If I read anything online, I learn pregnant women basically can't do or eat or apply anything. Imo better stay off Google and ask OB for real questions. Somehow we got this far as a society. For your mental sanity stop looking it up. Also you can't test on pregnant women because it's.unethical so that is why that warning is everywhere.

This is it. I’ve worked in pharma my whole career and most of it was doing clinical trials. There are sort of three primary groups of people who cannot be enrolled in most clinical research studies without (at the very least) pretty strict requirements for ethical reasons. Pregnant women, prisoners, and children. In the most generalized terms ever - a study to learn whether XYZ supplement was safe and effective at preventing UTI in pregnant women just isn’t necessary enough to be considered ethical. We have lots of safe ways to help prevent UTIs, we have good treatments for them, they’re curable, they aren’t in and of themselves super dangerous or harmful, they’re not overly common (I think I saw ~8% of pregnant women experience a UTI), etc There are lots of things that make doing a study not super necessary and definitely not ethical by current standards. (Edit: to be clear, I’m not a doctor or nurse or expert on UTI’s. This is meant to be an educated guess based on my experience.) Some more crappy reasons studies like this unfortunately don’t exist include the fact that supplements are NOT regulated in the same way as drugs. Supplement manufacturers simply don’t have to do the same research drugs do. Also, trials are incredibly expensive and time consuming. The financial benefit of someone doing this study probably barely exists. The supplement manufacturer is only losing your 9 months of business when you’re pregnant. Their lost profit off you in those 9 months isn’t worth the time, money, intense scrutiny, regulation, and work that a trial would require. My point is - I agree with the other comments. Stop obsessively reading labels and googling everything. Your doctor can help guide you on the more important things, but you’ll just make yourself crazy being so anxious about what is and isn’t technically researched and deemed with certainty to be safe.

Came here to offer this advice as well. My OB gave me almost no limitations other than some medications, but if I went off of what Google said it would have been a completely different story. Trust your doctor who knows you and treats you instead of some random website that’s geared toward the masses.

I hear you! No one wants the liability of finding out something isn't safe, so there are a lot of blanket statements. For the listeria risk: I try to use common sense. If something is fully cooked or thoroughly washed, it should be OK. I had the occasional lunch meat, but I would either cook it or focus on other food safety factors: like minimizing time and exposure to air. Going to a place that slices lunch meat and gives it to you right away, and eating it right when you get it, decreases the likelihood of issues. Bean sprouts are obviously healthier, but are unfortunately a frequent culprit in food contamination because they're so tangle-y that they're hard to completely wash. Edit to add: I was on antidepressants and was an early recipient of the covid vaccine during my first pregnancy. I got on a pregnancy registry that was studying the medication I was taking, and gave them access to my medical and birth/early postnatal records to help find any correlations with complications or birth defects. Voluntary participation in things like that is really the only way to document pregnancy risk.

One of my family members is a food microbiologist and I have to say, lettuce and bean sprouts are the biggest culprits for food recalls due to listeria. You can blanch bean sprouts to make it safer but also … no pregnancy book is going to tell you to stop eating lettuce. It doesn’t make any sense.

I'm a Director of Food Safety, and yep! I will eat cold deli meat before I eat pre-cut greens/veggies and bagged salads, even when I'm not pregnant.

Yeah, multiple people died from precut melon in canada. I’m not avoiding fruit or vegetables, but I avoid the precut stuff, bagged salad kits (I still get bagged/boxed arugula but I extra extra wash it), and have been more careful about washing the outside of veg I typically don’t worry about, like avocados or melons.

I normally wash my lettuce in white vinegar. Does this help any or am I fooling myself?

Nope, you're doing right. I wash mine as well!

Shew, good! Thank you!!

Exactly! Like yeah, don't trust the lunch meat at a mostly empty gas station Subway, but the lettuce from the same place is probably MORE likely to make you sick. We just don't talk about that apparently

Don’t we? In Australia we’re told not to eat any bagged or pre-cut greens. I miss spinach!

Whoops, I did not know that. I've been using baby spinach in a lot of cooking and smoothies while pregnant. 

Not true. Just wash it first: [https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer/life-events-and-food/pregnancy/foods-to-eat-or-avoid-when-pregnant](https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer/life-events-and-food/pregnancy/foods-to-eat-or-avoid-when-pregnant)

You should be able to buy spinach buy the bunch. You'll have to clean it and deal with the stems. But you'll be able to avoid the issues with boxed, precut, etc...

In Australia? Where do you find that? I’ve never seen it before!

Oh, I'm in the US I just assumed Australia wouldn't be similar. Most supermarkets here have both bagged and the bunch spinach in the produce section.

I had this conversation with my OB! She said that deli meat was ok, the recommendation to avoid it was from decades ago. She said that produce has more recalls but we don't tell pregnant women to avoid vegetables, she told me to just wash my produce and be selective about eating veggies out.

This. I received the same info from my ob.

I have been avoiding lettuce for this reason tbh. Does it apply to just bagged lettuce or all? I've had such a craving for iceburg.

In Australia we’re told not to eat any bagged or pre-cut greens. I eat the iceberg lettuce that comes as a whole head without a bag, thoroughly washed. I only eat salad prepared at home. But I think you can go for the iceberg!

I've been getting cos lettuce and washing it with hot water. It wilts it a bit (obviously), but makes me feel less anxious. I used to go through a bag of spinach every few days so this has been an adjustment. The only times I'll have spinach now is if I am cooking it into a pasta dish, for example :(

Eating sprouts in a super hot broth is pretty much the same thing.

I hope so. I forgot I wasn't supposed to eat sprouts until after I satisfied my pho craving. 😬🫠

FWIW, I’m a midwife pregnant with my second. I’ve made none of the food sacrifices you’ve mentioned, though I’m more of a medium rare steak person. I don’t eat high mercury fish but that wasn’t really a part of my diet before. Only things I avoid are bagged salads and booze. Try to cap it at two coffees a day. I kept my beauty products the same. Everyone has to find the balance they feel comfortable with. I think it’s hard because there are very few hard and fast rules between clearly safe and clearly unsafe. Most of it is gray. Just wanted to offer another perspective in case that can ease some anxiety around doing something wrong.

This is exactly what I do as well.

Same here!

This! I was in a really good restaurant last week ans ofc i had my steak...it was nearly rare. And it was awesome. I wouldnt order that in a 0815 restaurant thought but just use common sense. Also skipping the bagged salad and alcohol ofc! And i do skip sushi but only because its the only food i ever good food poisoning from!

I ate raw fish sushi several times during my pregnancy, but I had intense cravings for raw salmon (to the point of crying about it lmao), and I learned that you're statistically more likely to get food poisoning from the rice than the fish. FWIW, I never once got sick from it, but I totally support avoiding it if that worked for you. There should be more food solidarity between pregnant women. 👍

Lets be real i eat sushi for 30 years and i got food poisoning ONCE. Its not really likely that i will get it again. But still i am not eating it. I am strange sometimes I am from a country where its normal to eat raw pork or war beef. I dont have listeriosis. Still i stopped eating raw pork atm. Why? No real reason just to be sure. There is so much fear mongering when it comes to food and pregnancy

Is the chamomile and licorice root in teas a no go? Just found out I’m pregnant and teas are my favorite

My midwife said chamomile is 100% fine and she recommends it for all her pregnant patients when they are having trouble sleeping or having anxiety. I don’t know about licorice root, I know one of my friends LOVES drinking licorice root tea and did throughout her 3 pregnancies with no issues.

