Is eating lunch meat while pregnant an acceptable risk?

[Anonymous]

So, I read that there are 2500 cases of Listeriosis each year in the US, and 30% of those cases are pregnant women (750 cases).
https://www.thebump.com/a/is-lunch-meat-safe-during-pregnancy

There are 6.1 million pregnancies in the US each year.

So approximately 750 women out of 6,100,000 get listeriosis, and it's not definitive whether that was caused by eating lunch meat.

That seems like a shockingly small risk, no? I can give into my cravings, yes?

[Anonymous]

Just don't eat old lunch meat.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Most listeria cases recently have come from things you aren't even told to avoid, like yogurt and spinach. I ate plenty of Itlaian subs.

[Anonymous]

go for it. listeria in recent years hasn't come from lunch meat. heat it up if you are going to worry about it.

[Anonymous]

I just microwave it for 30 seconds and stick in the fridge for ten minutes. The risk is really small to just eat it as is but I have a paranoid personality and prefer peace of mind.

But I avoid deli sandwiches from the grocery store, subway, etc. I don't trust their cleanliness during pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

There is nothing I want more than a cold cut sandwich when I'm pregnant. Mmmm.

[Anonymous]

No, not unless heated. Listeria can cause stillbirth.

[Anonymous]

It's fine. I ate my way through Subway for two healthy pregnancies.

[AmyForever]

Don't stress yourself and go for it. You are talking about 0.01% of total population only God knows better

[Anonymous]

I hate lunch meat, but I eat sushi from reputable restaurants every week and drink an occasional glass of wine. Gasp!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Most listeria cases recently have come from things you aren't even told to avoid, like yogurt and spinach. I ate plenty of Itlaian subs.

+1. Google the most recent listeria cases. Totally random and in all different types of foods. I washed fresh vegetables and avoided queso blanco, pate, and raw shellfish but didn't cut out deli meat.

[Anonymous]

Sure, go for it. Why don't you wash it down with a beer while you're at it?

I mean seriously. Yes, probably it will work out ok but why introduce the risk? Is your desire for lunch meat really greater than your desire for a healthy baby? To each their own I guess.

[Anonymous]

I had two separate OBs approve lunch meat as long as I took appropriate precautions like not eating the lunch meat that was sitting out for hours at a work meeting buffet or ordering a sandwich at a sketchy, low-trafficked deli where the meat may not be fresh. Quality lunch meat from a grocery store or busy sandwich shop like Jimmy Johns is totally fine. My OB in Dallas made the point that one of the last major listeria scares was in ice cream (Bluebell, a Texas standard) and who would ever tell a pregnant woman she can't have ice cream?

Also, I've heard of microwaving it to be extra safe but that sounds disgusting. I'd rather abstain than eat microwaved meat. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, go for it. Why don't you wash it down with a beer while you're at it?

I mean seriously. Yes, probably it will work out ok but why introduce the risk? Is your desire for lunch meat really greater than your desire for a healthy baby? To each their own I guess.

Why even get in a moving vehicle while pregnant? Don't you care about your unborn baby?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, go for it. Why don't you wash it down with a beer while you're at it?

I mean seriously. Yes, probably it will work out ok but why introduce the risk? Is your desire for lunch meat really greater than your desire for a healthy baby? To each their own I guess.

Why even get in a moving vehicle while pregnant? Don't you care about your unborn baby?

Yeah, agreed. I'm all for following recommendations that make sense, but don't blindly follow recommendations that don't have an evidentiary basis behind them. My midwives and MFMs totally agreed with taking a more discerning approach, btw. Expecting Better by Emily Oster is great for helping you think through your own decision making.