Pregnancy Menu

[TallJerseyGirl]

I cruised a few weeks after I found out I was pregnant. The staff was great. I made sure they new and asked questions when I wasn't sure about items.

 

 

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[Sapphire723]

I am frankly amazed and disappointed by the number of people who have responded to the OP with dismissive and judgmental attitudes.

 

I think we all know that the American medical climate is more careful and restrictive than many other countries and even than prior generations, but so what? Medical advice has changed over the years - it is what it is! Why are so many of you so quick to dismiss years of advancement in medical research - some of which may be going a bit too far but a lot of which could be very good advice? I'm not pregnant but I know a lot of women who are or were recently, and they all got lists like this. I'm surprised at those of you who are trying to convince her to ignore her doctor's advice - for what? Anecdotal evidence does not give you a medical degree. What may have "worked" for you may also have caused medical issues or failed pregnancies for other women that you didn't hear about.

 

It's probably a lot less stressful to follow your doctor's advice (particular as it may seem) than to (1) worry that you're not doing the right thing for your child or (2) get judged by your doctor and other women who have been given the same advice. Your negative comments are probably way more stressful than adhering to any dietary restrictions. Being careful is not the same thing as being overly stressed. From what I have read, the OP was only the former when she started this discussion.

 

To those that implied that having these dietary restrictions is a nuisance to fellow diners, I find that hard to believe. Even if it's true, those fellow diners are a lot more nit-picky than the doctor and would probably find other reasons not to enjoy their dinner.

 

Thank you so much for this. I took some time away from this thread. I wasn't sure if I was being overly sensitive (cuz hormones) or if the responses were as harsh as I was reading them, but at one point I started to tear up. I figured it might be much less stressful to ignore everyone and figure everything out on my own than it was to read other people's judgmental opinions. I honestly was just trying to make for smoother sailing for me and my table mates by planning ahead.

 

I really appreciate your response.

[Sapphire723]

This is sort of like people who worry excessively about getting on an airplane, but don't think twice about traveling in a car five times a day, when in reality, the chances of having a car accident are far greater.

 

As a pregnant person, I would worry less about the food I ate, and more about becoming ill on the cruise (for any reason). Even a simple case of noro (which goes around like crazy during the winter and is no big deal for most people, other than feeling horrendous) can be very serious for a pregnant woman. The cruise ship doctor probably isn't an ob/gyn, and you're really far from the wonderful medical care available in the US.

 

I think getting sick (in general) is a more likely scenario for a pregnant woman, and that's what I'd be worried about. I'd make sure I had excellent trip insurance that covers all medical just in case!

 

Hope you have a wonderful trip and healthy baby.

 

All very good points. Actually, driving about is much less safe than food, because accidents can be more dangerous. Thankfully, I work from home (for all three jobs), so I'm not exposed to that much driving or that many germs.

 

I did get trip insurance, and I'll be washing my hands like crazy!

[Sapphire723]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1981789

 

OP, check out this thread. Post #5 has a link that shows the Blu menus, you may not see exactly the same but pretty close. It will give you an idea what to expect . And, couples are almost always seated at their own table (although some of them are very close to the diners next to you!.) Blu typically does not ask diners if they want to share and form a larger table.

 

I am also disappointed by the nasty responses to the OP.

 

Dietary restrictions for pregnant women are not new. Every single person that I know who has been pregnant within the past 10-15 years had dietary restrictions in place during the pregnancy (all at the advice of their doctor).

 

To the OP - Congrats on your pregnancy! As others pointed out, the staff won't be able to recommend what dishes meet the pregnancy guidelines (mainly because not all countries have the same guidelines). However, you shouldn't have any problems with the menus. I know of several people that cruised while pregnant and had no problems. If bacon or sausage is in a dish this will be listed in the description. Likewise, if a dish contains meat or shellfish that is raw this will also be part of the description (or it will be obvious, i.e. beef carpaccio).

 

The menus for Celebrity's dining rooms (including Blu) don't change often. My advice would be to look online or do a search here to locate them. That way you can get an idea now of what dishes will be offered when you sail.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thanks to both of you. I was trying to find a good blu menu on here, but after a few searches I was not successful in getting anything other than what Celebrity posted on their site. After seeing the menu, it looks like there should be plenty of great options for me.

 

Also, thank you for the congrats. :)

[Sapphire723]

Wow, have there been some really mean-spirited responses to your posts!

 

First, congratulations on your pregnancy! Any first time mom-to-be who would rather err on the side of extra caution rather than less has her heart in the right place as far as I am concerned.

