Worried about food choice

[JLew]

Hey, first post so any help is appreciated. I am 6wks pregnant. I heard sage is bad during pregnancy? However, I didn't discover this until after I had eaten a Tesco sandwich. (Craving- Roast chicken, bacon and stuffing sandwich with mayo). The Mayo had pasteurized egg in it so that was safe. Thank you in advance.

[Newyeae]

I have read that afew common herbs are to be avoided in pregnancy but I would not worry about the very very small amount that you had in your sandwich. Reading up on it apparently it is best to avoid basil, rosemary, sage, parsley, coriander, lemongrass, tumeric, nutmeg. However if you accidently injest a small amount I am sure it is fine. I have missed tomato and basil pasta but it has alot of basil leaves so have resisted it. The main one is definitely rosemary to avoid.

[JLew in reply to Newyeae]

Thank you so much I had no idea about rosemary. It might be because I don't really like it. That puts my mind at ease. There is only a small amount considering stuffing is made up of more than sage thinking about it.

[Mum-of-three-to-be in reply to JLew]

If we should avoid them like we do alcohol and unpasteurized cheese it would be known!!!!!! I bet if you ask 10 doctors or midwives they will all negate it. These spices and herbs are good for our immune system and health as they kill bacteria and lots of other good jobs.

Avoiding them and getting obsessed about it is more harmful due to the stress and thought processes.

In the right amount, anything can be a medicine and in the wrong everything can be a killer.

Advice from a toxicilogist.

[Lyndsaytw79]

It’ll be fine don’t worry

[JLew in reply to Lyndsaytw79]

Thank you so much

[Hidden]

It’s only in medicinal amounts! You are absolutely fine to have Rosemary on your spuds or sage in your stuffing. Same for coriander, parsley etc. Just don’t take any herbal supplements for an extended amount of time. The best source of reliable info for what you can/can’t eat is here nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy...

All the best for the rest of your pregnancy! X

[JLew in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better. I'm seeing the Midwife next week so she can make sure I am on the right kind of diet Thank you x

[Mum-of-three-to-be in reply to JLew]

You are pregnant and not sick. The best diet is the one based on wholemeal, oats, greens, fruit and fish. No alcohol...as it is the most toxic of all foods.

Remember women have healthy pregnancies in the middle of a rainforest and in the Sahara desert and in rural villages with no access to any medical professional advise. One thing they do though is wholemeal foods. As the word says they are whole and make you feel that way so no cravings of sudden hunger...

[Hidden]

There is nothing wrong with herbs added to food during pregnancy. As Bexicles2016 says it's only if you take it through herbal supplements that might cause an issue but even then the evidence isn't conslusive. I'm half way through my pregnancy and have been eating herbs throughout, including rosemary on lamb and roast potatoes etc, am me and baby are fine. Just stick with the list of foods to avoid on the nhs website and you'll be fine.

[JLew in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! Oh, that is great news! It puts me at ease when someone says they've been fine. I will take another look at it. All the best through the rest of your pregnancy! x

[Hidden in reply to JLew]

Thanks! I know it can be a stresful time but try not to worry too much, especially about food. They only recommend you stay away from certain foods because of increased risk, that doesnt mean that if you eat it by accident or before you knew you were pregnant that things will go wrong.

[Angel90]

Don't worry about herbs dear. Just stop drinking coffee and tea which contain more caffeine in it. Good luck ahead

[Hidden in reply to Angel90]

A small amount of caffiene during pregnancy is fine

[roxannacar]

I ate all sorts of herbs with both my pregnancies no issues. I'd have a look on the NHS website which is pretty sensible about advice

[Asharna]

Many people will tell you not to eat certain things... however... for us to be populating today it couldnt have been all bad back then when eating wasn't even a worry. I would say keep an eye on fish intake as it has vitamin A... sea food is the main concern with pregnancy. I have tuna cravings but I try to avoid it every now and then. I'll have a tuna pasta bake about twice a week and find something different during the other days. And just make sure that when it comes to coleslaw or mayonnise... that it's come from supermarket containers due to the egg. If it is homemade which you may find when ordering in pubs.. I wouldn't eat too much of it however I have had no problem eating it maybe 3 times a month when going out for a meal.