Eating cream cheese in pregnancy

Eating well in pregnancy | Ready Steady Baby!

Eating a diet of different groups of foods is the best way for you to stay healthy, and help your baby grow and develop.

Importance of eating well in pregnancy

Having a good diet and being active will:

increase your chances of becoming pregnant
improve the likelihood of having a healthy baby
reduce the risk of complications
make your recovery and healing easier after the birth

What eating well means

Eating well means:

eating more healthy foods containing folic acid, iron and iodine
limiting intake of high fat and high sugar foods
taking vitamin supplements containing vitamin D
drinking lots of fluids but only small amounts of caffeine
not drinking alcohol at all
taking care how you prepare and store food

How to eat a healthy balanced diet

Best start foods

As well as your free vitamins, you could be eligible for a Best Start Foods payment card to help you buy some food basics, including milk and fruit and vegetables.

More about Best Start Foods

Dieting

Dieting to lose weight in pregnancy isn't recommended, even if you're overweight to begin with.

Some weight gain in pregnancy is normal and includes the weight of your baby, the placenta and amniotic fluid.

Cravings

Some foods taste different as your sense of taste can change when you’re pregnant. This is caused by hormonal changes in your body.

You might find you can’t eat foods you used to enjoy or crave them if they start to taste better. If you're craving high-fat or high-sugar foods, try to limit them and eat regular balanced meals and healthy snacks instead.

Food to avoid

To reduce the chance of harming yourself or your baby, you should avoid certain foods.

Some dairy

You should avoid eating:

unpasteurised semi-hard and soft cheeses (unless cooked until steaming hot)
all mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, such as brie, camembert and chèvre (unless cooked until steaming hot)
soft blue cheeses such as Danish Blue, Gorgonzola and Roquefort (unless cooked until steaming hot)
any unpasteurised cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk or cream

Liver and pâté

Liver and liver products such as pâté or liver sausage can have large amounts of vitamin A. This can be harmful for your baby. All types of pâté, including vegetable versions, can have listeria in them. It’s best to avoid them.

Some fish

Do not eat swordfish, marlin, shark or raw shellfish.

Do not eat smoked fish products, including smoked salmon and smoked trout, unless thoroughly cooked as they can present a risk of Listeria. This includes in sushi.

Some meats

You should not eat game meat, such as hare, partridge or pheasant due to the presence of lead. You should also not eat raw or rare meat as this can cause food poisoning.

Always make sure any meat you eat is well cooked and steaming hot all the way through. You should not be able to see any pink meat and the juices should run clear.

Too much oily fish or tuna

Try not to have more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes mackerel, sardines and trout.

Tuna is not classed as an oily fish, but do not eat more than two tuna steaks (about 140g cooked or 170g when raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna (about 140g when drained) per week.

Sprouted seeds

These need to be cooked well until they are hot throughout to make sure they do not make you ill.

Unwashed fruit and vegetables

Be careful with fruits, vegetables and salads as they can have soil on them, which can make you unwell. Make sure to thoroughly wash all fruits, vegetables and salad ingredients.

Safe foods

During pregnancy it's safe to eat:

cooked fish
sushi, but only if the fish has been cooked thoroughly
seafood/shellfish as long as it has been cooked, for example mussels, lobster, crab, oysters, scallops, clams and cold, pre-cooked prawns
Peanuts and other nuts (unless you're allergic) - eating nuts when pregnant will not affect whether or not your baby has a peanut allergy
spicy food - there's no reason to avoid spicy foods
honey - it's ok for you to eat honey, but you should not give it to your baby until they're over a year old

Dairy foods

You're safe to eat some milk and dairy foods, including:

All hard cheeses, such as cheddar, Parmesan or Gruyere
Pasteurised semi-hard and soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, halloumi, cream cheese, cheese spreads, or goat's cheese without a white coating on the outside (rind)
Any cheese that has been thoroughly cooked until steaming hot
Pasteurised milk and yoghurt

Pasteurised cream and ice cream are safe, but are not considered 'dairy' by The Eatwell Guide and have high sugar and fat content.

Eggs

You can eat runny or even raw eggs as long as they are pasteurised, or have the British Lion Code mark on them, or are Laid in Britain (LIB) eggs.

Foods made with these eggs are also safe to eat. This includes:

mayonnaise
ice cream
salad dressing
mousse

Make sure that duck, goose and quail eggs are thoroughly cooked.

If you’re eating out and not sure if they use British Lion Code or Laid in Britain eggs, ask the staff to find out for you.

