christmas and food

[*noni*e*]

hi there,
i recently found out i was pregnant.. im around 5 weeks so at chrissi ill be around 8.. as well as worrying about being sick ive now started to worry about food... at christmas, because im fussy, generally i eat mostly cold bbq chicken and things like pasta salads etc.. im worried because ive heard i cant eat these things now is that right? i know i avoided them when preg with dd... so im just wondering whether i can eat these things or not.. and if i can what should i tell people? we werent planning on telling family till 12 weeks and now with this im worried people are going to think im rude.. ahhhhhhhh help!!!
TIA

[ClareBear28]

Sorry to break it to you hun, but you're right - pasta salad (bought pre-packaged from the supermarket) is a definite no-no as is coleslaw etc (however homemade is fine as long as it's appropriately refrigerated). As for the bbq chicken - check out this booklet assembled by the NSW Food Authority, it is fairly comprehensive in the dos and dont's of food during pregnancy :
http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/...y-brochure.pdf

I have printed out a hard copy to keep at work and at home in case I need to check up on something. Hope it's helpful to you

[SamiH]

IMO Listeria risk is too high and just not worth taking the risk

Lots of people will say - I ate ham and soft serve and seafood etc - but again my opinion only - I wouldn't risk it personally. It is only for 8 months you don't eat these foods, a small sacrifice to make.

Even with green salads be careful of lettuce and things that they have been properly washed, not prepared on boards used for meat etc.

Seems like a lot, but it will become second nature for you.

[Snacks]

Congrats on the pregnancy, noni!
There's another thread going around about this atm too... Have a looky here: christmas lunch/dinner.
If you can stick to the really hot stuff you should be fine! And hey, if people think you're fussy, never mind. A few weeks later they'll learn why!

[*noni*e*]

hey guys thanks for the advice..
looks like we might have to tell people early because i actually dont eat meat except for mince and chicken lol i used to be vegetarian but got very sick and low in iron and these are now the only ones i can stomach.. so at christmas like i said ppl just buy a bbq chicken and some salads for me n if i dont tell them ill have nothing to eat... ughh its all so complicated.. thanks again for the advice tho

[BeautifulMadness]

i ate ( and am now) soft serve but i have a massive craving for it so i cant help it lol yummm
i agree eat all the hot food

[briggsy's girl]

have you thought of offering to provide the chook yourself - and maybe a light tossed salad

by the guidelines, if you cook the chook thoroughly, and then make sure it's refrigerated and eaten within 24 hours, it should be fine for you to eat

and the salad, at least if you prepare it yourself, you know that everything is cleaned properly kwim?

[Maybebabie]

I assume your going to someone else's house. Perhaps you could just tell the person in charge of the food of your situation and come up with some food ideas together.

I am sorta in the same boat in that I will be 12 weeks on Christmas Eve and we have decided to tell on Christmas Day. But I will be at my in laws for a week beforehand and they are not the best with food. They keep leftovers for ages and sometimes only offer this for dinner/lunch. Since they live on a farm it is not quite as easy as popping down to the shops to grab something else it has to be slightly better planned. They already roll their eyes at my preferences when eating sandwhichs etc. They find no butter and no sauces eg mayo a strange thing. I have even made my father in law recook my steak when he served in too rare and I wasn't even preg then! I am fussy about food generally which from a family of 4 kids they are not used to.

[*noni*e*]

thanks for the suggestions.. with our family its not just one get together its about 5 lol all the divorces and different sides of dps and my families it gets really rediculous and yep none of them are at our place...
maybebabie - ikwym about the families not understanding dp comes from a very non fussy family and they find it difficult to feed me anyway and now i cant eat the one easy thing they found to have at the get togethers for me eeeeek!!
briggsys girl - do u need to cook the chicken urself? can it be a bought one as long as its cooked in the last 24 hours or thats not good either? ughh so confused!

[briggsy's girl]

that link that claire posted said bbq chook is ok if it's fresh and cooked through - but it's in the "be careful" not the safe zone. for me, i can do bb chook, cos i don't trust anyone, so always take them home to cook for another half hour in the oven to make sure it's done through. i also buy from a shop that i trust, and know when the chooks come out of the cooker seeing we've gone there forever. my folks do the same - so for me, bbq chook is ok (though i have gone of it) - i'd just be careful to do it myself (or have mum do it) - for anyone else, i just wouldnt' have that confidence in it being cooked through kwim?

the other option is to cook a breast fillet the way you like it - that way it can be done fresh on the day...

[mbear]

Congrats on the 'unofficial' announcement Noni !!

dp comes from a very non fussy family and they find it difficult to feed me anyway and now i cant eat the one easy thing they found to have at the get togethers for me eeeeek!!

......my family is the same....after all these years of being vege my mum still asks me 'would you like some ham dear'....UGH !!!!!!!! Cooking your own breast of chicken is a great idea. There are some delic recipies around for salads.....theres yummy quiche recipies too . Good luck !!!!

[satya]

I say just out yourself. It will make it a lot easier. I was already out by Xmas last year and still found it hard because most people just don't realise what you can't eat. People would think they had pregnancy friendly food that I could eat but in actual fact I couldn't. You also wont have to explain why you don't want an alcoholic drink & it will make the festive season so much more enjoyable.

I remember the one Xmas function I attended the week before coming out. My mum had cooked a chook for me & bought it with her & I only ate it as soon as it came out. Everything else was pretty much salad that I didn't know how it had been prepared or with dressing on it & loads of chicken & deli meats. It was so hard to keep saying no I don't feel like that when people encouraged me to eat other stuff. I managed to have lots of dessert though as there were nice slices & short breads that I could tuck into. Afterwards I wished I'd come out at the celebration. Many of the relos at that function I didn't see until after I gave birth so I never got to discuss my pregnancy with any of them. If I could do it over I would've announced my pregnancy & enjoyed it all the more.

[SophieRose]

I'm amazed i've found it so easy not to eat alot of the stuff that pregnant women can't eat.
despite alot of it being my favorites!!
although, i did eat a thingie of pasta salad from woolies the other night, then found out the next day that i can't eat it!!
it's going to suck not eating seafood, cause i LOOOVE seafood, especially prawns and crab.
but my whole family knows about the bub by now so i can organise something and not have to worry.
But hun, best of luck eh.
I agree with Maybebabie, just tell the person in charge of food, and work something out with them.

[SophieRose]

holy crap! you've gotta be kidding me? i can't eat parsley???? i love parsley, i grow a heap of it! i always walk past and eat it.....*cries*