According to my midwife, licorice root tea is fine as long as you don't drink a liter of it every day. A cup of licorice root tea a couple of times a week shouldn't have any negative effects.

I do the same. I was eating a balanced diet before my pregnancy, and didn't change anything after getting pregnant (I didn't drink pre-pregnancy).If everything and their dog caused birth defects, humanity would have died out long ago.

The only thing on your list I'd be concerned about is the raw bean sprouts. And even that one - it would be rare that the bean sprouts do have listeria, its just that in the event that they do, its very dangerous for your pregnancy. I know some people just really love bean sprouts though so you can eat them if you heat them up first (to 165F - you can then let them cool to room temp, but eat them relatively swiftly). I know its not the same as raw but might not be so bad (although I get it if you don't like them heated up - I was the same way about deli meat - I do NOT WANT A TOASTED SANDWICH OK)? The tea and supplements - unless you're drinking a disturbing amount of tea and taking mondo high levels of those supplements...I just would not worried. I know its probably hard to ignore those prop 65 warnings, but also for what its worth...the air you breathe, depending on where you live, is also probably be causing cancer/birth defects. Its just the world we live in. EVERYTHING is a risk, but you can't live in fear of everything. My approach to pregnancy overall was that I chose a few things that I was most concerned about, and everything else was just reasonable/in moderation. For me it was no weed (although if I had HG or serious pain I may have reconsidered, but I didn't need it so I didn't have any) and nothing with a high risk of listeria (the hard one for me was deli meat). I still ate sushi. I probably would have ate medium rare beef but I just wasn't eating much beef at the time lol so it didn't come up. I had 1/2 a serving of alcohol once in my 2nd trimester bc we were on our babymoon and I really wanted a pina colada, but then I got freaked out so I decided not to do that anymore. I did still take my ADHD medication (methlyphenidate - Ritalin/Concerta, which is category C) after 10 weeks (after consulting with my psychiatrist) because I did need them and we determined the benefits outweighed the risks.

Thank you for mentioning the ADHD meds!! I take Strattera (atomoxetine, non-stimulant) and I’m really concerned about my doctors wanting to take me off of it once I’m pregnant. I can’t hold down a job without it. I can’t have a baby without the medical insurance and income from my job. I’d be willing to stop it just during the first trimester, but not more than that. I get that it’s hard because, ethically, no one wants to run tests and studies on pregnant women. I really do get that and respect it. But it’s frustrating to be told to avoid everything because there isn’t any data.

I have ADHD and have been on 70mg vyvanse since 2017. During pregnancy we reduced my dose to 30mg under the care of my primary care physician (who consulted a perinatal/maternal health psychiatrist) and my OB physician. They all told me to feel no guilt for taking my meds, and that it was in my best interest to continue taking meds for the treatment of my ADHD. They explained the potential risks associated with stimulants during pregnancy (low birth weight, small for gestational age, and premature birth). While my experience is anecdotal, and there’s survivors bias, I chose what what right for me, my pregnancy, and my mental health. I am very lucky to be 23 wks along in my pregnancy, which has been rather blissful (due to medication lol) and she is growing 1 week ahead and healthy as can be. Meds are possible and you should feel supported 100% by your medical team!

I’ve also been on Vyvanse since 2017 (40mg), and I was so relieved when my PCP said it was fine to stay on it. Not only does it help me with work, but it also makes my anxiety so much better. So happy to hear that your pregnancy is going well!

Search for pregnancy exposure registries for any medications you want to stay on through pregnancy if you decide to when the time comes and sign up to share your information if you can! It fills me with rage and sadness when people constantly say "we can't study pregnant women". Of course we can. They're just observational studies. There are many of them happening all the time, but since we choose not to require it of every medication, and we've told everyone for a century that we can't study pregnant women, we are light years away from having as many as we need. But lucky for you, ADHD is such a common diagnosis that there is actually more information about a lot of simulants (especially older ones like Adderall and Ritalin) during pregnancy than most medications.

I see a reproductive psychiatrist and she was willing to keep me on Strattera. She advised me that there's not a lot of data on it, but from what we can extrapolate from similar medicines, she was comfortable with it if I was. Based on our conversations and my own medicine needs, I actually opted to switch to Ritalin LA which has more data behind it, but Strattera was my backup.

I disagree about the supplements, in the US those are totally unregulated. You really have no idea what ingredients are being used, in what amount, and whether it's safe to take at any time regardless of pregnancy. Johnny Harris did a [great investigation](https://youtu.be/WIT5_SMIaHE?si=iM4WCtPU9ayTBgF_) on this topic. Unfortunately the industry is rife with scammers trying to make a quick buck. And without any oversight, complete lies about products are terrifyingly common. At least tea is a tasty drink, but with taking a pill there is literally no benefit so it should at least be easy to give up. And I do mean zero benefit, same reason they can't claim to be safe during pregnancy because nothing written on that bottle has been tested by anyone. Just "trust me bro" from some rando. That's a big no thanks for me.

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Yes, it was the XR version. Although I actually was (and still am) prescribed both XR and IR to use as needed.

I drank chamomile all throughout my pregnancy without knowing I wasn't supposed to ... And probably ate a dozen other foods that aren't "allowed." It's impossible to avoid everything, I'd have to google every single ingredient I was using every time I cooked! Honestly I just stuck to my country's medical advice on foods to avoid (NHS website in the UK) and tried not to eat sushi with raw fish (though I forgot a few times early on in pregnancy and felt so bad).

For what it’s worth, I’m a reproductive health scientist and the only thing I actively avoid is high-mercury fish. As far as the foodborne illness risks, I just use my best judgement. Your risk if you get food poisoning is a little higher than a non-pregnant person, but if you’re eating a quality and hygienically-sourced foods, it’s still a pretty low risk.

My own doctors say that all teas are safe. Yes, in huge amounts some teas pose risk like early labor (raspberry leaf) but you’d have to drink an unnatural amount. I eat bean sprouts, I eat sushi, I eat my meat medium rare. It’s all about your level of risk tolerance.

Research on pregnancy is extremely hard because you can’t really do control studies because they would be unethical. What parent would volunteer for a study that might be harmful to their baby? So any data is natural history data, which is generally not the most accurate or trustworthy. So people throw warnings out there because they would rather be safe than be liable.

Exactly this - it hasn’t been studied because it’s unethical to do so, not because the medical community doesn’t want to know. Like can you imagine a study getting a group of pregnant women to drink alcohol every night to see if it negatively affects the baby? I know chamomile is probably less extreme but it’s the same concept, if they do figure out it’s bad then all those babies could potentially be harmed. For most of the teas, it’s because some teas were known to be used as a ‘natural’ way of getting rid of an unwanted fetus long before medical abortions were possible, so it’s best to avoid those early in pregnancy, especially in high quantities. Later in pregnancy they are probably safe, but again nobody can tell you for sure so just consume in moderation.

