Food Issues Early in Pregnancy

The only thing I could eat for the first 6 months of pregancy was pizza. When I tried to eat other things, I got sick to my stomach. So, I had pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Suprisingly, I still like it lol and I only gained 35lbs throughout my pregnancy.

My doctor told me to not eat Tunafish and to stay away from any sort of seafood. Which didn't bother me, because I didn't(don't) like it anyways.

When I was farther along, I would only eat spicy foods. The night I went ito labor I ate mexican and I was told I would regret that later, and I didn't. :)

I was also told that the deli meat was better then the packaged meat. But, who really knows. They tell you not to drink caffiene either. My daughter is perfectly healthy.

A few things--
Eat small fish. They are closer to the bottom of the food chain so won't have as much mercury in them. Eat sockeye salmon versus King because it is a smaller fish. Also, it sounds like you need to take omega 3 fatty acids (which your body gets from fish). I took 6 capsules a day while I was pregnant. It will also help your skin stretch (my waist grew 12 inches and no stretch marks, even though I am prone to them). You're probably craving the fish for the nutrition it offers. Fake crab meat has a lot of chemicals in it--you might want to avoid that.
As for deli meats--get the packaged versus getting them at the deli. It is when they sit out that they get bacterial growth on them. Applegate farms makes deli meat that does not have all the chemical preservative in it (which is the other reason you should avoid deli meats). You want to avoid sodium nitrate/nitrites in the food.
Hope that helps! Good luck in your pregnancy!!
J.

everything in moderation! I even *gasp* had a glass of wine here and there and delivered a healthy baby girl. Listen to your body, follow the instructions of your doctor and all will be fine.

Congrats!

When I was in my 1st trimester with my first child, a friend who was pregnant with #2 told me that she ate sushi every Friday night during her pregnancy. She would only have it on the weekends, when it's likely freshest for restaurants that have to get through the weekend. I asked my doctor about what the true risk is with sushi (is bacteria transmitted across the placenta? is the bacteria "down there" so there might be an issue during delivery?). She said the risk is that if I get sick, dehydration is a concern and, depending on the severity or type of food poisoning, treatment options as far as Rx might be more limited during pregnancy. I have an iron stomach, so it gave me some confidence to eat sushi without feeling like a horrible mother-to-be. It was a lifesaver for me because it was one of the few foods I could tolerate in my first trimester. I also followed the weekend-only rule. When I was farther along and it was obvious that I was pregnant, I opted for carry-out to avoid glares from other patrons and also not to make the restaurant staff feel uncomfortable about selling and serving me sushi. With my second pregnancy, I had an issue with the texture of sushi and ended up not eating it.

I ate lunch meat cold and heated in both pregnancies. I'm now pregnant with #3 and having food issues with lunch meat. The only deli sandwiches I ever do want are Italian subs from Potbelly, and those just happen to be heated. BTW, I have been on a big meat kick this time around but would never eat a steak well done. Everything in moderation, don't spend too much time worrying about this and enjoy the foods you can tolerate.

Yes, lunch meat is fine. If you do want to eat it every day, just warm it up like you're doing. Even if you don't warm it, it will probably be fine too, but I'm a major worrier so it was easier for me to just stick it in the microwave! haha! I don't eat fish, so I can't really help you there, but I think my doc recommended 2-3 servings/week max. Imitation crab is just some sort of other fish so you may want to figure out what kind before you eat too much.

fresh salmon has low amounts of mercury
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/walletcard.PDF

Just don't eat fish everyday. I also ate deli meat while pregnant usually toasted subs but not always and both of my boys are okay

I used to have ham and cheese subs with the ham and the cheese warm and melted and the bread crunchy! ummm memories :)
and my children were fine :)
Talk to your doctor and see what he/she recomends. But don't go crazy either. The only thing I wouldn't recomend is to eat raw fish.
Blessings

All I wanted was deli turkey. Since I had morning sickness for my entire pregnancy, so I ate what I wanted and when I wanted it, and I didn't bother to warm it up. Listeriosis is SO extremely rare. But ultimately you have to decide whether to take the risk or not.
The issue with sushi is salmonella. Just go to a place that you trust with a good sanitation rating to minimize getting salmonella in general. I didn't crave sushi, so I didn't eat it at all during my pregnancy.

I ate deli meats sometimes cold. Nothing bad happened I just wouldn't make that my meal everyday.

The lunch meat thing... I remember asking my doctor b/c I'm not a "sandwich person" but craved them during my pregnancy. Her suggestion was to buy the "fresh" deli meats, not the prepackaged and to use them quickly. It's about the bacteria, not the meats themselves. I never nuked mine and we were fine.

I also ate moderate amounts of low-mercury fish throughout my pregnancy. Just don't over-do it, especially with things like tuna and others in that category.

LOL first pregnancy was bad, hot dogs, subway subs, any subs for that matter, tacos...haha. baby turned out just fine. eat away. Packaged meat is better, if you get from a store have them microwave the meat for 30sec before putting on sandwich. I never did the fish and never do the fish thing so I can't help you with that .

I ate what I wanted when I wanted....nothing dangerous (and I only eat tuna but no other fish). I definately had deli meats (ham and/or turkey). I wouldn't stress. The more you limit yourself, the more you will want it.

Listeriosis may be rare but it does happen. This happened to my girlfriend when she was about four months pregnant and she lost the baby and was in extreme danger herself - had to spend several days in the hospital. No one can say for sure how she got it - if deli meats were the cause or not. But, I steer clear of them (or heat them up) just in the off chance...