Deli Meat

[angela418]

I really wanted a sandwich today so my husband cooked some ham deli meat over the stove in a pan and put it on a sandwich for me so that the heating would kill any listeria in it - but I am still paranoid.  It was the Hillshire Farms in the tub w/ the red lid.  I know we aren't supposed to eat it unless it's cooked to kill listeria.  This is the first time since being pregnant that I ate any.  Any thoughts on this?  Am I worrying for no reason?

[angela418]

Thanks y'all.  This worrying about everything is seriously cramping my style.  Not that I lived carefree before, but I wasn't this bad!  LOL  Right after I ate the sandwich I was worrying for like an hour and of course reading that you don't see listeria symptoms until 2-10 days after contamination didn't help either - but the chance of getting it is really small anyways.  Plus, it's such a new item that they added to the list of things we can't eat that certainly tons of women have eaten sandwiches and had millions of healthy babies.  Just writing this makes me almost laugh at the things I now worry about!  And the thought that it'll only get worse once our son is born - like MaryAK said!  LOL  Ah, the joys of pregnancy!  :-)  

[mikaleen]

The biggest risk for Listeria is the freshly sliced meats from behind the deli counter, that has no preservative.  There is no way to know how long the meat has been left out in the open for contamination.  I wouldn't worry about the sandwich you ate...in the first trimester all I could keep down was the turkey club from Panera Bread. I wasn't supposed to eat it but there was absolutely nothing else I could eat.  5 years ago with my daughter I wasn't even told to avoid lunch meat, and I ate it throughout my whole pregnancy with her.

[MaryAK]

My doctor said I can eat ham, roast beef and turkey lunch meat.  I have had turkey b/c i don't like the other stuff, but i heated it up, first.  You'll be fine.  Being pregnant not only comes with aches and pains and discomfort but also an unending need to worry.  Oye!  I'm super paranoid about everything.  The scary thing is, I don't think I'll ever be able to relax again b/c once the baby comes, i'll be paranoid about everything with her!

[MichiganBaby5]

I would not worry. The doctors told me that the meat they sell in the grocery store is quite safe. The longer you keep the more chance you have of it becoming contaminated, but they said as long as it is cooked to the point it is steaming you will be fine.