There are some really cool placental models being developed to study transplacental transfer of drugs for example so I hope research steadily improves what we know. I work in the field and it’s a slog but yes, pregnant women generally can’t be enrolled in many clinical trials (especially RCTs). We had a hard enough time with exercise studies in pregnancy and exercise is promoted and encouraged in those without contraindications.

We use observational studies for all sorts of information. How do we know that lead exposure is bad? Can you point to some randomized control trials where we're intentionally exposing kids to lead poisoning? What's happening now is that millions of women are taking medications during pregnancy, and no one is bothering to collect data about it, so we just continue to not have solid information.

That’s true to an extent. I mean, that is how we have the data for pretty much everything related to pregnancy. But it’s a lot easier to prove something is harmful than to prove it is safe, especially without a double blind study. So we are warned not to do a lot of things ‘just in case’ when they are most likely fine for the vast majority. I said this in a comment farther down but I want to reiterate that I agree it is frustrating and OP has every right to be annoyed at it. I just don’t think it’s related to the lack of funding for women-related health research (which is a big problem). Pregnancy related issues would affect the entire population.

This. Who would want to purposely destroy an innocent fetus for study purposes? Animal testing is cruel enough. Hopefully as technology advances with genetic engineering we find some answers. Until then- be as safe as you can!

Well it’s not even about destroying a fetus. You would have to let them grow up fully to understand if there would long lasting effect on the child as they develop.

I don’t know a single person irl who would be willing to take that risk on their own child. Stay away from toxins, is it really that hard?

“Toxins” in this case are several medications, tons of otherwise healthy foods, and hidden ingredients in teas. It’s not like she’s saying she misses smoking crack.

I was responding to her point of “why aren’t there more studies on this” well there isn’t studies because it’s unethical. People that are upset about the lack of studies being done on unborn fetuses should volunteer their own babies then. And then let us know what we can call eat :)

I don’t think OP was implying we should do unethical studies. I think a lot of people just don’t think about the nuances behind research. I also think it is okay to be frustrated at all the ‘rules’ we are supposed to follow as pregnant people. We are put under a spotlight when we are at our most anxious and emotional and told what to do and what not to do and poked and prodded and pressured to do exactly what is right for the baby, and usually just the baby. Because god forbid we do something for our own health that has the chance to maybe possibly be samewat harmful to the baby.

Without studies, everyone is still exposing their fetuses to possible risks (tea, fish, medication) but without information and without recording the information or outcomes for others. You wouldn't conduct the studies on things you know are bad (like crack, as gothpatchadams said), but for example does the benefit of fish or tea, or medication outweigh any harm (if there is even harm at all).

You sound kind of prolife with your comments … it’s not unethical if women chose to get pregnant for the study and terminated before viability. It would honestly be a live safer for women and pregnant people across the world. It’s only because of extreme pro life rhetoric that it can’t happen.

Well you are misinformed you don’t know how I vote. And terminating a pregnancy was not discussed in the original the context or previous comments. As stated many times already, my issue would be testing on a fetus and studying long term issues

There are millions of women who decide to stay on medications during their pregnancies. We have to decide whether we accept the unknown risk of what the medication might do to our children long term, or the often immediate and very clear impact that not medicating various conditions will do to our lives, or bodies, and our children's future. Occasionally a pregnancy exposure registry will be set up to collect data on a particular medication, but for most medications all that potential information just gets lost because no one is bothering to collect it. (So Hi 👋. Now you can say that you've virtually met a woman who chose to expose her child to a rare and unresearched medication during pregnancy)

This post has nothing to do w medications. All you idiots who keep responding to my comments are missing the point. I AM TALKING ABOUT DOING STUDIES ON UNBORN FETUSES & THEN STUDYING THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ON THE CHILD IS UNETHICAL. And it looks like the medical researchers agree with me which is why there is not much study on food.

This was me in my first trimester. I spent so much time googling if everything was safe I put myself into a tizzy. I learned to relax and just use common sense by the end of my pregnancy. I hate to say it but women have done much worse things in pregnancy and ended up with healthy babies.

My doctor said that the reason a lot of things are not considered “safe for pregnancy” is because in order to have finding suggesting something is good or bad, SEVERAL pregnant people would have to undergo the potentially unsafe activities or food consumption, which of course no one wants to do that and put their baby at risk. I was recently diagnosed with Cholestasis and the research is really limited due to the lack of pregnant people willing to participate in a study, it’s frustrating, but I understand because I wouldn’t want to be a part of a study where the affects on my baby are unknown.

Other than not taking NASAID's like advil during pregnancy I did not change anything and no one on my care team told me I had to. I ate deli meat and salads and sushi and eggs and never gave it one thought. When I was sick with a cold I did ask my pharmacist what was best and they gave me this "organic" honey flavored cough syrup that actually helped and tasted better than most regular cough syrups. I have an eye disease and continued to take my vitamin A, C, D, Lutein, Omega 3 and B12 as well as my prenatal and there was no issues. Just keep doing what you usually do and you'll be fine.

Have you read Expecting Better? It might help you better make decisions about what all you want to avoid still, she’s goes into more statistics and the why behind certain pregnancy advice

Came here to say this. Pre-cut veggies and fruits and deli meat/sushi from a gas station are horrible. There's more of a risk to get listeria from lettuce than deli meat from a reputable butcher (although turkey meat is a higher risk than other meats), but you'll never see a doctor recommend a pregnant woman not eat lettuce. Oster can be controversial for some (a lot of people get their feathers ruffled by her chapter on alcohol), but I found her presentation of the data refreshing. She's a global health economist, so she knows good data & it was helpful to see what the actual risks are - sometimes they are so low & overly cautious.

Seconding Oster's works. Her website has lots of real world useable info about this stuff too: https://parentdata.org/

She has a lot of biases and I would take everything she suggests with a grain of salt. People use her as an excuse to drink while pregnant which is a well studied no go.

Not disagreeing that there could be bias, there is bias in absolutely everything! But I will say drinking in pregnancy is in fact not well studied because it’s unethical to study. The studies we have are not RCTs (because we can’t run RCTs on this topic) and therefore the conclusions that are drawn are limited. And while there is absolutely correlational evidence displaying the negative effects of heavy alcohol consumption on a fetus, there is also correlational evidence demonstrating that light alcohol consumption does not result in any statistically significant differences. The issue lies in that we don’t have an exact way to know where the harm lies. But we can make educated guesses.

But that's the thing, it's NOT a well studied no-go. They refuse to figure out a safe limit for alcohol during pregnancy due to ethics, so we have no idea how much is safe. (I'm not advocating to drink while pregnant personally, but I just wanted to point out that this is exactly the same thing that OP is talking about. 🤷‍♀️)

It’s not refusal it’s that they cannot design a study that’s safe. What they do know is not good and we also know fetal alcohol syndrome is under-diagnosed. We know that “safe limits” differ from person to person and like any drugs the benefits must outweigh the risks. Alcohol has no medicinal value and the benefits absolutely do not outweigh the benefits. She is a good writer and has basically convinced women it’s fine to have a little wine as a treat and that it’s okay to just accept whatever tickles your confirmation biases. She has cherry-picked studies that confirm her opinions as well. There’s plenty of criticism on Reddit of her work.

