cheese???

[Anonymous]

OK, I might just be really thick here but I don't get what cheese I can eat and what cheese I can't. My OB said don't eat blue cheese. He also said no soft cheeses or non pasteurized cheese. Can you even find non pasteurized cheese in the US?! Anyway, I love feta cheese but I would consider that soft.... If someone can assist, I'd appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

Your doctor's office probably has written materials on this, and there are a bunch of Internet articles about it. You will see a bunch of views (and there are many threads on this and related subjects). I have continued to eat any cheese in moderation, unless I know for a fact it's unpasteurized. They do sell some in Whole Foods, but most all you find anywhere is pasteurized. My rationale is that getting calcium from natural sources is important, so I put a little feta on my salads, etc.

I have a friend who did not eat any blue cheese or feta for her entire pregnancy, so that is the other end of the range. You just have to do whatever is comfortable for you.

[Anonymous]

Higher end places that sell cheese (Whole Foods, Cheesetique, etc) sell "raw milk" cheeses. These are not pasteurized. Most commercial cheese is pasteurized and you shouldn't have any problem. If you look on the packages of feta you'll see almost all of them say they are pasteurized (and most restaurants use pasteurized feta -- you can ask if you're worried). Cheese was one of my big cravings when I was pregnant and at the end of my pregnancy gave in once or twice and had soft cheeses from reputable sources.

[Anonymous]

I'm generally an everything in moderation person. My doctor said when I asked, "people in France eat a lot of cheese and have healthy babies. The risk is low, if it stresses you out, avoid it, if it doesn't, enjoy in moderation." Seemed like good advice. He said the same about sausage and babies in Germany if that helps.

[Anonymous]

What about cream cheese? Surely that has to be ok?

[Anonymous]

Oh yes, cream cheese is fine.

[Anonymous]

I was under the impression as long as it's pasteurized, it's fine -- soft or not.

[Anonymous]

As a self-proclaimed cheese-a-holic, this pregnancy limitation tossed me for a loop, too. Any cheese is OK so long as it's pasteruized...blue cheese and feta cheese that you buy at a standard grocery store is usually made from pasteurized milk, so no problem.

But...be forwarned that a lot of gourmet cheese are made from raw milk. A lot at Whole Foods are not pasteurized. And...surprising to me ... a lot of the cheeses at Trader Joes are also made with raw milk (including the shredded parm, which is normally pasteurized).

As for restaurants, I always ask. Embarassing to make them go back to the kitchen and check the labels on feta, but I've done it many times. Most Fetas are pasteurized at restaurants (e.g., Cheesecake Factory blue cheese and feta is pasteurized, Au Bon Pain uses pasteurized feta).

But....a lot of restaurants use home made mozzarella, etc., which isn't pasteurized. So, no cheeses in fancy salads unless the restaurant can verify the label.

Giving up cheese was just as hard as wine for me!

[Anonymous]

my doctor said don't worry about cheese or deli meat. i also eat sushi sometimes. please--do you think french women stop eating cheese and japanese women sushi (they are actually encouraged to eat it)? worry more about undercooked ground beef and eat the cheese with abandon.

[Anonymous]

The cheeses at Whole Foods are definitely labed whether they are pasteurized or not, so just read the labels. I never worried much about cheese or deli meat, but I don't eat at fancy restaurants much.

[Anonymous]

I think cheese is fine if it is pasteurized. Only unpasteurized cheese is a problem.

[Anonymous]

I echo what PPs have said about unpasteurized cheese being the problem.

As for feta, I had a few crumbles on my salad and was fine...but it was every once in awhile and in modest amounts.

I switched over to provolone which isn't quite the same, but it was salty enough to give my salad and Greek-themed meals that salty/smoked flavor.

The same rule of thumb goes for the other "taboo" foods - peanut butter, deli meats, mushrooms, hot dogs, etc. And you'll find some docs. more cautious than others.

If this is your first pregnancy by the way?

[Anonymous]

I ate everything in moderation (although was smart about it), but I have to say that it is NOT true that pasteurized cheese is always safe. There have been listeria outbreaks in pasteurized cheese. It can occur during the manufacturing process.

[Anonymous]

I would avoid buying cheese from Farmer's Markets as well. They are often unpasteurized.

[Anonymous]

I think that to find the answer to this one, it's helpful to look at where we've seen major outbreaks of food-borne illnesses lately: in industrial-produced food. You're probably safer eating unpasturized cheese from a farmer's market than eating ground beef that came from a massive corporate slaughterhouse.