 

I think you will be just fine eating on the ship. I think you will find that in most cases, it will be very clear whether your items to avoid are or are not a part of a particular dish. Where you have concerns, you can just ask. You will find many options for each meal which will be obvious and will not require you to get more info. For example, if you are concerned about nitrates, there are a lot of breakfast options that do not include bacon.

 

If I could add one non-medical (but experienced mom) opinion - the vast majority of foods you mentioned (with a few exceptions) may be foods you want to avoid eating regularly, but if you happen to eat them by mistake once or twice there will be no lasting damage or impact (I am sure your doctor would confirm this). Others - such as sushi - should be avoided 100% but they are truly in the minority.

 

One last suggestion - if you have several items in general you are curious about (such as nitrates in the bacon, use of unpasteurized dairy etc) you might ask to have a few minutes to talk to the chef at the beginning of the cruise. You may find out some info that will put your mind at ease going forward and allow you to enjoy more foods without needing to question your waiter regularly.

 

Best of luck with your baby-to-be.

 

Thank you for both the support and the advice!

[Sapphire723]

While I have never heard of some of the restrictions you posted, you should eat what you feel comfortable eating during your pregnancy, based on your doctors suggestions.

 

I agree with others that you should NOT rely on waiters and food handlers, and instead rely on your own knowledge, and select foods that don't have any of the risk factors.

 

If you are unsure of an ingredient - ask.

 

If you don't get a satisfactory response, then just avoid that food.

 

You will have PLENTY of choices without having to eat anything you do not wish to eat.

 

Hope you have an easy and wonderful pregnancy, and congratulations!

 

Thank you for the well-wishings! I'm sure you're right that there will be plenty of yummy food for me. I've never gone hungry on a cruise before! Well, except for the one I took on NCL... man, that food was just not good!

[Sapphire723]

I cruised a few weeks after I found out I was pregnant. The staff was great. I made sure they new and asked questions when I wasn't sure about items.

 

 

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Awesome! So glad to hear it. I figured I can't be the first pregnant woman to sail, so I was hoping I'd hear about others' experiences.

[Clydesmom7865]

• No sushi
  
• no booze
  
• caffeine <200mg/day
  
• no lunch meat
  
• no raw egg
  
• no unpasteurized milk
  
• no cheese made with unpasteurized milk
  
• no unpasteurized juice
  
• no bacon with nitrates
  
• no sausage with nitrates
  
• no raw meat
  
• no meat that isn't well done
  
• no fish with high mercury content
  
• limited fish with other levels of mercury (preferably wild caught)
  
• no hot dogs
  
• no raw shellfish
  
• liver
  
• pate containing liver
  

 

I think it is safe to say that if you don't want sushi, booze, lunch meat, hot dogs, raw shellfish, pate, liver, raw meat, or caffeine the do NOT order them. If you need your meat well done order it that way. You do not need a waiter or special menu to accomplish that.

 

As for milk: unless you go off the ship to a farm the milk will be pasteurized and the only juice that isn't is fresh squeezed. Don't order it if you want only pasteurized juice.

 

If you are concerned about mercury content then the fish to avoid is tuna.

 

Given the sheer volume of passengers they are buying food for I would be willing to make an educated guess that bacon and sausage are going to have nitrates. As for only wild caught fish: likely to be WAY higher in mercury than farm raised but unless you are eating in a specialty restaurant I highly doubt the fish you are served is anything but farm raised frozen fish due to again the volume they buy and prepare.

 

You do not need a special "pregnancy" menu or to send your server on a search and destroy mission prior to each meal in order to eat healthy while on a cruise. You merely need to be an smart diner and make good choices.

[drarill]

Thank you for the well-wishings! I'm sure you're right that there will be plenty of yummy food for me. I've never gone hungry on a cruise before! Well, except for the one I took on NCL... man, that food was just not good!

 

You are going to love Celebrity and Blu!!! Congratulations on your pregnancy, please, try to enjoy the second trimester and your cruise. BTW, I'm ashamed to admit that I drank colas during my pregnancy and gained too much weight with my son.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise and a healthy baby!!!:)

[Sapphire723]

You are going to love Celebrity and Blu!!! Congratulations on your pregnancy, please, try to enjoy the second trimester and your cruise. BTW, I'm ashamed to admit that I drank colas during my pregnancy and gained too much weight with my son.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise and a healthy baby!!!:)

 

Thanks! This will be our second time on the Summit but our first time in Blu, so I'm pretty excited!

 

Thanks also for the well-wishing and for telling me about your experience. I would think that if you're a big cola fan before pregnancy, it would be pretty hard to stay away once knocked up! :p

[david.duffy.794]

The wait staff in Blu treated my wife like a queen with her gluten and dairy allergies. They even bought some rice milk themselves because corporate didn't forward my request to the ship. They will take good care of you. Have a great cruise and healthy baby.