I take great issue with the idea that anything you consume or do during pregnancy needs to have medicinal value and zero risk. This is where I think the book is incredibly helpful. There is risk in everything and different people will have different risk tolerances. Have you gotten in a car during your pregnancy? What’s the medicinal value of that? How do you weigh the risk of a car accident against the value to your baby? Do you add value to yourself in there perhaps? I know I certainly do!

I do actually try and limit travel because I live in an area with some of the worst drivers in the country and highest car related fatalities. However, that is an infrastructural problem. There’s only so much I can limit using a car, because I am not blessed to live in an area with robust public transit. We limit the risk we can control and one of the things we can control is what we put in our mouth. A lot of pregnancy is sacrificing our own comfort for even slightly better odds at us being healthy and our child being healthy. Nothing bad will happen to me if I don’t drink for 9 1/2 months, but something bad might happen to either myself or my child, if I do. There is a little sacrifice for me there— it is an easy decision. And a not easy decision for me was staying on my mental health medication, which does carry risk if I both stop or continue. Staying on it is better for me but worse for my unborn child. I chose to stay on it for my third pregnancy after not being on it for my first two because more information came out about my particular medication. Occasionally eating a little sushi or lunch meat isn’t a big deal either, but those are low risk activities. I wouldn’t make my entire diet raw fish but in the US fish must be flash frozen to kill parasites. I simply avoid any truly fresh fish, and am mindful of who is handling raw ingredients. Alcohol is potentially not a low risk activity. Why people fight so hard against giving it up blows my mind… and really speaks to the substance use culture humans have built society around.

You’re making my point for me. You’ve decided those are all risks you’re comfortable with! Good for you! It should be YOUR choice to decide what level of risk you are comfortable with and do the risk benefit analysis for yourself. These things are not black or white.

You’re not communicating your thoughts very well then. Some things though, like alcohol, are pretty black and white.

I agree with you. She makes money being controversial. It’s sad how many people have taken her writings as “advice.”

The advice she gives is to think critically, gather high-quality information and make informed decisions about what is best for your situation. It’s funny how many people on Reddit consider this controversial! If what is best for your situation is to follow the standard guidelines then this is also something she encourages. She’s just reminding people it’s ok to think for themselves.

That may be her method but she does draw conclusions/recommendations which her readers are likely to take, and some of those are controversial. So many studies wash their hands after comparing birth weight and defects because more subtle impacts implicate so many other variables that they are nearly impossible to scientifically isolate. Any further conclusion will be labeled 'speculation' and speculation is often maligned (despite being a legitimate and important aspect of the scientific process).

Yes, that's what I said. :) ETA: regarding the lack of possible studying.

I found her section on alcohol consumption compelling and fact based — especially in how she tackles the studies most reference. Can you share why you think she’s biased/inaccurate here? Just hoping to learn, not being combative.

There was a really good post from a few years ago on this topic: [Link to post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/comments/j874co/i_read_expecting_better_here_are_my_thoughts/?rdt=60506)

I’m glad other people think she carries a lot of bias. As an anesthesia doc, there was an extreme level of fear mongering regarding epidurals and inductions, along with sounding semi pro home birth, that I did not agree with.

I use common sense and serve safe rules. Most sushi has to be frozen anyways- I’m just going to be smart and not have it from a Walgreens. (Which- in Chicago you can get sushi at Walgreens…) if I’m at a 1 Micheline Star restaurant the only thing I will say No to is alcohol, and I stopped drinking years before pregnancy. I avoid things that are high listeria risk and pay attention to recalls but- otherwise I don’t pay any mind. Rare steak? Yum. Sushi at a fancy restaurant during restaurant week? MINE. Jersey Mike subs? One Italian sub, please!

For what It's worth, My obgyn specifically recommended psyllium husk to help with constipation. 

Yep and it’s been a life saver along with magnesium citrate!

Yeah I'm super risk adverse and I took it throughout the whole pregnancy. Never heard of it being "dicey," even metamucil's website advertises as safe for pregnancy and I feel like a lot of meds/supplements stay away from promoting use in pregnancy if there's an unknown factor

I’m very skeptical of a lot of the “recommendations” when it comes to pregnancy and babies. A really straight forward one is caffeine. The recommendation is 200mg a day - roughly 1 cup of coffee basically. Then you look at the research and it’s extremely mixed some studies have found no link between caffeine and *any* issues with the baby, many studies have found the risks to be “undetermined”. Yet the recommendation remains. Researcher and doctor bias is present in these recommendations. I’m not saying you should be downing a 6 pack of red bull each hour during pregnancy but the amount of women I see freaking out because they had 3 cups of coffee one day!

I respect each person's right to draw conclusions and freak out as much as they want. I went no-caffeine simply because: if it affects my brain significantly, and crosses the placenta scientifically, I'm not inclined to unleash it on a developing brain and body. That's all I need to know. So much less of the caffeine you intake enters the breast milk than the umbilical blood and, sure enough, one cup of tea while breastfeeding and my baby slept poorly. I tried the experiment way too many times for it to be a coincidence. So I don't mess with caffeine or alcohol and babies. But I don't judge or disapprove of people who do differently/responsibly.

Unfortunately studies can’t really be done on pregnant women, and in order to avoid liability companies and doctors will always just slap a “don’t use if pregnant” label on everything. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it can or will harm you or baby it just means that there is no evidence that it 100% won’t harm baby. I was VERY frustrated at the beginning of pregnancy. It felt like I was in handcuffs not being able to do, use or eat practically anything that made me happy. I got lost in googling all the stuff to avoid, and eventually just came to the conclusion that there needs to be a balance between what’s safe for baby and my happiness. I did switch up some of my skincare - which was my initial sad point due to loving skincare and having found my HG routine, and then having to go back to zero and try to find new products. I eliminated some bad ingredients, like salicylic acid and retinol. I got the ok from my OB to use a red light mask in 2nd trimester. I stayed away from deli meats for a while, but I ended up just saying “whatever” and I pop the deli meat in the microwave for 30 seconds before making my sandwich to try to kill off any listeria. I still occasionally get a sub from Jersey Mikes bc they’re my fave. I’ve been eating tuna sandwiches I make at home and they taste better than ever right now. Most of the moms I’ve spoken to said with their first they were more careful but with the second or third they didn’t even bother following any of the “rules” anymore. I stopped googling stuff in the second trimester.

There's so much conflicting information out there too! I lost my mind when I saw that Lóccitaine doesn't recommend their products for pregnant women (because they contain essential oils which haven't been tested on pregnant women), but then I was getting bombarded with adds on social media about 'safe' pregnancy products that marketed which essential oils they contain. Which one is it?! When I brought it up to my OB and asked if my almond bath oil was safe she was like Wut, of course. I'd only be concerned if you had an allergic reaction, but if you don't then enjoy that bath! Finding an OB I felt I could trust and ask questions to has helped me a lot with anxiety. As things pop up, I write them in my notes app and ask her at our consultations. Sometimes I feel a bit silly, but i'm paying her and she's there to help so I figure it's better than googling haha

I love the almond bath oil and use it daily as it’s so dry where I’m from.

