THE RULES

So I've got a big list of things to avoid, now that I'm expecting. I've compiled this list from my doctor, books, and a few websites (though some of those can be really strange, and basically require that I move to the wilderness and live in a cave, far from any possible toxins).

I know that there are moms who read this blog. How paranoid did you become when you were pregnant? Did you really follow all of the food rules that you come across now? I'll give you a scenario:

I've finally gotten used to the list of what I SHOULDN'T eat: a deli sandwich, sushi, wine, lox, brie, meat that is pink at all, etc. I am assured by books and websites that my baby will grow horns and fangs and have red skin ala that Black Sabbath album cover if I as much as consider eating these things. Fine, brie and sushi will resume in 6 months.
But finding an intersection between what I CAN eat, and what my stomach will not reject, is sometimes hard. After a particularly barfeous day, Mr. P and I ended up at Safeway. Absolutely everything in the store repulsed me, and that Duraflame section in one of the aisles really made me gag. What do they make those things out of- brimstone? Bat guano? So I wound up at the deli section, where so much is forbidden. And after having eaten mainly saltines that day, a turkey sandwich looked really good.
My stomach said "EAT IT NOW"
And that little voice from pregnancy websites said "Ah, ah ah, no deli meat. Remember? Don't you WANT to have the smartest and cutest and most wonderful baby in the world?"
And I said, with my stomach, "Shut up, the sandwich is coming with me."
And I ate of it. And it was good.

What to do? I suspect that the worry does not subside when the baby is born, so I best deal with it now...

(Better that I talk to this guy every time I find myself worrying about how the next six months will turn out)

Comments

[LeeAnn]

Well, it's been two years since I was last pregnant, but deli meat wasn't on the list of forbidden foods then. Why is it now? I only had a pining for unpasteurized cheeses and diet soda to feel guilty about. With my first, I really followed all the rules. But with each (I have four) I got progressively more lax--although not foolishly so. I did drink a can of soda every other day or so with #4 and never bothered to give up chocolate ever. But digestively, different foods affected me each time.

Mostly I would just listen to your cravings--within reason. Try to eat vitamin-rich foods rather than vitamins. Here's a secret--I only took prenatal vitamins for about two weeks of my fourth pregnancy. They make me feel nauseous and constipated. My kids are all fine, but I am iron and VitD deficient (and have celiac) so take that with a grain of salt.

Obviously, the better quality food you eat, the better you and baby will feel. Happy eating--don't worry too much!

[Benedicamus]

deli meats are on the list because of the possibility of listeria food poisoning. Now, I've had deli meat my whole life and never gotten food poisoning from it... so not sure how dire that rule is.
Thnak you for the encouragement and advice!!

[Rachel]

Don't fear the deli meat or even the sushi-the kinds that you shouldn't consume during pregnancy shouldn't really be consumed by anyone! As long as you are consuming well prepared foods from a sanitary environment-there is little to worry about. LeeAnn's advice is right on! I've had five children now, and while the worries come with every pregnancy-there is usually not much to truly worry about-and I am a fantastic worrier. The morning (or all day) sickness should be gone in a few more weeks. There is a morning sickness remedy out there by Baby's Bliss called morning sickness magic. You can get it from Amazon. Also, I've found that sniffing a fresh cut lemon (I know it's crazy) and then drinking water with lemon can help lessen the morning sickness. Again, congratulations!