Healthy drinks

Aim to have 6 to 8 200ml glasses of water or other fluids every day, and:

try different kinds of drinks, such as sugar-free squash, decaf tea and coffee, fizzy water, fruit juice or smoothies
limit fruit juice or smoothies to 150 ml per day with meals to help to prevent damage to your teeth

Decaffeinated coffee and tea are safe to drink during pregnancy.

Do not drink alcohol during pregnancy.

Water

Drink plenty of water when you’re pregnant to keep hydrated and stop you getting constipated, especially in your last 3 months.

You should boil water before you drink it if you get your drinking water from a private supply, such as a well, borehole or spring. The quality of water from private supplies can vary a lot and when it’s poor it can cause health problems.

Herbal drinks

During pregnancy you should:

have no more than 4 cups of herbal or green tea a day as there isn't enough evidence about their effect on developing babies
avoid teas that contain ginseng or echinacea as doctors aren’t sure what effects they might have when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding

Talk to your midwife if you’re unsure about using any herbal products.

Caffeine

Caffeine's found naturally in chocolate, coffee and tea (including green tea). It’s also added to some:

soft drinks
energy drinks
cold and flu remedies

Having too much caffeine when you’re pregnant can:

increase your risk of miscarriage
affect how your baby grows
cause your baby to be small and underweight - this can lead to health problems later in life

If you have too much caffeine, your baby can start to withdraw from it when they're born. This makes them irritable.

How much caffeine's safe?

While you’re pregnant it’s important to have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day.

Food or drink	Amount of caffeine (mg)
Mug of instant coffee	100 mg
Mug of filter coffee	140 mg
Mug of tea	75 mg
330 ml can of cola	40 mg
250 ml can of energy drink	80 mg (larger cans may have up to 160 mg)
50 g bar of plain chocolate	less than 25 mg
50 g bar of milk chocolate	less than 10 mg

Translations and alternative formats of this information are available from Public Health Scotland.

Is It Safe to Eat Cream Cheese During Pregnancy?

Cream cheese. Whether you use it to make frosting for your red velvet cake or just spread it on your morning bagel, this crowd-pleaser is sure to satisfy your craving for delicious comfort food.

And speaking of cravings, if you’re pregnant, you may find this treat — whether used in sweet or savory dishes — even more irresistible. But perhaps you’ve heard that you need to avoid soft cheeses while pregnant.

This begs the question: Can you eat cream cheese while pregnant? The answer is generally yes (cue the cheers from all you cheesecake lovers out there!) with a few things to keep in mind.

You’ve probably been warned about soft cheese during pregnancy — like Brie, Camembert, chèvre, and others — but the thing is, cream cheese isn’t actually in this category. It’s soft, all right — but that’s because it’s a spread.

Cream cheese is usually made from cream, although it can also be made from a cream and milk combo. The cream or cream and milk are pasteurized — which means they’re heated to temperatures that kill pathogens (“bad” bacteria) and make it safe for consumption. It’s then curdled, usually by introducing lactic acid bacteria (“good” bacteria).

Finally, cream cheese makers heat the curds and add stabilizers and thickeners to give the spread its characteristic smooth texture.

The key step in the making of American cream cheese that makes it safe for pregnant women to consume is the pasteurization of the cream.

Like we mentioned, the heating process kills harmful bacteria. This includes listeria bacteria, which can cause a dangerous infection in those with weaker immune systems like newborns, older adults, and — you guessed it — pregnant people.

So cream cheese lovers rejoice — it’s safe for you to consume while pregnant.

We weren’t able to find a single store-bought cream cheese that contained raw, unpasteurized cream. Presumably, though, such a product might be out there. Likewise, you may come across recipes for making your own cream cheese using raw cream.

In addition, there are products that are much like cream cheese in other countries that might use raw dairy. Probably the most notable example is Neufchâtel cheese, which comes from France and is made with unpasteurized milk.

So if your friend brings you back French Neufchâtel cheese and a bottle of French wine, you’ll need to take a pass on both — at least until your bun is out of the oven. (Note that American versions of Neufchâtel cheese are pasteurized and therefore safe.)

Consuming cream cheese made from unpasteurized cream or milk isn’t safe if you’re pregnant, period. It can lead to listeriosis, an infection caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium and one that poses serious risks to you and your developing baby.

Pay attention to the expiration date

Also, cream cheese isn’t known for its long shelf life. So pay attention to the expiration date or consume it within 2 weeks of purchase, whichever comes first.

Avoid sneaking a taste with your spreading knife and then going back in for more — that introduces bacteria that can grow and thrive, causing microbial contamination and making it go bad even faster.