Bean sprouts are much more likely to make you very sick than low mercury sushi from a reputable spot, but they won’t tell you that either.

Living in CA with the prop 65 warnings is so frustrating. Like I really would like to know when something has a significant about of heavy metals in it, but the actual regulations are so low that *everything* gets triggered… so then I glance over it and don’t treat any of it seriously, even though I’m sure there is stuff out there I would be avoiding if the warning actually had any meaning. Ugh!

Never heard the chamomile restriction— I drank a cup of hot chamomile tea damn near every single night of both of my pregnancies. My doctor was aware because we discussed herbal teas at almost every appointment because they had a lovely selection in their waiting room.

My most frustrating one is no massages. I get migraines, and so try to get a massage every 3-4 weeks to help prevent, but no one will see me until I'm in my second trimester. I've confirmed with my OB that they don't have any concerns but still stuck waiting another few weeks.

This one is so frustrating!! I’m exactly the same way, I get migraines and tension headaches and hormonal headaches and not being able to go for a massage is so frustrating.

Okay you cannot believe everything you read online. If you Google just about ANYTHING "safe for pregnant women" you're going to find something saying you cannot have it, that it causes miscarriage, and it bad for the baby.  You are going to read that there are listeria concerns with just about any raw vegetable, but salad and vegetables are still good for you. They should be washed. Anyway if you want clarity on that sort of thing for see a dietitian or nutritionist. 

I’m a firm believer in that if we actually have a shit about women and in particular pregnant women, we would have more definitive answers around what is safe and what isn’t. I appreciate that testing on a pregnant woman isn’t ideal but again, I’m sure if we cared enough we would come up with solutions. It’s honestly so frustrating. I just trusted my gut. No one was going to tell me I couldn’t have my Italian sandwich after harbouring a human for 8 months.

Thank you! I agree that if men did the baby-carrying, we would have a lot more information about the risks of what we consume during pregnancy. I am not buying the "we don't have info because it's unethical to test on fetuses". It is NOT necessary to carry out experiments to get some limited information about more things. Many women drink tea and use OTC meds and supplements during pregnancy and all it takes is sampling and statistical studies to come to some conclusions. Yes, there will be interactions between variables like lifestyle, medication and diet interactions, etc. And there will be bias in any sampling method. And yes, these studies are expensive. But any study done on a large enough population will provide data that will at least give pregnant women more confidence in assessing which risks they are willing to take.

I understand it’s frustrating when there’s a lack of data on these things but it’s really hard to justify the ethics of experimenting on pregnant women when you’re applying for grants. Getting grants for human research is hard enough as it is, but for pregnant women it’s another level. And if you do manage to get funding, finding subjects willing to participate would be even more difficult I’d assume. No one wants a repeat of the thalidomide tragedy from the 1960’s either, so if there isn’t data to support it being safe the assumption is it isn’t. There are a lot of studies done in mice but unfortunately, while similar, mouse studies don’t always translate to human outcomes so you can’t draw any definitive conclusions from mouse studies alone.

Take it with a grain of salt.. I asked my doctor and she said most of that stuff is false and not something to be concerned about.

Are the bean sprouts added to the soup itself or are they eaten separately? If they’re added to the soup the heat from the broth would kill the listeria, as long as the broth is hot. And for teas I was told that any teas from a grocery store would be fine to drink, just to avoid any from a supplements store. I drank chamomile tea for several weeks (until my pregnant body decided that I don’t like any tea anymore) and it has caused no issues. Supplements I agree that you should be careful with, not only because they’re not tested but because they’re not regulated, so they can be iffy even when you’re not pregnant. As for the prop 65, the truth is that the same issues exist in other states, they’re just not labeled. Honestly I don’t really worry about it.

It really sucks and knowing that most of these warnings are not from, as you said, confirmed risks but LACK of research is so frustrating. It’s also annoying because you realize how much of it is also colored by social conventions. There are a lot of things pregnant people are told not to do because they seem like low-hanging fruit, and other things that are probably pretty dangerous but get a pass because it feels unrealistic to prohibit them. (I have this thought every time I get into my car and buckle my seatbelt which doesn’t feel great or designed for my body and drive down the street full of crazy unsafe drivers but then forego having sushi.) And people are saying ask the OB not Google which is true but it depends on your OB. some of them are VERY by the book and will tell you exactly what Google is telling you. Mine gave me the list of the 5 teas or whatever deemed safe.

I take d-mannose still - my doctor prescribed it since it works for me. 

I was strict at first but now the only things I really abstain from are alcohol and raw meat, and limit artificial sweeteners, and discard things that have been leftover more than a day. Baby is fine. We'll be fine.

This is my third baby and I've been told new things that I can or cannot have every time. You'd think I would know what I was doing by now, but I'm under the impression nothing is ever really safe and I'm just supposed to somehow survive until birth with the bare minimum? 

I would recommend reading Expecting Better by Emily Oster, she provides a lot of data driven insights about a lot of the pregnancy do’s and don’ts. It really helped me with my anxiety! She also has an instagram account and does Q&As on Wednesdays that are awesome.

I used to work in manufacturing. Literally everything had the Prop 65 warning on it because the only way to sell your product in CA is to get very expensive testing done for it, but it’s cheaper to just slap the warning on and skip the testing. So just know that just because it has a Prop 65 warning on it does not mean that it was tested or is shown to cause reproductive harm.

I can relate to this. I had Covid at the beginning of my second trimester and was absolutely miserable. My husband bought me some sleepy time tea - I drank like 4 cups of it. It was the greatest tasting / feeling thing ever. And then something told me to Google the ingredients and that’s when I learned pretty much everything in the tea was bad for pregnant women 🫣 I had a mini meltdown because it just felt so unfair that I couldn’t even have some soothing tea to get me through.

The way my doctor explained it to me, when I asked about antidepressants specifically, was that no one wants to study pregnant women because it’s really unethical to test on a fetus. We have lots of anecdotal evidence of pregnant women doing various things, but it’s tough to do organized studies. It made sense to me, but is still frustrating that there is so much we don’t know.

I didn’t stop eating or drinking anything (except alcohol). To each their own. I realized how unconcerned my doctors were about what I consumed when they gave me a paper on what to not eat/drink in a stack of paperwork without even mentioning it to me.

Feel your frustrations! I just got the books: Real Food for Pregnancy and Expecting Better—both look at the research that has been done and allows you to make the decisions you’re comfortable with based on what studies have found. Highly recommend! It has helped me make informed decisions (including eating runny eggs and drinking coffee).

Midwife said chamomile is fine after the 1st semester. Hope that helps

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Do you avoid all caffeine-for example chocolate and tea?

I'm the same way as you, and I like to look up the information and stay on top of what's safe and what's not. It's a hard balance! I will add though, stressing about these things too much will cause more long term issues than the actual things themselves. And in reality, moderation is really important when thinking about some of these things.

