Kimchi during pregnancy?

[Anonymous]

I assume Korean mothers-to-be eat it, right? Why is it discouraged here?

[Anonymous]

Kimchi is discouraged because of pasteurization/fermentation issues and food safety/handling concerns in the US.

There's plenty of similar examples:

France: Pregnant women often eat soft, unpasteurized cheeses like Brie or Camembert, while in the U.S., these are typically avoided due to listeria concerns.

Italy: Prosciutto and other cured meats are commonly consumed by pregnant women, whereas American guidelines advise against them unless cooked.

Mexico: Pregnant women may consume fresh ceviche, trusting local preparation, while U.S. advice generally warns against raw seafood.

India: Pregnant women commonly eat spicy curries and pickles, but in Western countries, spicy foods are sometimes discouraged due to concerns about heartburn.

Norway: Pregnant women often eat smoked fish like salmon, which is part of the traditional diet, while in the U.S., smoked fish is avoided unless cooked to kill potential bacteria.

China: Herbal teas and tonics are a common part of prenatal care, whereas in the West, herbal teas are discouraged.

Japan: Pregnant women often eat sushi or raw fish, as it is considered safe when properly prepared, while in the U.S., it is generally avoided due to concerns about foodborne illnesses.

[Anonymous]

pfft.. I ate kimchee all throughout my pregnancy; yes, I'm korean.

My kids are fine.

It depends on you and the baby. Some babies take to spicy food, garlic, kimchee, etc.. just fine. Others don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kimchi is discouraged because of pasteurization/fermentation issues and food safety/handling concerns in the US.

There's plenty of similar examples:

France: Pregnant women often eat soft, unpasteurized cheeses like Brie or Camembert, while in the U.S., these are typically avoided due to listeria concerns.

Italy: Prosciutto and other cured meats are commonly consumed by pregnant women, whereas American guidelines advise against them unless cooked.

Mexico: Pregnant women may consume fresh ceviche, trusting local preparation, while U.S. advice generally warns against raw seafood.

India: Pregnant women commonly eat spicy curries and pickles, but in Western countries, spicy foods are sometimes discouraged due to concerns about heartburn.

Norway: Pregnant women often eat smoked fish like salmon, which is part of the traditional diet, while in the U.S., smoked fish is avoided unless cooked to kill potential bacteria.

China: Herbal teas and tonics are a common part of prenatal care, whereas in the West, herbal teas are discouraged.

Japan: Pregnant women often eat sushi or raw fish, as it is considered safe when properly prepared, while in the U.S., it is generally avoided due to concerns about foodborne illnesses.

All this tells me is that these American recommendations are bonkers. There is no difference in prep between kimchi bought at and Asian supermarket in the US, and kimchi bought in Korea. There is no difference between Brie bought here and Brie bought in France. The US doesn't have lower standards of food prep compared to these other countries.

[Anonymous]

When I was pregnant, I focused my eating concerns on things that could potentially jump the placenta and cause harm to the baby, and not something that gives me a stomach upset. So I was religious about not eating things that can have listeria -- biggest shock was soft serve machines. I wasn't a huge deli meat eater, so that didn't mater too much.

[Anonymous]

Grocery store kimchi is safe from a food safety issue. The problem a lot of people have is the spiciness and garlic.

[Anonymous]

I ate soooo much spicy food when I was pregnant with my first. Indian pickled everything. Alas he has a very plain palate! The old wives tale about baby liking what you eat when pregnant or nursing definitely did not work. I felt fine though.

[Anonymous]

I was not aware it was discouraged until today. My OB never mentioned it (and my daughter was born in 2021) and did mention the value in fermented food. I ate it routinely…

[Anonymous]

Huh. Have eaten lots of kimchee this time around. First pregnancy I followed all guidelines. This time, I’ve eaten soft cheese, deli meat, hot dogs (which I normally don’t even eat), used vanilla extract in uncooked things, cooked with wine, whatever.

[Anonymous]

I ate sushi, raw oysters and had the occasional martini during my pregnancies.
One kid scored 1500 on SAT.
The other kid scored 1570 on the first try.

Ingesting in moderation is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ate sushi, raw oysters and had the occasional martini during my pregnancies.
One kid scored 1500 on SAT.
The other kid scored 1570 on the first try.

Ingesting in moderation is key.

Also, the eating for two and pregnancy cravings myth is bogus.
The one thing I needed desparately that I didn't know I needed was iron because the fetus was taking ALL of it and I became anemic.
The fetus is essentially a parasite. It will take what it needs from you and leave you depleted.

[Anonymous]

I had hyperemesis and I can tell you most of the food recommendations are bs/overstated. I was told that I should eat anything that sounded like it could stay down. If that meant raw oysters and prosciutto then so be it. And the only food item that had a listeria recall when I was pregnant that I can recall was, of all things, frozen eggo waffles. A mild food that I actually ate a significant amount of. And I did not get listeria.

[Anonymous]

I'd just consider source and make your decision from there. A lot of recent e coli and listeria cases were on various fruits and veggies, you obviously should still eat fruits and veggies. I've never heard of an out break linked to kimchi. I think buying from a well known source, you're likely to be just fine.