Eating in the buffet while pregnant?

[Joel&Hall]

Hi,

 

I have a question for any who have cruised while pregnant, we are travelling on Celebrity Eclipse in May with our toddler so feel the buffet would be a good option as it will be a bit more relaxed then the MDR but I was wondering if other pregnant women have eaten at the buffet? Is it safe to do so? I'm just concerned about how long the food would be sitting there and bacteria...

 

Thanks for any advice!

[Prinycesa07]

I was pregnant when we sailed in 2010 & this never even crossed my mind. It will be fine :)

[092306]

I cruised pregnant at 3 months and 22 months and I think I ate more often in the MDR, but I did eat from the buffet. I don't remember being overly concerned about bacteria, just the foods I was supposed to avoid like hotdogs, certain cheeses, fish, cold cuts, etc. For your own peace of mind try getting things in the buffet that are made to order as opposed to sitting there and maybe stay away from the coldcuts and cheeses that sit out for a while.

[flhokie]

I cruised while pregnant and that thought never crossed my mind. I just tried to avoid most things that I wasn't supposed to eat while pregnant. I always look at food to see if it shows signs of being out too long normally, but I've never really seen an issue on a cruise.

[cruiseformel]

I cruised while pregnant and just stayed away from the normal restricted foods, raw fish, ect. I loved cruising while pregnant, during dinner at the MDR, they brought me anything I was craving!

[Joel&Hall]

Thank you so much everyone! That makes me feel better, I actually hadnt thought about it either but someone else mentioned it to me & that got me thinking... I think I will just go with the things that look nice & fresh :)

[IttaBit]

Food that would be harmful to a pregnant woman, in terms of how it's heated and bacteria, would also be harmful to other people too...not just pregnant women.

[6rugrats]

Food that would be harmful to a pregnant woman, in terms of how it's heated and bacteria, would also be harmful to other people too...not just pregnant women.

Yes, this question confused me also.

 

I think there can be plenty of bacteria on food that looks "nice and fresh".

[Prinycesa07]

Listeria is 20x more likely to happen to pregnant women than non pregnant. You're more suspeptible to it. And can cause death to the mother or baby, that's why it's more of a worry. But it's very uncommon.

[IttaBit]

People over-hype listeria, freaking out newly pregnant or first time pregnant women. The chances of getting listeria are super small and once again, raw meat or food that wasn't prepared properly would also make others sick, maybe not giving them listeria, but some other gastrointestinal stuff. When I was pregnant with my second child, I craved bologna, a food most say to avoid. My OB told me not to worry about it and I think I ate bologna and cheese sandwiches every single day for about 6 mos. I HATE it now. Hah! :p

[Keith1010]

If in doubt, consult with your physician about any buffet foods to avoid.

 

Keith

[mymollysue]

I have been on 2 cruises while pregnant and ate from the buffet both times. Just stay clear from the foods you would normally stay clear from when not on a cruise. You will be fine! :)

[need_a_holiday]

I just took four young kids on a cruise and I really liked the dining room at a 6pm seating. It was a lot more relaxing than the buffet. The waiters are very good with kids.

[Prinycesa07]

People over-hype listeria, freaking out newly pregnant or first time pregnant women. The chances of getting listeria are super small and once again, raw meat or food that wasn't prepared properly would also make others sick, maybe not giving them listeria, but some other gastrointestinal stuff. When I was pregnant with my second child, I craved bologna, a food most say to avoid. My OB told me not to worry about it and I think I ate bologna and cheese sandwiches every single day for about 6 mos. I HATE it now. Hah! :p

 

You're telling me. I ate all cold cuts, feta cheese, Bleu cheese, anything besides alcohol really & my kids both turned out normal. Well kind of ;)

[Mack2]

Listeria is a scary disease... but the frequency at which people get food poisoning from it compared is miniscule.

 

Take, for example, the single outbreak of Listeriosis we had last year in the U.S. that infected 22 people across 14 states.

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-09-12/index.htmll

 

Listeria IS serious, since this outbreak did result in 20 hospitalizations and 4 deaths (out of the 22 people infected)... but the CDC was able to quickly isolate the product that was responsible for the outbreak (an imported soft cheese product), and the outbreak was extremely limited in it's scope (22 out of a population of 300 million in the US)

 

I don't think it's a big issue on cruise ships. As long as you reduce the risks as outlined by you OB/Gyn, you should be fine.

I think the ships have stringent guidelines they try to follow to reduce the risk of having bad food served at the buffet... last thing they want is to have to cut a trip short because of a food poisoning issue, and said event making it to the evening news.

 

Have a great cruise and best wishes for you and your baby bump!

Exciting times!

[irishnyc]

I cruised pregnant at 3 months and 22 months and I think I ate more often in the MDR, but I did eat from the buffet. I don't remember being overly concerned about bacteria, just the foods I was supposed to avoid like hotdogs, certain cheeses, fish, cold cuts, etc. For your own peace of mind try getting things in the buffet that are made to order as opposed to sitting there and maybe stay away from the coldcuts and cheeses that sit out for a while.

 

Pregnant for 22 months, you poor woman! ;-)

 

I wouldn't worry too much and would just avoid whatever you would avoid on land. I ate lots of "forbidden" foods, even from buffets, while pregnant and my DD is just fine.

[cb at sea]

No difference in food safety between the MDR and buffet. The dining room isn't "stuffy" at all, so your toddler will be fine in there. It's actually easier to be served than to serve yourself with little ones.

[kitty9]

If you haven't cruised Celebrity, just know that the food in the buffet at night is VERY limited. Unlike cruise lines like Carnival and RCI that have full buffet dinner, Celebrity does not. There are some salads, pizza, pasta and maybe one carved meat, but that's about it, and the menu doesn't vary.

 

There's no reason why you can't go into the MDR, or at least give it a try. The other thing I have to say is, be aware of any Norovirus. I was on Equinox in Feb and we had a big outbreak. It's not a virus that's good for a pregnant woman. IF, and that's a pretty big IF, Noro hits your ship, definitely stick to the MDR for your meals.

[Mack2]

The biggest thing a pregnant woman needs to be careful in case of a norovirus outbreak is the possibility of getting dehydrated. The virus itself doesn't really affect the baby, but the GI effects (vomiting and diarrhea) can seriously dehydrate a person.

 

Sudden dehydration during pregnancy can cause irregular contractions (Braxton Hicks contractions). They are no fun... but neither is diarrhea and vomiting... Clean hands and "washy-washy" before eating on a cruise is always a good idea.

:)