Unpasteurized Cheese and Other Things Off-limits

Pregnancy is full of "No's".
Maybe this is so you can empathize with your future child hearing you say "NO!" all the time, or maybe (I think I read this somewhere) - it is for the baby's health. It is totally understandable that there are so many foods that are risky, and I have promised not to eat them, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it!


Here are a list of items (so far) that I miss, or want more because I can't have them:
-Beer, specifically pale ale
-Sushi, with non-cooked fish!
-giant Diet Cokes on road trips
-Sampling cheese at Whole Foods without checking to see if they are pasteurized (and by the way, about half of the cheese offerred there today WERE unpasteurized, so I felt really happy that I took the time to check!)
-Champagne, I miss my bubbly!
-Red wine
-White wine
-Subway sandwiches (not microwaved)
-Steak/burgers cooked only medium well
-Advil
-Smoked meats and fish (beef jeryk, proscuitto, my dad's homemade smoked fish!)

And that is just the start....

Here are just a sampling of additional guidelines from the Mayo Clinic:
(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nutrition/PR00109)

Avoid seafood high in mercury

Avoid: Swordfish, Shark, King mackerel, Tilefish; and no more than 6 ounces a week of Salmon, Pollock, Catfish, Cod, Tilapia

Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood

·         Avoid raw fish and shellfish.

·         Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood, such as lox.

·         Understand local fish advisories.

·         Cook seafood properly.

Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs

·         Fully cook all meats and poultry before eating.

·         Cook hot dogs and processed deli meats, such as bologna, until they're steaming hot.

·         Avoid refrigerated pates and meat spreads.

·         Don't buy raw poultry that's been pre-stuffed.

·         Cook eggs until the egg yolks and whites are firm.

Avoid unpasteurized foods
Don't eat: Brie, Feta, Camembert, Blue cheese, Mexican-style cheeses, such as queso blanco, queso fresco and panela. Avoid drinking unpasteurized juice.

Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables

Avoid large quantities of vitamin A

Avoid excess caffeine

Avoid herbal tea

Avoid alcohol

Eating at home is easiest since you can review the packaging. I have basically been avoiding cheese at restuarants because who knows what type it is, and since I'm still keeping my pregnancy a secret, I don't want to openly ask "Is your cheese Pasteurized?". In a few weeks when my belly has popped I'll have no problem doing this. Until then, it is grocery store cheese for me. Thank god Trader Joe's makes delicious pasteurized mini-brie wheels!