Lunchmeat during pregnancy?

only safe if the meat is so hot that it is steaming hot!!!

dana- i think listeria is not that common, so that's why some people take the chance. However, this summer there was a listeria outbreak in southern Canada (bordering michigan i think???) and that made me think more seriously about it! Sometimes you don't know the true effects of it for some time, so you could m/c or have a still birth.

You can always get the sandwich and then bring it back home or to your office and microwave the meat until its steaming/popping! :)

So I shouldn't eat lunchmeats cold? like low salt ham or turkey?

Angie- if you are pregs, NO!!! anything that is presliced needs to be avoided or heated very hot to kill the bacteria/listeria!!

someone told me that turkey lunch meat is fine... and why wouldnt it be?...

the only thing my Dr told me was that you need to make sure all your meat is cooked well done, and dont eat raw pepperonis. Lol, nothing about not eating cold lunch meat, I could see like ham or salami, but turkey should be fine... I ate turkey sandwhiches... but they were from the left over turkey from Thanksgiving, which was cooked thouroughly in the oven... that kind of turkey is ok, right?

it is not recommended to eat lunch meat (even pre-cooked) unless you reheat it!! Anything preslided...here is an article to better explain:

"There are at least two areas of concern in regard to eating lunch meats while you are pregnant: nitrates and listeria.

Pre-packaged lunch meats often contain high levels of a preservative called sodium nitrate. There have been few studies related to the effect of sodium nitrates on pregnancy, but some experts suggest that nitrates may cause problems during pregnancy.

The biggest concern with lunch meats during pregnancy is the risk of listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can be found in deli meats as well as vegetables and processed foods. This bacteria can cause an illness known as Listeriosis, which can cause any number of problems during pregnancy such as:

- Miscarriage

- Premature delivery

- Infection to the newborn

- Death to the newborn (about 1/4 of the cases of perinatal Listeriosis result in stillbirth or neonatal death.)

Symptoms of Listeriosis may include mild flu like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches, fever, nausea and vomiting. If the infection spreads to the nervous system it can cause stiff neck, disorientation or convulsions. Infection can occur at any time during pregnancy, but it is most common during the third trimester when your immune system is somewhat suppressed. Be sure to contact your health care provider if you experience any of these symptoms.

To avoid getting listeriosis from cold cuts, reheat the cold cuts until steaming. In addition, avoid soft cheeses, refrigerated pates, uncooked seafood, and practice safe food handling"

I ate turkey lunch meat- while pregnant- I did not eat it everyday or every few weeks, my doc told me everything in moderation (EXCEPT things like alcohol or smoking, drugs etc)

well im sure that can happen in some cases, but im sure a little bit of cold turkey is not going to hurt anyone who is pregnant... im going to ask my Dr again when I go to my visit in 2 weeks...