[Hoosier Kitty]

I just learned eating deli meat is a big no no during pregnancy. I did not know!
Last sun I ate Subway for lunch and dinner. Then yesterday for lunch I had Buddig turkey sandwich... and also for lunch today the same. i didn't microwave them!

Listeria and Pregnancy : American Pregnancy Association
I'm freaked out!
has anyone ate deli meat on accident or still eating/ate deli meat during pregnanc?

[jensma]

Try not to freak, i'm sure you'll be fine. I know plenty of people who have broken that rule and many others and had perfectly healthy babies!

[mlyster]

I agree with Kate - no need to freak out just yet. I have a friend who completely ignored that "rule" for both of her pregnancies and her girls are just fine. However, now that you know I would probably tend to follow the rule and heat deli meat up before you eat it but that is just me.

[Jennifer-Jacob's Mommy]

I didn't know that. I ate subway A LOT. can pretty much say I lived on subway for the first 5 months of my pregnancy and as you can see, I have a healthy baby boy

[KDD]

Everything in moderation. I've had Subway once or twice as well.

[jensma]

i personally can't stomach meat of any kind (except smoked sausage for some reason...so i cook the crap out of it and then enjoy!!)

[JessMitch]

I tried not to eat any during the first trimester because supposedly the listeria can cause miscarriage, but once you're in the second tri your change of m/c goes wayyy down so i've eaten deli meat and hotdogs once in awhile. I had a ham sandwich yesterday actually! I really wouldn't worry because like 2 years ago no one even knew about the whole deli meat thing. My friend (whose son will be 2 in oct) ate deli meat during her whole pregnancy because there was no 'rules' against it. So honestly, i think in moderation it is fine. esp if you get your subway toasted!

[Oreobaby]

I had subway occasionally during my pregnancy, and quizno's...Rayanne is perfectly healthy, I'm sure you are fine Aaron, just maybe try to eat it less now that you know that it's not good for you and baby.

[Sam914]

I ate Subway and Quiznos all the time... the thought of heated lunch meat sounds gross to me

[MommaLee]

i ate deli meat all the time. my doctor said that lysteriosis is very rare...she only saw it twice in 20 years from sisters who went to mexico and ate unpastuerized cheese. All items sold in USA for consumption have to be pastuerized...unless it is someone selling from the back of their truck and you then you are at your own risk.

just don't eat rotten deli meat and you will be fine..so will your baby.

[LuvsPecanPie]

My doctor said that the deli meat thing was ridiculous. I'm not eating a deli meat sandwich every day, but I'm not going to freak out about it.

[JustLiz]

I have worked at a local health department. The scoop on the deli meat is that a few times even prepackaged deli meat from high quality brands in regular supermarkets have been associated with outbreaks of listeria. Listeria is usually not serious in non-pregnant people but often causes fetal death in the 3rd trimester if you get it while pregnant. That being said, these types of outbreaks are rare, and there aren't any outbreaks associated with deli meats that I know of right now. Unpasteurized cheese is another story though - definitely stay away. I'm stayin' away from the deli meat myself, but I just want to be extra sure.

[hearts.0nfire]

I agree with the other girls about it. I have been eating sandwiches all throughout the pregnancy, but I make sure the meat is heated up or I wait to eat it when I get home and microwave it.

[Brandielou]

I was about to copy your same link Aaron! The deal with it is that pregnant women are usually around 20 times more likely to catch it than non-pregnant women. Even though it is rare, it is still out there. Most articles say about 10 seconds is sufficient and if someone can't take the extra 10 seconds, then I would imagine parenting in general is going to be tough Other than listeria I've read several articles about the nitrates in the meat which aren't safe if not eaten in moderation.

Is it safe to eat deli meats when I'm pregnant? | BabyCenter

Is it safe to eat cold cuts or lunch meat during pregnancy? - Pregnancy Articles

[CandaceDianne]

Don't worry about it. Just get it toasted from now on, that's what I did. I did eat it cold a few times. The likely hood of something happening is slim to none.

[*Mommy2Camden*]

I'm sure you'll be fine! You could even call your Dr. just of peace of mind. I almost ALWAYS microwaved my lunch meat during pregnancy, but totally slipped up by mistake a time or 2.

[amazing_love]

I heated my deli meat 90% of the time when i was pregnant but there were sometimes i would go out to a place like Subway and eat it cold. I wouldn't worry! It's not THAT big of a deal IMO

[Cheryl_W]

I slipped up a couple of times and ate lunch meat or hot dogs, and everything is fine. One time I did get food poisoning, but that was a fluke, it wasn't listeriosis, and it had no affect on her at all (I actually think it wasn't the lunch meat, either, but the tomatoes because there was a salmonella outbreak in them on the news just a day or two later...)

Relax, and enjoy pregnancy! Rules are there for a reason, but so many of them are just hyped up for no reason. Think of the Japanese culture - you think they give up sushi the entire time they're pregnant? Or the French and Italians, do you think they give up wine for the entire 9 months? HA!

You have to live, girl. Weigh the risks, and enjoy yourself. From the research I did when I actually got food poisoning, there have only been like 8 reported cases of pregnant women with listeriosis in the last like 10 years in all of North America - and only two of them actually caused a problem. If I remember correctly, neither caused fetal death. Kick up your feet and enjoy that sub with a side of sushi!!

I agree on the unpasteurized cheese though, since that does actually contain live bacteria - best to be on the safe side

[Micksbabe]

I ate hot dogs and deli meat through out my whole pregnancy and will do the same this time around. I like to break the rules haha

[JustLiz]

The CDC says that there are about 2500 cases of Listeria infection per year in the US, and about 27% of them are in pregnant women, so it's a few more than you found, Cheryl. In one study 1/3 of those infected had miscarriages, but this was a very small study, and I wasn't able to find a better estimate. I'm not just trying to scare you guys, but I think it's important to base your decisions on the best information available. It's still pretty rare, so I wouldn't worry if you already ate deli meat - if you're not sick now, you're fine. I personally am going to try to stay away from it though.