Are you a food rebel?

[Anonymous]

its one thing to have some deli meat, cookie dough, or sushi because those are things that only on the rarest of occasions are bad...but i just don't get the women who are there drinking a glass of wine every night. i get a buzz off of one glass of wine. i wouldn't put my 14oz. fetus in jeopardy like that. the other foods are only a rare risk, but alcohol is a known toxin. its toxic every time.

[Anonymous]

Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a range of disorders, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is one of the leading known preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects. If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby can be born with FAS, a lifelong condition that causes physical and mental disabilities. FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system (CNS) problems. People with FAS might have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of these. These problems often lead to difficulties in school and problems getting along with others. FAS is a permanent condition. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life and the lives of his or her family.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASDs is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis.

FASDs include FAS as well as other conditions in which individuals have some, but not all, of the clinical signs of FAS. Three terms often used are fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD). The term FAE has been used to describe behavioral and cognitive problems in children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol, but who do not have all of the typical diagnostic features of FAS. In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) replaced FAE with the terms ARND and ARBD. Children with ARND might have functional or mental problems linked to prenatal alcohol exposure. These include behavioral or cognitive abnormalities or a combination of both. Children with ARBD might have problems with the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing.

All FASDs are 100% preventable—if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And do your research on fish - new studies have shown that avoiding all fish is not good for your baby's brain development.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-fish/PR00158
"But some research suggests that limiting seafood during pregnancy may do more harm than good, since the risks from losing important nutrients may exceed the risks of harm due to mercury exposure. A 2007 British study found that women who ate 12 ounces (340 grams) or less of seafood a week were more likely to have children with verbal or other communication problems at age 3, and behavioral problems and trouble with fine motor skills by ages 7 and 8. No negative effects were noted for women who ate more seafood than the FDA-approved guidelines. "

That's what fish oil pills are for. Children with autism don't metabolize mercury like NT kids do. It builds up and is not excreted. For people with autism running in their families, fish avoidance is smart.

[Anonymous]

do we really have to go here again.

A glass of wine is not going to turn your unborn child into a moron, and eating fish is good for mom and baby. Jeez!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:do we really have to go here again.

A glass of wine is not going to turn your unborn child into a moron, and eating fish is good for mom and baby. Jeez!

How do you know you just didn't turn your A student into a C student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:its one thing to have some deli meat, cookie dough, or sushi because those are things that only on the rarest of occasions are bad...but i just don't get the women who are there drinking a glass of wine every night. i get a buzz off of one glass of wine. i wouldn't put my 14oz. fetus in jeopardy like that. the other foods are only a rare risk, but alcohol is a known toxin. its toxic every time.

I'm with you on the wine - I didn't drink anything when I was pregnant, but disagree about the other stuff. We have incredibly weak food safety mechanisms in this country. Salmonella, and other food borne illnesses, are escalating. And sadly, once something happens, we have no idea how to trace it, so we get messages like, "it may be tomatoes, we aren't sure, avoid all tomatoes, every where in the country" as illustrated in the tomato scare of 2008, when I was pregnant. And then weeks later come to find out it was actually peppers, and not tomatoes.

Other recent scares have been peanuts, and pistachios. And the peanut manufacturer knew, e-mails were found that basically proved he didn't want to hurt the bottom line so he didn't stop production.

It is really sad that we have no idea where our food is coming from. You hear about a bad batch of tomatoes in Mexico and have no idea if the corner deli is carrying those tomatoes when you duck out for lunch and that is sad.

I was probably overly-cautious, but it just wasn't worth it to me. One solution is to buy locally - which you can do at home but you have no control when you go out to eat or grab a sandwich or salad at work.

Not saying pregnant women should live in fear, but these food scares are escalating because of our weak system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:its one thing to have some deli meat, cookie dough, or sushi because those are things that only on the rarest of occasions are bad...but i just don't get the women who are there drinking a glass of wine every night. i get a buzz off of one glass of wine. i wouldn't put my 14oz. fetus in jeopardy like that. the other foods are only a rare risk, but alcohol is a known toxin. its toxic every time.

I don't think there were any posters who were talking about drinking a glass of wine every night. I have never ever heard of anyone who does this! Have you?! I guess i've heard stories about "french women" who drink every day during pregnancy, but I've never actually heard anyone confirm this. I think the posters on here who mention drinking occasionally during pregnancy probably mean just that -- very occasional and/or very small amounts of alcohol. Like, a beer once a month or a half a glass of wine a few times during the third trimester.

