Know Everything About Eating Cheese During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with its share of do’s don’ts. It undoubtedly is one of the most beautiful phases of life for a woman and she wants to be very careful about everything she does. From the time a woman conceives, she does everything keeping the child in mind. Essentially, the things that are allowed or not allowed during pregnancy depend on the effect it will have on the baby. It is true that the baby gets affected by everything the mother eats.

Cheese is one of the most popular foods across the globe and with the many varieties available, there are very few people who do not like it. There are many misconceptions about eating cheese during pregnancy. Cheese is known to contain listeria and this is large amounts can lead to listeriosis. In daily life eating limited quantity of any cheese is not bad, but the immunity of a pregnant woman is very low, thus, she becomes more vulnerable to infection. Hard cheese is safe to eat as the amount of listeria is negligible whereas it is not advisable to have soft cheese as the content of listeria is high in them.

Safe Cheese

Some varieties of cheese are safe to eat and thus, there is no reason eating these during pregnancy should be avoided. Some of the cheese which are good to eat for a pregnant woman are:

Hard Cheese  

These take long to mature and have a firm texture. Pasteurized milk is used to make these and they are cooked at high heat levels killing the listeria. Some of the cheeses which can be eaten are Cheddar, Halloumi, Parmesan, Paneer and Edam besides few others.

Processed Cheese

Natural cheeses are modified to make the processed cheese and these are safe to eat. The heating process ensures there is no listeria but care must be taken on the quantity consumed as these contain stabilizers and emulsifiers.

Soft Cheese

Any soft cheese which is made using pasteurized milk is safe for a pregnant woman. Some of the cheeses allowed are goat cheese without rind, cottage cheese, roulade, mozzarella, cream cheese and ricotta besides the others. While buying soft cheese, one must ensure to check it is made using pasteurized milk.

Cheese to Avoid

• Cheeses like camembert, brie, chevre and blue brie are the mold ripened soft cheeses and should not be consumed during pregnancy.
• Blue veined cheese contain moisture which can lead to bacterial growth and thus, must be avoided during pregnancy.
• Unpasteurized soft cheese like feta should not consumed by a pregnant lady.

It is normal to have cheese cravings during pregnancy and this is because the body needs more calcium, protein and vitamins. Though the cravings are natural, one must not indulge due to the listeria present in them. A pregnant woman is more prone to get infected by listeria which can harm the baby. Listeriosis can lead to illness, still birth, miscarriage or premature birth. If listeriosis is detected early it can be cured by antibiotics avoiding any harm to the baby.

Eating cheese is ok during pregnancy only if cheese is made from pasteurized milk or is hard cheese. Cheese should be consumed in limited quantities. It’s a wait of 9 months only and then you can eat everything you like and were not allowed during the time.