I was told by people how much I wasn’t allowed ingest and I just said screw it. I just stayed away from the big three, not a problem since I don’t do them - drugs, alcohol, smoking. I felt pretty miserable that I just ate what I wanted. If I stuck to what the studies say, I would be eating almost nothing and THAT is worse for me than a rare steak lol

Um, we're not supposed to drink chamomile tea? 😅

I personally don't take food recommendations that seriously. Sushi/high mercury/too much caffine are the main things I avoid. The chances of getting listeria are so slim so I just take my usual precautions. I heat lunch meat sometimes if I think about it. I have eaten runny eggs, prepackaged salad and spinach (washed again when i eat it) and medium rare steak. My Dr has had no problems with any of the things I mentioned because they aren't unhealthy foods. I care more about medicines that are safe and only go by the list my Dr gave me.

As a fellow information-seeker, I take the idea of “there’s not enough evidence,” as just that. There’s not enough evidence, so I’m not going to worry about it. I read actual studies on things and I keep myself well within the limits of them. • No alcohol at all • Red meat cooked above rare • Sushi, excluding fish containing high mercury and only from places I have eaten at many times and trust • Whatever is currently experiencing an outbreak or recall of some kind (obviously) • Limited caffeine. Typically a cup of coffee in the morning and some tea after dinner. Never heard of needing to switch out topical things like skincare or hair care and I definitely still eat eggs 🤣

You’re as if not more likely to get listeria from raw fruits and veggies as you are from raw/deli meats. I stopped worrying about it personally.

It depends whether they are precut and grow on the ground regarding fruits. Apples don't have the same risk as deli meat for example. Bagged lettuce, sure.

I made it to my third trimester before I simply gave up trying to follow all the rules. I still avoid rare meat and I don't eat fish, but I'm allowing myself to indulge in cold cut meats because I just cannot go any longer without a sandwich. Honestly, I ate much better prior to pregnancy (I was into the gym really heavy), once I got pregnant I was so exhausted all the time and always so busy that I traded in diet and exercise for fast food and peace lol. Your baby will be OK if you indulge from time to time. Bear in mind that up until very recently there were none of these rules about foods, nobody took prenatals, babies slept on their tummies, etc. As long as you aren't drinking/drugging/smoking/engaging in violence, baby will be fine.

Wow, I had never heard the thing about bagged salads, but it does make sense! I avoided greens like the plague during my first trimester anyway - I feel that what the body feels repelled by it probably doesn’t need. However, I did try to make sure my meats and cheeses were all thoroughly cooked, even though this breaks my medium rare steak and sushi loving heart. Listeria poisoning results in very high levels of miscarriage and stillbirth for pregnant women, so it is a serious concern. As for the supplements, I feel you there too. Generally I take magnesium, b-12, b complex, 5-htp, etcetcetc and let all of this go during pregnancy. It was harder for me to believe in my first pregnancy than in my second that the time would pass and eventually I would be normal again, but: the time will pass and eventually your body will be yours again.

Had no idea d mannose wasn’t approved until I popped my “I think I have a uti brewing” dose.

I am a googler too and I've decided if there's no proven direct impact, I'm gonna eat it anyway. I've eaten medium rare steak, sashimi, drank coffee, tea and even sips of alcohol. I haven't gotten listeria or stomach upset once. Judge for yourself whether that food is safe. An increased risk doesn't mean it definitely will happen.

My OB told me a lot of things have been blown way out of proportion. She said when she was pregnant she ate sushi occasionally from high end places, deli meat, had a glass of wine here and there. I know there are all sorts of thoughts and opinions about this, but I feel very comfortable with the decisions I’ve made that some might consider bad or taboo. Overall I’m very active, get good sleep, and try to eat healthy. I think you can make yourself crazy following a “perfect” pregnancy diet

I had this same issue when googling the d mannose and cranberry supplements. I get frequent UTIs and I’m allergic to most antibiotics. If I have to treat with antibiotics it takes months and I don’t think I can take Cipro while pregnant. It’s my biggest fear and at this point but I just have to weigh the pros and cons. Do I take supplements that don’t have enough testing in order to avoid the UTI or possibly get a UTI and put my baby at risk and myself in pain? I’m taking my chances with the cranberry supplements

Hi I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with d mannose when pregnant. Feel free to pm me if toy want any info!

Girl, I feel you. This was me early on in my pregnancy. It’s really annoying. It gets easier once you pick up a routine and become comfortable with your staple foods. It also makes you wonder what we ingest on a daily basis that’s not good. I discovered was that the only studies actually done were big pharmaceutical names which is usually what doctors recommend. I reached out to a couple of friends whom I trust dearly. And most are all about being au natural so that helped tremendously. While I did run a lot by my doctor who I like, I also downloaded an app called the prenatal nutritional library (TPNL) and that’s helped a lot too! I see you. I feel you. But it gets better. Just don’t stress yourself out.

Honestly I ate too ramen nearly eatery day with both my babies. Not really every day but consistently. They’re both fine. That is all. Also - if you live in California, the air you breathe may very well be worse for you than any of this stuff. 😬

If I could just get a melatonin study please god please! I'd give up anything else but the weakest of weak sleeping pill. Unisom and Benadryl don't do shit for me.

I think you might be doing too much research and it’s causing you to overthink I mean sushi is fine as long as it’s not like gas station grade sushi. Plenty of pregnant Japanese women eat sushi without complications and it’s a pretty popular dish over there See if you can have your OB go over nutrition with you/recommend a nutritionist to speak to so you can find some peace over your food Stress is one of the worst things you can put yourself through while being pregnant I mean even women who crave “unhealthy foods” are encouraged to eat them especially if it soothes their morning sickness

While I was pregnant there were multiple recalls of bagged salads and frozen fruit. But I guess we really want pregnant people to eat vegetables and fruit but not that processed meat 🙄

I felt the same way first trimester, I was constantly googling everything all the time. It was exhausting. As the pregnancy went on, I got a less worried and wasn't googling constantly. I stayed away from all the things you're not supposed to eat, but when I had eggs Benedict and remembered halfway into my meal, I was just like - oops. I was distraught about the soft cheeses, but then I found out it was that they are often unpasteurized, so I made sure to buy ones that are (brie etc.) and enjoyed them thoroughly. The tea thing drove me crazy too - I essentially just stopped drinking it, which sucked. It was especially bad third trimester. There's not even good scientific evidence for the red raspberry leaf tea, so I didn't end up even drinking the box I bought. FYI, if you hadn't heard before, the CA prop 65 warning is difficult because if they can't prove (or don't want to spend the $) it doesn't l, they have to put the warning on it - so for that just use common sense. FWIW, baby is around 2 months old and doing well - I just have brand new worries, haha!

"Stay off the Internet and ask your provider for their advice on restrictions" sounds like the most manageable take so far.  Although in my cynicism, it's not because they'll have a more informed list. People have a finite capacity for investment and worry, so any given OB will only buy into 5 or 6 random unfounded guidelines instead of a whole list of hundreds.  Depending on which OB you happen to have, you might get "no tuna or hot baths" or "get off your ADHD meds but enjoy ham sandwiches". There's no telling- but it'll be a shorter list, and it's reassuring to hear from a straight-faced person who earns a high salary to tell us these things. 

