slammed while pregnant (or eat nothing but raw fish and soft cheese) then you are asking for trouble... but splitting a beer with your spouse over a nice dinner out? Do people in Italy really stop sharing a glass of wine (or even having their own) when expecting? That one I am not so completely doubtful... but I would think that they wouldn't.

Any thoughts or ideas, or better yet, info to ease my worried husband? (All I seem to crave is brie, sushi, and coconut ice cream so far. Oh, and Thai food... gosh, I could live on Thai. Which (rambling) is ALL I wanted with Cyan... so it is making me think "girl". Tehehee...)

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Sherri said…
Here's an article I recently found on babble that I think puts a lot of this into perspective. ;-)

http://www.babble.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/six-biggest-pregnancy-myths/
10:12 AM
Katie said…
I am a big believer in going with your gut and using your brain :) Rules are usually made because of extreme outcomes and circumstances...that is just my opinion though...xxoo
10:17 AM
Simple Mama said…
Gosh, I feel the same way. It's amazing how paranoid and un-natural we've allowed pregnancy, labor and birth to become.
11:13 AM
Erin said…
I followed all the "rules" with my first and none with my second! They're both happy and healthy :)
12:20 PM
Anonymous said…
I laughed, because I felt the same way during all 3 of my pregnancies. Who's results are as it turns out quite intelligent, creative and healthy.I kind of felt that for most of the world they don't treat pregnancy as a disease. So the rule of thumb as always a little goes a long way,indulge wisely and more importantly Happy wife, happy life. I'm just say'n.
1:15 PM
Jenny said…
I always thought- if you're body wants it, there must be a reason. If you feel safe with what you're eating then go with your gut. Not by what someone else says. Best of luck Val & big congrats to you guys!
1:52 PM
Anonymous said…
The concern with sushi and other fish while pregnant is the toxic mercury content in the fish. Not sure about the cheese, though my best guess would be that the concern with soft cheese is that since it's not aged as long, there may be a bacteria concern. I'm just guessing on that one.
1:53 PM
Chell said…
I know of two people that had miscarriages due to Lysteria (One at 3.5 months and the other at 6 months. Lysteria is a form of bacteria which can cross over the placenta and can lead to infections or even blood poisoning which is what happened to one of my friends. That is where the warning about avoiding things like Unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, Pate, Deli meat and I think also lox comes to play.
Go with your gut,
As far as fish is concerned I always heard it was more about the high mercury content then anything else.
3:24 PM
Katie said…
I have read some comments on other forums made by people in Europe regarding the cheese. They don't stop. I think ultimately it has to do with the cleanliness/freshness of the food. In Europe, I understand that the cheese tends to be fresher than in America. I also know that "they" have told me to avoid deli meat unless it has been heated to steaming before eating it (shortly before eating it, not simply at some point in it's history) which I didn't abide by with my last pregnancy. All went well and I have a healthy one year old on my hands. I am pregnant again (yeah they're pretty close. On purpose. :D ) and I'm with you on the brie! And thai for that matter. Good luck with the pregnancy!
4:32 PM
Val in the Rose Garden said…
When it comes to sushi, I did some of my own checking, and yes... the larger Tuna fishes do have higher levels of mercury, but the salmon rolls, the fatty tuna, and the cali rolls are all "safe". Even in sushi. The rule is, the smaller the fishes, the lighter the heavy metal content. But if the fish eat other fish, then the metal content of the muscle meat goes way up really fast. So I am off the Blue Tuna rolls for the next year or so, and I am glad to know it... as the spicy tuna was one I was thinking sounded pretty stinkin' good the other day, but didn't get it, cuz I just wasn't 100% sure. Feeling like my instincts were good there. ;)

Thanks for all the info guys!

Blessings,

Val
9:22 AM
Bending Birches said…
as others wrote above, following your gut--literally--will make you feel satisfied:) Overly used phrase, "everything in moderation" seems appropriate here:) Best of luck to you and your family..thanks for the beautiful inspiration!
7:48 PM
Samurai Mom said…
I eat sushi while pregnant!!! Why he heck not - I feel exactly the same way about both soft cheese and sushi. I figure each time I get into a car I am at greater risk of injuring my baby than getting an illness from sushi or cheese and yet no one warns us not to ride in cars while pregnant. The irony is that women will take all sorts of morning sickness and other drugs and have procedures that are more risky to the baby than eating sushi. Pregnant sushi eaters UNITE!
10:39 PM
Shari said…
Better safe than sorry
10:33 AM
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