04. Cheese and pregnancy

What cheese during pregnancy?

Cheese and pregnancy are not icompatible. Expecting a child is not eating for two, but eating twice as well. To be sure of having the right amount of calcium necessary for developing baby, cheese is an ally during pregnancy. Doctors and researchers have all given different opinions on the cheese and pregnancy.

During pregnancy, nutrient requirements increase, especially iron, folic acid, iodine and calcium. The baby's skeleton is formed mainly during the last trimester of pregnancy. From the sixth month of pregnancy, phosphorus and calcium requirements increase significantly: the recommended calcium intake is 1000 mg / day instead of 900 mg / day. It is important to eat three dairy products a day, including 30 g of cheese which effectively contributes to acquire adequate intakes during pregnancy.

Nevertheless, pregnant women can not eat anything because of listeriosis risk. This serious and rare disease (about 50 cases per year in France) can directly attack the unborn baby. The bacterium, Listeria, is likely to grow in many products.

Listeria is sensitive to heat: destroyed at a temperature close to 70 °: it would mean that pasteurized cheeses or cooked cheeses are less risky. In fact, many doctors and researchers who are not of that opinion. Pasteurized cheese no longer has antibodies for defense and is therefore more sensitive to external contamination, especially during storage and distribution, for example in contact sausages or other contaminated products.

Also, the most important during pregnancy is to clean the refrigerator once a week and avoid buying cheese in supermarkets is a significant risk because the place of contact with other foods are common. Better promote the purchase of the cheese in a cheese specialty retailer that handles with care products.

In conclusion, during pregnancy, do not deprive yourself of cheese and follow your doctor's recommendations for selection (pasta cooked, raw milk, ...).

More information on pregnancy and cheese and raw milk:

* The good cheese depends on good milk

* The raw milk cheese through the ages

* Why keep the cheese from raw milk industry

* Bacteria & mold in cheese ...

* Save the raw milk cheese.