 

 

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[Kathamo]

I figured it might be much less stressful to ignore everyone and figure everything out on my own than it was to read other people's judgmental opinions.

 

If you ever find yourself in a situation like this in the future, you could have your partner (or a friend) read the responses and just show you the helpful ones. Clearly many people did not understand the intent of your question; I would be upset too if I had to comb through all these harsh words to find the useful information.

[bonedoc7]

I couldn't read through all the comments, so many responses that provided no useful information and lots of judgement. Celebrity will ensure your requests. I know when I was just a fetus, smoking and drinking Martinis was perfectly acceptable. When i was pregnant with my first, sushi was not listed as a no no. We learn and we progress. Who knew that a simple Caesar salad (with the proper recipe of raw egg yolk) could actually be a health risk. Ask your questions, request your special menu with the servers, speak with the concierge to ensure that you are in fact comfortable with what you are eating. Pregnancy is hard enough without the worry. Enjoy your cruise! Have fun! Sleep in as much as you can, you'll appreciate it soon enough.

[Magellan321]

Saphire-

 

No cause for alarm, you will be fine eating in Blu. I have significant food allergies and had no problem at all on the Summit last may. Honestly, I avoid or cannot have many of the items on your list and had no problem at all. Speak to the maitre d as soon as possible and simply give him the list. But truthfully 99% you can avoid on your own. Worst case scenario, you'll be having the always available chicken breast for dinner maybe one night. As for the unpasteurized cheese avoid items with cheese.... and if possible simply order it made without. Many sit-down salads have items such as feta and goat cheese, simply request without.

[SPacificbound]

Try to relax and then just use common sense. No alcohol and limit caffeine.

 

If your brain, nose, or tummy tells you not to eat something then don't eat it.

 

There is not one thing on this list that I would even think of eating!

I do have caffeine though, but I'm not pregnant so it's OK.

 

All of this list is just common sense. Guideline to go by, if you think you shouldn't have it then don't. There are plenty of healthy whole foods.

 

No sushi

no booze

caffeine <200mg/day

no lunch meat

no raw egg

no unpasteurized milk

no cheese made with unpasteurized milk

no unpasteurized juice

no bacon with nitrates

no sausage with nitrates

no raw meat

no meat that isn't well done

no fish with high mercury content

limited fish with other levels of mercury (preferably wild caught)

no hot dogs

no raw shellfish

liver

pate containing liver

 

This was an interesting post to me because, my daughter who is an MD is pregnant, 25 weeks, and she just eats healthy, non-processed food. No special diet needed, she eats like she normally does.

[dun123das]

This post prompted a memory for me. When I was expecting my second child, in 1972, my husband was posted to Hong Kong. I had one youngster who would be 23 months on the date we were due to fly and the other one was due about 7.5 weeks after that date. In collusion with my doctor I informed the Royal Navy/Air Force (we flew in a DC10) that my baby was due at least 8 -9 weeks after the due fly date. This was really because the rules governing foreign travel with babies at that time meant that if I didn't travel before the birth, I would have to wait an additional 3 months after the birth before I could join my husband. He had been sailing for five months before this, so I made the decision to fly before the birth.

 

When we left the UK, my husband's ship had not arrived in Hong Kong, so I had no address of where I would go to on my arrival, but agreed to meet up with my hubby in Kai Tak airport. This was my first ever flight and it took us to Cyprus and Gan before landing in Hong Kong 25 hours after we left UK. We also went through some massive thunder storms and at one point the plane dropped some 100 feet or so during turbulence. To add to my woes, my unborn son turned and his head engaged during the flight.

 

He was born very quickly in the Military Hospital, exactly seven weeks after we flew out to Hong Kong - a healthy, albeit small, beautiful baby. We were in the hospital for two days, after which we took him home to join my other son. So it was quite an eventful start to his life and an eventful end to my second pregnancy - by the way, I still don't like flying!!

[MizDemeanor]

Hey OP, what does your Doc say to avoid? There has been a great bit of conversation here for fun, but what's important is what your professional says is right for you and your unborn child.

 

What has that conversation included for things to avoid in day to day life? Did the Doc give you a list?

Edited January 11, 2015 by MizDemeanor

[Magellan321]

The OP posted it on the first page:

 

This is my first pregnancy and it was a hard one to come by at that, so I may be erring on extra cautious. That being said, there's so many things they tell pregnant women to avoid these days, and I didn't realize how much of it was in some of the foods I might regularly eat.

 

Here's just a few of the things that I can think of off the top of my head. Typically, I end up having to look up certain things if I'm not sure.