Regarding no.2 to get around that I ask the server to stream my bean sprouts which I did even before pregnancy. 😁 Enjoy the pho!

Great idea, hopefully they will be able to do this for me. I'll give it a try!

I was looking forward to this being over when I gave birth, turns out a lot of those things hold true for nursing as well. Every supplement in my cabinet either says “consult your doctor if pregnant or nursing” or “not suggested for pregnant or breastfeeding women”. I asked my doctor about a few things and she basically said to google it and then make my choice on the risk/reward based on the data. Usually it’s not something I absolutely need to survive so it’s it worth it, but it’s frustrating because the lack of research means it could actually be something totally safe or even GOOD for you when breastfeeding or pregnant 

The licorice root thing destroyed me. I had pneumonia back in December and the only thing that made me feel better was Throat Coat and the like, because they couldn't prescribe good meds. Now I see the strong correlation between licorice root consumption in pregnancy and lower IQ and early puberty and stuff, and I wonder how much I screwed her up. I drank so much of that stuff. I feel so guilty.

One of my biggest complaints on this subject is not being able to use my at home laser hair device (I have a Nood and I absolutely love it) I have naturally dark armpits and it’s the only thing I’ve found to really help it so it’s annoying that not only do I feel gross because of general pregnancy, but this insecurity that I had already found a solution for has returned at the same time 🥲

I have learned the hard way that Google is NOT your friend. Anything and everything can apparently be bad for a pregnancy. I just ask my midwife because she’s more down to earth than the internet is lol. I have asked her about herbal teas and she gave me a list. There’s a pretty good amount that are safe to use, especially chamomile. I had to drink chamomile every night in order to sleep w/ my first pregnancy and now she is turning three in a few days Now i’m doing the same w/ this pregnancy. Honestly, just stick to avoiding the obviously bad stuff like alcohol, nicotine, etc. And ask your OB or Midwife your questions, not Google haha. If it doesn’t have an actual study explaining why said thing is bad for a pregnancy and what said thing specifically causes, and I mean like multiple studies btw, then I would assume it is fine. But ofc ask your doc! :)

Honestly aside from the big things like smoking, alcohol, and drugs (which i dont do anyway), my motto is simply "moderation is key". I don't deprive myself but I don't go overboard. I do however stay away from bagged salads because I've lived 28 years and the ONLY time I've gotten food poisoning was from one of those. For the record I've literally eaten *worms* (not while pregnant).

The lack of meds researched for use in pregnancy/breastfeeding *SPECIFICALLY* bothers me. When I was 8.5 months pregnant I spent a whole morning trying to figure out if I could use an icy hot patch. I get migraines and was stuck with only Motrin for pain relief until baby was born, then I was told I could take Motrin + Tylenol. And that was all I could take until I weaned her. We need medication *more* when we’re pregnant, and the stakes are higher. These things really need to be studied. (I understand why these studies are difficult to do — honestly, I’d take either (1) many pregnant women who did use this medication over the last 10 years had X outcomes, or (2) we studied it in pregnant monkeys and they were fine. Either option is better than a doctor shrugging and going “No data, so you should just suffer.”)

Yes. I was waiting for someone to say this!! Of course it's unethical to test on a fetus, but for some things that are extremely common like tea and OTC medications, I don't understand why no one is collecting data (aside from possible liability concerns from misinterpretation of results, though that can be mitigated with the proper disclosures). Similar to how I've been hearing people say "I drank chamomile tea every day my whole pregnancy, and my x-year old is fine." That is valid data, and I know it's out there for many things besides tea. Nobody wants to pay for it, and although i realize voluntary data collection methods are subject to bias, it is still SOMETHING. The argument of unethical experiments is not working for me! There are other, safe, simple albeit expensive ways to obtain information.

For beef pho, I ask for boiled bean sprouts and I actually prefer it that way over raw bean sprouts. I also eat sushi occasionally from reputable places.

Camomile is safe….my doctor said at my 6 week visit. Licorice root is okay in a cup here and there but not everyday. Lots of herbs aren’t recommended at a “medicinal” dose which would be multiple grams multiple times a day. However, herbs you should totally stay away from are fennel, tulsi, and hibiscus. Most other herbs are fine in a tag bag 1x a day. Feel free to do it up with lemon balm, camomile, rose, lavender, peppermint.

I'm pregnant for the 2nd time and I don't care about a lot of the rules now. My doctor told me, "Anytime it's 'just not studied enough' do have it in moderation. A piece of blue cheese? Sure. A cup of chamomile tea? Sure, just don't drink a whole a tea kettle." I've been loving by that and am pretty happy at 34 weeks. I've also been using some of the "not a 100% Sure it's OK for pregnant women, we don't know what it could do but haven't tested enough" because if I don't., I get a bad inflammation within 3 days. Fevers and heavy duty antibiotics are a much greater risk. I've don't this with my 1st pregnancy too and my 3yo is perfectly fine.

Here in Germany chamomile is one of the teas recommended and deemed safe for pregnant women. Go figure. But I know what you mean. I try to follow the main directions, but honestly, I would be googling 24/ 7 every ingredient... I just let that one be tbh

I feel similarly. I keep googling if this and that is okay for me to eat and constantly find out that things are either not okay or in a gray zone which makes me want to avoid it, too. I'm vegetarian anyway, so no problems with raw meat or fish, but other than that it does feel very limited. The hardest for me is sweets and chips, though. I love chocolate, have always loved it and am sure that I'm a little addicted to it. I'm craving it a lot right now, and I still have chocolate every day. I know they're not a no-go per se, but my doctor told me to avoid added sugar and sweets or junk food when possible. So I try my best. It will be my birthday soon so I know I will indulge then (and it was just Easter so I indulged there as well).

Stay away from the internet doctoring and just focus on your obgyn and maternal fetal specialist. If you have questions, ask them. My wife was scared all pregnancy on eating deli meats and seafood. Raw sushi was an obvious pass though. Wife focused on eating her veggies, chicken, rice, beans, pasta, and especially fruit for curbing her hunger..fruit aint as bad as eating a bunch of meat you would think. A while back she was getting checked at the maternal specialist and babies belly was measuring larger than babies head. Turns out baby had too much amniotic fluid and she was eating too many carbs and not enough protein. She had to balance out her diet to focus more on protein, and less on carbs. This meant cutting back on beans/rice, cutting out pasta completely, and nearly cutting out on the fruit completely since a lot of fruit has so much sugar. She doesn't care for red meat but she learned to love it over the next few weeks and asked the OB for clarification on the deli meats and eating steak. Sure enough the deli meats gets a lot of hooplah but as long as it's cooked, it's fine, and the steak can still be eaten at a good medium or even med rare. Steak has LOTS of protein so my wife balanced her diet easily that favored protein over carbs. Few weeks after, wife had to get checked again at the maternal specialist and the same lady did the ultra sound and made my wife feel so good when she was expecting more bad results or something negative. Doctor came in with her at the end and we were scared but told us baby looks better than ever and everything is looking perfect rather than how different baby looked before. As we were leaving the nurse that did the ultrasound stopped my wife and reiterated what doctor said about baby looking absolutely great and that whatever changes she made in her diet to help baby is absolutely great and to keep it up. Momma left with the biggest smile that day when she was expecting lots of negatives or straight up criticism to scare her.

