Avoiding certain foods during pregnancy - good advice or just stupid?

[RoboCod]

It's a load of crap. I have had a few relatives fall pregnant lately and they are just so OTT about the whole diet it grinds my gears. Practically anything you offer they reckon they can't eat it seems. Mayo? No. Fish? No. Oxygen? No. Remarkably, in other countries, Mayo is just fine as advised by their own governments.

As already stated above, everything must be fine in moderation. Sadly, half of this BS spouted by my relatives is just attention seeking. Yet another opporunity to talk about themselves, such the people they are. Getting the break down of their day by day diet is the highlight of conversation.

 

[DailyGeek]

So are loads of other diseases probably? Until we know the likelihood some blue cheese has the bacteria in (in sufficient quantities), this argument is pointless.

All I'm doing is challenging conventional 'wisdom' and so far I'm not seeing any evidence that eating a balanced diet (including some of the restricted foods) is going to increase risk in any meaningful way.

Back in reality..

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/eating-smoked-fish-and-cold-meats-during-pregnancy.aspx#close

Russian roulette with your baby for the sake of a few specific cheeses (oh and shark, I better lay off the shark lol) seems just downright shellfish (couldn't help myself.)

Most people are thinking of nurturing and protecting their unborn or infant child, not about the niche dairy sacrifices they may have to make. God forbid how you react when you find out you'll have to give up some sleep too!

 

[RoboCod]

Back in reality..

Russian roulette with your baby for the sake of a few specific cheeses !

and back in actual reality, the problem with the UK government health advice is that it is scaremongering.

 

[DailyGeek]

and back in actual reality, the problem with the UK government health advice is that it is scaremongering.

If you eat this, there is a chance it could kill your baby. There are other things you can eat which won't. Do with this information what you will.

Just seems sensible, not scaremongering. It's not as if there is no basis in it.

 

[Sunbed]

Insignificantly small chance. And the "basis" doesn't seem that great. By all means continue to trust nannying websites with poor sources of scientific information regardless though.

 

[RoboCod]

If you eat this, there is a chance it could kill your baby. There are other things you can eat which won't. Do with this information what you will.

Just seems sensible, not scaremongering. It's not as if there is no basis in it.

Yet go to Norway and the rules are different. Avoid soft cheeses, ensure fruit n veg is washed, strictly no alcohol or tobacco, and that's it. Fetal and neonatal mortality rates are lower in Norway than England & Wales. Now while that might not be a direct correlation to their dietary guidelines, you do have to wonder how much people over react to the information.

"I can't eat that, my baby might die" ....yes, but it probably won't will it?

I'd imagine that breathing the air around London and crossing the road would be potentially more harm for your baby than eating rare steak. Best not go outside then.

 

[DailyGeek]

Insignificantly small chance. And the "basis" doesn't seem that great. By all means continue to trust nannying websites with poor sources of scientific information regardless though.

And my wife, a qualified midwife with dare I say it, more experience in these matters than 'man from internet forum' who doesn't seem to care about taking calculated risks with an unborn baby for the sake of some cheese.

Yet go to Norway and the rules are different. Avoid soft cheeses, ensure fruit n veg is washed, strictly no alcohol or tobacco, and that's it. Fetal and neonatal mortality rates are lower in Norway than England & Wales. Now while that might not be a direct correlation to their dietary guidelines, you do have to wonder how much people over react to the information.

"I can't eat that, my baby might die" ....yes, but it probably won't will it?

I'd imagine that breathing the air around London and crossing the road would be potentially more harm for your baby than eating rare steak. Best not go outside then.

Have you actually read that link to the NHS information? They even say there are some things certain countries say to avoid but the UK doesn't. You are almost certainly right in saying there's a whole load of other factors involved in mortality rates than just some cheese and fish, but it's just guidelines to err on the side of caution. Why does everything have to be anti government or NHS? It's just saying there is a risk of listeria with certain foods, which is particularly more harmful to babies.

I have no idea why I'm even posting tbh, feel free to ignore medical advice I guess.

 

[RoboCod]

Your wife is a midwife you say? God I don't envy you!

 

[DailyGeek]

Your wife is a midwife you say? God I don't envy you!

Well, technically she's now a student health visitor, but yes

 

[Destination]

I think I would rather take the risk of a baby's ill health than deprive it of valuable nutrition that you would get from loads of those banned foods. The human body is very resilient and I think nature should be allowed to take its course.

Final point: humans have been around for thousands of years, with some communities probably living almost solely from fish and shellfish. Did those communities experience a huge amount more miscarriages and deformed babies? I doubt it... They probably just developed a better resistance to certain bacteria.

Potentially the stupidist post ever on these forums.
Nicely done there.

It is all good sound advice.
Fish are not banned, never have beenm raw fish is, and shellfish is due to particular allergies.
You will find most communities you think are super immune had very high mortality rates, as did all communities before modern medicine arrived.


Really glad you are not in charge of public health matters.

 

[Sunbed]

And my wife, a qualified midwife with dare I say it, more experience in these matters than 'man from internet forum' who doesn't seem to care about taking calculated risks with an unborn baby for the sake of some cheese.

when you put it like that, it does sound weird I'll admit.

If your wife has any unfortunate blue cheese-miscarriage related stories then you could probably settle this debate right now.

Potentially the stupidist post ever on these forums.
Nicely done there.

I got his attention.... Get... their... attention

 

[PapaLazaru]

Insignificantly small chance. And the "basis" doesn't seem that great. By all means continue to trust nannying websites with poor sources of scientific information regardless though.

I think you would be hard pressed to find any sane adult who would rather take medical advice from you over the NHS.

 

[Destination]

when you put it like that, it does sound weird I'll admit.

If your wife has any unfortunate blue cheese-miscarriage related stories then you could probably settle this debate right now.



I got his attention.... Get... their... attention

One third of pregnancies spontaneously abort at an early stage, iften due to some defect or some issue.
Adding to this figure by potentially harming the foetus isn't helpful.

 

[RDM]

It's interesting isn't it, how as we evolve, our offspring are needing to be even more protected than when we were less advanced...

Not really, you could ignore all modern advice and just accept that more babies would die instead.

 

[Freefaller]

My point wasn't entirely serious, it was more of a sarcastic quip at the OP's statement.

Modern science/medicine is clearly far better at keeping us alive, but also prevention of still births and ill babies once born. Clearly 100 years ago babies would probably die more often - again this is all supposition I have no proof of this.

However, I'm still convinced, that with modern farming, environment issues, and number of other diseases does have a detrimental effect on the unborn - clearly our medicine helps to mitigate the modern issues that our evolution has brought as well.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Also let's not forget the 'Claim' culture in all of this.
I can tell you with absolute fact that our new Mums carry their own Maternity Notes and this advice is one of the first things put in there, if not a few claims would land on my desk.

 

[Twirlywoos]

Op has never had kids it seems! Fathers and mum's especially are very over protective towards their children and more so during pregnancy. But you carry on and eat your genetically modified garbage.