 

 

• No sushi
  
• no booze
  
• caffeine <200mg/day
  
• no lunch meat
  
• no raw egg
  
• no unpasteurized milk
  
• no cheese made with unpasteurized milk
  
• no unpasteurized juice
  
• no bacon with nitrates
  
• no sausage with nitrates
  
• no raw meat
  
• no meat that isn't well done
  
• no fish with high mercury content
  
• limited fish with other levels of mercury (preferably wild caught)
  
• no hot dogs
  
• no raw shellfish
  
• liver
  
• pate containing liver
  

[Magellan321]

And her added notes about her Dr.

Thank you for the well wishing. I'm doing my best to not get wound up about the small things, but I did run down the list of things I knew off hand with my doctor and she agreed that these were foods I should avoid until the baby arrives.

 

Other things I'm currently giving up based on my doctor's recommendations are medication for my ADHD (which is making working and getting things done wonderful), electric blankets (great when it's below zero this week!), hot yoga, my monthly 1.5 hour deep tissue massage (down to 1 hour prenatal massage) along with the .5 hour hot tub time at the spa, facial peels, laser hair removal, and spray tans. I'm not sure if these are all standard in other countries, but in the US, it seems like the doctors are leaning towards recommending caution. Or at least my doctors are.

[Sapphire723]

The wait staff in Blu treated my wife like a queen with her gluten and dairy allergies. They even bought some rice milk themselves because corporate didn't forward my request to the ship. They will take good care of you. Have a great cruise and healthy baby.

 

 

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Wow! That's awesome service. :D

[Jeal]

Saphire-

 

No cause for alarm, you will be fine eating in Blu. I have significant food allergies and had no problem at all on the Summit last may. Honestly, I avoid or cannot have many of the items on your list and had no problem at all. Speak to the maitre d as soon as possible and simply give him the list. But truthfully 99% you can avoid on your own. Worst case scenario, you'll be having the always available chicken breast for dinner maybe one night. As for the unpasteurized cheese avoid items with cheese.... and if possible simply order it made without. Many sit-down salads have items such as feta and goat cheese, simply request without.

 

I agree.

I'm guessing many of the posters who are minimizing your concerns have never experienced the heartbreak of having difficulty getting or staying pregnant. You need to do the things that make you most comfortable.

Follow your doctor's advice.

Celebrity will have no problem accommodating your dietary needs.

[Sapphire723]

I couldn't read through all the comments, so many responses that provided no useful information and lots of judgement. Celebrity will ensure your requests. I know when I was just a fetus, smoking and drinking Martinis was perfectly acceptable. When i was pregnant with my first, sushi was not listed as a no no. We learn and we progress. Who knew that a simple Caesar salad (with the proper recipe of raw egg yolk) could actually be a health risk. Ask your questions, request your special menu with the servers, speak with the concierge to ensure that you are in fact comfortable with what you are eating. Pregnancy is hard enough without the worry. Enjoy your cruise! Have fun! Sleep in as much as you can, you'll appreciate it soon enough.

 

Yeah, it's so weird how much hidden stuff there is in food. It wasn't until I got food poisoning that I found out that carbonara sauce has a raw egg in it!

[jcpc]

Leah,

 

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Just ignore the posters who are less than helpful! I'm very confident Celebrity will have no problem accommodating your dietary requirements. I'm also from Waterbury so I just wanted to tell you to have a great cruise. I wish I was getting out of this freezing cold weather but I don't cruise until April :mad:

 

Have fun and best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy.

[Sapphire723]

If you ever find yourself in a situation like this in the future, you could have your partner (or a friend) read the responses and just show you the helpful ones. Clearly many people did not understand the intent of your question; I would be upset too if I had to comb through all these harsh words to find the useful information.

 

lol.... good idea. When my husband saw my face and I explained why I looked upset, he asked if I wanted him to create an account and give people what for. I declined, but thought it was sweet. He's always been awesome, but I think he's been extra wonderful since we found out. :cool: I'm so excited to go on a babymoon with him!

[Sapphire723]

I'm sorry. I don't see my earlier post in reply. What's the new question then? Is there one? The list of do's and dont's has been defined by the OP's Doc's before the OP has sailed.

 

I for one would never attempt to suggest a superior knowledge of a baby doc.

 

I would however suggest ins and outs of venues and how to ask for certain things before or while on board based on special needs if there are any.

 

But it's pretty much common sense and the ships staff gets it.

 

I think I'm good now. It seems like I shouldn't have a problem following doctor's orders on the ship... unless I spy one of those chocolate martinis! Then I'll summon my will power of steel. :D