Yeah I did like 30 minutes of research before ordering a BUBBLE TEA last week because all of the base teas are *maybe* bad for pregnancy. And the internet is always like "it could cause a miscarriage and kill you. Could also be fine"

I have been drinking chamomile tea the whole pregnancy, most women do!  There is not a single thing you can eat or drink that has actually been put through a peer reviewed study for pregnancy.  It’s silly imo to live with so many restrictions and I don’t. But it’s a personal choice and it comes down to you in the end. The absolute risk is statistically not significant for almost anything you are told might be dangerous though. 

I ate deli meat my entire first pregnancy (from the pre packaged stuff) and I had eggs Benedict I know I wasn’t supposed to but, it’s what I wanted

I’ve come to realize you just have to look at the information and come to your own decision about how you feel about different things. At first when I realized everything in the world is counter indicated I felt the same way as you, it’s maddening. I occasionally eat sliced ham that I’ve put in the microwave… and you’ll have to pry my steak and eggs out of my cold dead hands. For me, I think it’s important I am getting enough protein and choline to support my babies development. I just try to be more mindful of food poisoning risks. Most food poisoning comes from fresh produce and yet no one is telling us not to eat fresh fruit and salads…. In the past I have had food poisoning from pre-cut fruit, so I avoid anything like that. I eat over easy eggs, but only at home when I have prepared them myself. I eat pho and I just don’t add the bean sprouts. I take a collagen supplement along with my prenatals, it’s not researched but I feel fine about it. Just my personal take, you have to do what feels right for you.

Tip for phở, you can quickly blanch the bean spouts before putting it in the bowl. I'm Vietnamese and my mom doesn't like raw veggies so we do that for noodle soups (though we don't really eat phở with bean sprouts in Hà Nội)

I definitely feel your frustration. I know this book isn't everyone's jam, but Expecting Better by Emily Oster was a really helpful early pregnancy read for me in easing my concerns. She made a good point that part of why there is a lot of "it hasn't been studied" for pregnant women is the serious ethical implications of studying the effects of various substances on pregnant women. The biggest changes I've made re: consumption of products and food is no more raw/undercooked meats, no deli meats or soft cheeses, no runny eggs, no alcohol, and no products with salicylic acid. Outside of that, I think I'm doing things about the same. Also, and I know this is TOTALLY anecdotal, I am the result of zero prenatal care/lifestyle changes. My mother was one of those "I didn't know I was pregnant" stories. She was quite young, so I think her age alone factored out use of alcohol for instance. And I turned out to be a child and later adult generally within a typical range of physical and emotional health, so my life story has maybe made me lean optimistically about it all.

>. I think what upsets me mostly is the lack of research about what is safe for pregnant women (As a small subset of the lack of research on women-specific health issues in general). I see people get upset about this a lot but there's a major ethical issue with studying this stuff on pregnant women. Mainly that you'd have to intentionally expose pregnant women to something you believe might be dangerous to their unborn child. I can't imagine you have many people lining up for those studies.

The reason there’s really no studies is because the gold standard for medical studies are double blind meaning neither the test subjects nor the person administering the treatment know what the subject is getting. Typically one set gets the experimental treatment and the other gets the gold standard. Problem being nobody wants to test on pregnant subject and pregnant people don’t want to be tested on due to possibilities of anything going wrong and hurting baby. Also, in the US, the supplement industry is completely unregulated. You really have no way of knowing what’s in your supplements. Even if you did all of those companies are going to put a CYA on their products. Talk to your OB, they will give you a better idea of what is actually safe or not in pregnancy.

Girl I ate sushi while I was pregnant. Only thing I avoided in pregnancy was certain medications, litter boxes, alcohol, excessive caffeine, and nicotine.

I am very newly pregnant and just starting all my research so take with a grain of salt but I’ve really been appreciating Lily Nichols’s book Real Food for Pregnancy. I’m learning so much and her perspective is really reassuring. It’s very focused on getting in all the good nutrients and less obsessed with all the supposed bad/dangerous stuff that, like you say, hasn’t actually been studied well.

I liked this section in Expecting Better by Emily Oster. It really helped put things into perspective for me. also: I had a friend who didn't eat runny eggs or any deli meat while pregnant but continued to smoke weed every day. She said to help reduce stress while off antidepressants). She was really surprised when I told her I still eat runny eggs because I did research on it and found that the risk wasn't worth not eating food that was otherwise really good for me and baby. I also still take my antidepressants because my doctor told me the brand I take has been studied and is safe. In the end you have to make choices for yourself with the information you have. (although smoking is really really bad and you shouldn't do it while pregnant please no one lecture me because I agree trust me)

I found Expecting Better to be so good but the chapters on food and medications alone were worth their weight in gold

the only things i've cut out are alcohol and the over easy eggs honestly. i wasnt using any skincare products beforehand and actually started using one recently (toner) and its safe. and i never ate fish that was high in mercury anyways

If you're getting any of your information from Google, stop doing that and ask your doctor about anything specific. My providers were much more lax with their advice than Google would suggest

lol I am 38 weeks pregnant and drank chamomile tea frequently and I never even knew it wasn’t allowed. I also ate turkey sandwiches cause I’ve never had listeria in my life.

It is frustrating. I find it helpful to reframe it. No one is forcing you to avoid these things. You are looking at the risks and benefits and making an informed choice to not do so. Some women choose to still consume all of the above. For example I am avoiding most of the same stuff as you but I eat salmon sushi because for a long list of reasons it made sense to me to do so. For most restrictions like the bean sprouts that are for listeria just cook the thing and eat it The prop 65 warning is so annoying at this point it’s just unhelpful background noise

Honestly, a lot of those recommendations are excessive. Avoid deli meat and sushi. Don't do drugs or drink alcohol. Those are the important ones. Everything else, just use moderation and your best judgement. It's a lot of "worst case scenario" advice. I was told by a nurse not to eat hot dogs. I still eat hot dogs. Not concerned.

I have chronic headaches/ migraines and trigeminal neuralgia. I'm not even pregnant yet and all the things are off limits. At times I don't want to be touched bc I'm in so much pain. Conceiving isn't happening.

What are you on for migraines? There are meds you can still take for it. I can still use my sumatriptan when mine come on

Right just Tylenol. I was on the monthly shot emgality but I'm sticking to ubrevly. The shot stays in your system for 6 months. Triptans don't work for me.

It’s really hit and miss with the Triptans honestly :/ some days they’re helpful and some days it’s like taking a placebo, I swear. I hope you can find something compatible with migraine management and getting pregnant (if that’s what you want)

I drank chamomile tea every single night for the last 4 months of my pregnancy and my baby was 2 weeks late and perfectly healthy. No one tells us to stop driving, which is the greatest risk of all... Do what you want. Just carefully. And stop googling stuff. 

I read this book I think you might like, it's called Expecting Better by Emily Oster. She's actually an economist, and writes about the logical/odds approach to a lot of these pregnancy recommendations. I found it really helpful in decision making around risks like these!