Maybe those who say they drink alcohol during pregnancy could specify what they mean by that. I think FAS is very real, but probably results from drinking on a totally different scale than the once-in-a-while small drink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its one thing to have some deli meat, cookie dough, or sushi because those are things that only on the rarest of occasions are bad...but i just don't get the women who are there drinking a glass of wine every night. i get a buzz off of one glass of wine. i wouldn't put my 14oz. fetus in jeopardy like that. the other foods are only a rare risk, but alcohol is a known toxin. its toxic every time.

I don't think there were any posters who were talking about drinking a glass of wine every night. I have never ever heard of anyone who does this! Have you?! I guess i've heard stories about "french women" who drink every day during pregnancy, but I've never actually heard anyone confirm this. I think the posters on here who mention drinking occasionally during pregnancy probably mean just that -- very occasional and/or very small amounts of alcohol. Like, a beer once a month or a half a glass of wine a few times during the third trimester.

Maybe those who say they drink alcohol during pregnancy could specify what they mean by that. I think FAS is very real, but probably results from drinking on a totally different scale than the once-in-a-while small drink.

Actually if you read back on the posts, one poster did have a glass of wine every night.

[Anonymous]

And I have seen numerous threads on this board in which pregnant women discuss having a glass of wine or two every night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And do your research on fish - new studies have shown that avoiding all fish is not good for your baby's brain development.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-fish/PR00158
"But some research suggests that limiting seafood during pregnancy may do more harm than good, since the risks from losing important nutrients may exceed the risks of harm due to mercury exposure. A 2007 British study found that women who ate 12 ounces (340 grams) or less of seafood a week were more likely to have children with verbal or other communication problems at age 3, and behavioral problems and trouble with fine motor skills by ages 7 and 8. No negative effects were noted for women who ate more seafood than the FDA-approved guidelines. "

That's what fish oil pills are for. Children with autism don't metabolize mercury like NT kids do. It builds up and is not excreted. For people with autism running in their families, fish avoidance is smart.

Ok, I'm not going to get into the gory details, but my child with autism is treated by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, who was Jenny MacCarthy's son's doctor. He is a leading DAN doctor who specializes in this whole method of treating kids via diet and supplements. Children with autism are NOT believed to metabolize Mercury the same from fish as they do when they get mercury from other sources, the reason is still unknown, but it does not behave the same and is not seen as a threat. My child is basically cured of his autism thanks to Dr Kartzinel and the DAN method approach. I'm pregnant with #2 and eat fish. I believe, as do many DAN doctors that it is elements OUTSIDE the womb that contribute to Autism and there are many processed foods that are much more sinister and threatening than fish. Believe it or not, high fructose corn syrup contains mercury and for our family it is treated as poison.

If you are truly worried about autism then you sould go on a GFCF diet, not avoid fish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And do your research on fish - new studies have shown that avoiding all fish is not good for your baby's brain development.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-fish/PR00158
"But some research suggests that limiting seafood during pregnancy may do more harm than good, since the risks from losing important nutrients may exceed the risks of harm due to mercury exposure. A 2007 British study found that women who ate 12 ounces (340 grams) or less of seafood a week were more likely to have children with verbal or other communication problems at age 3, and behavioral problems and trouble with fine motor skills by ages 7 and 8. No negative effects were noted for women who ate more seafood than the FDA-approved guidelines. "

That's what fish oil pills are for. Children with autism don't metabolize mercury like NT kids do. It builds up and is not excreted. For people with autism running in their families, fish avoidance is smart.

Ok, I'm not going to get into the gory details, but my child with autism is treated by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, who was Jenny MacCarthy's son's doctor. He is a leading DAN doctor who specializes in this whole method of treating kids via diet and supplements. Children with autism are NOT believed to metabolize Mercury the same from fish as they do when they get mercury from other sources, the reason is still unknown, but it does not behave the same and is not seen as a threat. My child is basically cured of his autism thanks to Dr Kartzinel and the DAN method approach. I'm pregnant with #2 and eat fish. I believe, as do many DAN doctors that it is elements OUTSIDE the womb that contribute to Autism and there are many processed foods that are much more sinister and threatening than fish. Believe it or not, high fructose corn syrup contains mercury and for our family it is treated as poison.

If you are truly worried about autism then you sould go on a GFCF diet, not avoid fish.

Thanks for that info. I'm glad your child is doing so well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I have seen numerous threads on this board in which pregnant women discuss having a glass of wine or two every night.

Huh. I've never seen that here. The PP who said she had a glass of wine "every night" -- well, that seemed to me that she was referring to a specific trip to France where she had had a glass of wine every night. Was it for a few days or a week? Or was she actually saying that she was there for months and every night of her pregnancy she drank? I guess we really don't know.

