The Six Biggest Pregnancy Myths
In defense of sushi, cheese, hair dye — and common sense.
by L.J. Williamson
January 28, 2008
As I was preparing to leave the hospital after the birth of my son, a nurse sat me down and solemnly told me that it was very important, while breastfeeding, to "avoid all spicy foods like Mexican or Indian."
I imagined a sari-clad wife cradling a newborn and looking on sadly as her Mexican husband cleared their refrigerator of tikka masala, pork vindaloo, and chorizo sausage, restocking it with a twelve-month supply of Swanson's Hungry Man Meatloaf Dinners.
That can't be how it works. Once I stopped to examine the numerous warnings given to pregnant and nursing women for cultural bias and scientific rigor, I found out that even the experts don't always agree, and that the further you travel from the U.S., the further you get from our own particular belief system. For instance, unlike we cautious Americans, in France, pregnant women enjoy wine, in Japan, they order sushi, and in Mexico and India, they do in fact keep right on eating spicy food.
Pregnancy Spookers: The Big Six
1. Step away from the soft cheese!
What? Exposure to listeria bacteria during pregnancy can lead to health problems in the newborn.
Oh, relax! The term "soft cheeses" doesn't include things like cream cheese or cottage cheese, and Cheez-Whiz is a-o.k. too (at least listeria-wise). It's the imported, mold-ripened, raw-milk cheeses, aged less than 60 days, that you have to watch out for, which is why they've been banned by the FDA. If a raw-milk cheese has been aged more than 60 days, it carries a very low listeria risk, and if it's been pasteurized, you're in good shape. The CDC still warns that safe-siders avoid Brie, blue-veined cheeses and queso fresco. But even these are okay if they're served hot. Mmm, grilled brie, anyone?
2. F-F-F-F-Fish? Are you crazy? It's chock full of mercury!
What? Mercury can lead to developmental delays in the fetus, and high mercury levels have been detected in some, but not all, types of fish.
Oh, relax! Avoid daily consumption of high-mercury fish like shark, tilefish, and mackerel and you avoid the risk. According to a joint release by the FDA and the EPA, fish like light canned tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish are fine, plus they're a great source of lean protein.
3. Get away from that litter box! You'll get toxoplasmosis!
What? Toxoplasmosis is a serious disease which can cause blindness and brain damage in the unborn infant, as well as stillbirth or preterm labor.
Oh, relax! If you want a handy ticket out of nine months of litter box duty, stop reading right here. But if the job is yours alone, don't panic; a study in the July 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal found "No association between toxoplasmosis and having a cat, litter box cleaning or having a cat that hunts." The real risk factors are eating undercooked lamb, beef or game, contact with soil, and travel outside Europe and North America. So pet your cat, cook your lamb, wear gloves in the garden, and wash your hands after you clean the litter box (like all decent people do anyway).
Continued on Page 2
It would be impossible for a pregnant woman to follow every last piece of advice anyway, because so many warnings contradict each other. Don't drink during pregnancy, unless you're having Braxton-Hicks contractions — then your midwife might tell you to have a glass of beer or wine to relax them. Eat plenty of vegetables during your pregnancy, but don't touch that salad — it's raw, and might have toxoplasmosis. And don't smoke, unless you're having severe morning sickness — then some medical marijuana might help. And because Omega-3's are so important to your baby's brain, have some salmon — no wait, don't have any, because all the fish are swimming with mercury. Getting ready to tear out your hair yet? Go ahead, as long as you don't dye it — hair dye is poisonous, you know. And the list goes on. Trying to sort out all of the advice — both "expert" and folk — is like riding the Tilt-a-Whirl. And pregnant women aren't supposed to do that either.
I almost burst into sobs when I first learned that sushi — one of my favorite dining pleasures — was on the forbidden list. My doctor consoled me. "Many of my patients tell me they're avoiding sushi when they're pregnant, but I never hear anyone say they're cutting out fast-food hamburgers, and with those you run a comparable risk of e. coli," says obstetrician Daphna Trites. Yet because sushi is a much more recent addition to American culture than the hamburger, it's subject to greater suspicion. Plus, sushi is raw.
"There's no doubt that cooked foods have a lower incidence of food-borne illness than raw foods do; fire is a great invention," says Dr. Michael Broder, author of The Panic-Free Pregnancy. But while a case of salmonella or e. coli certainly isn't the way you want to spend your weekend, it won't endanger your pregnancy. "Most food-borne illness is not likely to affect the baby, and very few infections can be transferred," Dr. Broder says.
©2008 L.J. Williamson and Nerve Media
About the Author
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L.J. Williamson is a writer from Los Angeles. Her complaints have been printed in The Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, and Utne, to name a few. She lives with her husband, Monkey Man, and their two children, Fifi Bird
and Sugar Guy. Her website is ljwilliamson.com. |
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