[Anonymous]

I was surprised that this thread went a page and a half before the harpies descended. Yes, I'm a food "rebel," if you want to call it that. The thing is, I don't know what I'm rebelling against because my OB hasn't told me to avoid much at all. As for wine, he says a small glass with dinner every once in a while is just fine. As for sushi, he says it's flash frozen, which kills parasites. US bought cheese is either pasturized or aged, both processes render it safe. He doesn't worry about undercooked meat -- says the chances of getting a food borne illness are truly rare. Sure, yes, sometimes you see scary things happen like a tub of cookie dough getting contaminated. This is not because the dough is raw (they use pasteurized egg product in the cookie dough you get commercially, it has nothing to do with that). What it has to do with is lax food safety at certain places. Unfortunately, there's not a damn thing you can do about it except to eat your own home-grown food, or eat organic, but even that is not failsafe (remember that many of the pistachio and peanut contamination happened to organic / whole foods / trader joes type branded nuts). Essentially you have to use a little bit of common sense and hope for the best and keep a proper perspective -- problems like e coli contamination and listeria truly are rare, contrary to what a PP erroneously claimed.

While pregnant, I have NOT consumed much alcohol (maybe one glass per trimester, if that, and I'm 38 weeks now) but that's not because I'm afraid to do it -- I just figure moderation is key. I haven't smoked and wouldn't, because the problems with smoking are well-documented. Then again, that's easy for me since I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. I have eaten a few sushi dinners, but haven't felt in the mood for sushi. I HAVE limited tuna / swordfish / shark, etc, but then again, I did that even before I was pregnant due to mercury concerns. I eat soft cheeses to my heart's content.

One thing my OB suggested I consider cutting out was deli lunch meat. He explained that listeria is exceedingly rare but the worry is that it can colonize deli cases that are less than clean. Since I personally worked at a (very high end) deli during college and know how true this can be, I took his advice.

What does bother me is the judgmental tones offered up by the DCUharpies. What's it to you how another woman eats? I would much rather have my children raised by parents who use their brains rather than those who are afraid of their own shadows and don't even know why they're afraid and live to judge others for just living normally. It's not selfish, it's just common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And do your research on fish - new studies have shown that avoiding all fish is not good for your baby's brain development.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-fish/PR00158
"But some research suggests that limiting seafood during pregnancy may do more harm than good, since the risks from losing important nutrients may exceed the risks of harm due to mercury exposure. A 2007 British study found that women who ate 12 ounces (340 grams) or less of seafood a week were more likely to have children with verbal or other communication problems at age 3, and behavioral problems and trouble with fine motor skills by ages 7 and 8. No negative effects were noted for women who ate more seafood than the FDA-approved guidelines. "

That's what fish oil pills are for. Children with autism don't metabolize mercury like NT kids do. It builds up and is not excreted. For people with autism running in their families, fish avoidance is smart.

Ok, I'm not going to get into the gory details, but my child with autism is treated by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, who was Jenny MacCarthy's son's doctor. He is a leading DAN doctor who specializes in this whole method of treating kids via diet and supplements. Children with autism are NOT believed to metabolize Mercury the same from fish as they do when they get mercury from other sources, the reason is still unknown, but it does not behave the same and is not seen as a threat. My child is basically cured of his autism thanks to Dr Kartzinel and the DAN method approach. I'm pregnant with #2 and eat fish. I believe, as do many DAN doctors that it is elements OUTSIDE the womb that contribute to Autism and there are many processed foods that are much more sinister and threatening than fish. Believe it or not, high fructose corn syrup contains mercury and for our family it is treated as poison.

If you are truly worried about autism then you sould go on a GFCF diet, not avoid fish.

As a parent of a severely autistic child, who's also been through the mill with treatments, therapies, etc., I personally believe that doctor is a nut. My son was born with autism. He was different from day one. Day One.

[Anonymous]

I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtful, supportive, informative posts on this subject. I posted earlier that I eat deli meat, diet Coke, and drink an occasional glass of wine. But after all this compassionate advice from my sisters in motherhood, I have seen the light and now plan to eat nothing but organic raw food for the duration. Also, I plan to wear sackcloth and ashes and do penance for the sins I have committed against the other mothers here, against society, and against my fetus. How will I ever forgive myself? I don't know. But I will be sure to come on this board for support as I struggle with the guilt, since this is my #1 internet stop for wise, rational, caring feedback.

Again, how can I thank you all? You have truly changed my mind with your thoughtful, yet gentle, arguments.