Like many cheeses and cheese spreads, cream cheese contains a lot of fat. For example, 1 ounce of the most popular brand — Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese — has 10 grams of fat, of which 6 are saturated. This represents a whopping 29 percent of your daily recommended amount of saturated fat.

Fat isn’t the enemy when you’re pregnant — in fact, you need fat to grow a baby! But too much may increase your risk for complications like gestational diabetes.

Enjoy cream cheese as an occasional treat. There are also whipped varieties that have the same great taste but contain less fat.

Cream cheese isn’t actually a soft cheese — it’s a cheese spread made with pasteurized dairy. Because of this, it’s safe for pregnant people to consume.

Of course, always pay attention to expiration dates and ingredients when choosing what to eat, whether pregnant or not. For all stages of life, including pregnancy, it’s best to consume a nutrient-dense diet rich in whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and healthy fat and protein sources.

That being said, a little cream cheese spread over a toasted bagel may go a long way in satisfying a craving — so dig in, knowing it’s perfectly safe for you and baby.

Is it possible to eat cheese during pregnancy?

Cheese is a tasty and healthy product, beloved by many. That is why the statement of some doctors that any cheese is strictly forbidden to women during pregnancy can seriously spoil the mood. However, you should not despair - if you dig deeper, it turns out that everything is not so categorical. Below we will understand what are the benefits and harms of cheeses for pregnant women.

Which cheeses should be avoided during pregnancy

Despite all its usefulness and the abundance of microelements and vitamins in its composition, some types of cheese can sometimes cause irreparable harm to a woman and her unborn baby. These are unpasteurized cheeses, which may contain Listeria monocyotogenes, the bacterium that causes listeriosis. Acute infectious disease is severe and is accompanied by chills, high fever, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting. Such a severe clinical picture can lead to a miscarriage or the development of severe pathologies in the fetus - given this, it is necessary to be extremely selective in choosing cheeses during childbearing. nine0003

The infectious bacterium lives in unpasteurized cheeses made from sheep's and goat's milk that have not undergone heat treatment. We are talking about soft types of cheese and varieties with mold: dor blue, brie, camembert, cambonzola, etc. Also at risk are cheeses with blue mold: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Savoy cheese. Such products contain a lot of liquid and little acid, which is the most favorable environment for the development of Listeria monocyotogenes.

Why mold is harmful when carrying a child

In addition to the risk of getting sick with listeriosis, eating delicious marbled cheeses, you run the risk of experiencing all the delights of the impact on the body of "noble" mold. So, valuable blue mold, which gives cheeses such a refined taste, endows the product with a number of side qualities. Being a pure antibiotic, mold kills the beneficial microflora that inhabits the body, which can cause intestinal dysbacteriosis and disrupt the digestive tract.

An imbalance of water and lactic acid in moldy foods can lead to the growth of fungus in the body, which is also highly undesirable for a pregnant woman who is already in a vulnerable state. Given the foregoing, doctors strongly recommend abandoning "live" cheeses for the period of bearing a child. nine0003

Which cheeses are safe for pregnant women? Under the influence of high temperature and careful processing, pathogenic bacteria die, making the cheese not only tasty, but also safe. Such cheeses include: gouda, maasdam, parmesan, cheddar, Poshekhonsky, etc. - all of them will not harm a pregnant woman, since the environment favorable for the life of bacteria is destroyed during high temperature processing.

Eating hard cheeses, you will get the whole range of nutrients, saturate the body with calcium and, in addition, diversify your diet with a delicious product. nine0003

There is also good news for lovers of soft cheeses: there are varieties that pregnant women can safely include in their diet. These include delicious varieties such as feta, philadelphia, mascarpone, cottage cheese, goat cheese without rind (pasteurized), processed cheeses, etc. The technology for the production of such cheeses involves heat treatment, during which bacteria die. With soft cheeses, you can create various dishes, including delicious and healthy desserts - what could be better for a pregnant woman! nine0003

When to start eating moldy soft cheeses

Once your baby is born and the breastfeeding period is over, you can enjoy the full range of cheeses, including the gourmet blue mold varieties. Soft cheeses from Zhukovka are rightfully considered one of the best. Accurate adherence to production technology, verified to the gram of the recipe - all this allows you to make truly gourmet cheeses. By the way, the manufacturer's assortment also includes pasteurized soft varieties, for example, classic feta cheese, which is safe for women in an interesting position. nine0003

Can you eat cream cheese during pregnancy?

Contents

What is cream cheese?
Why is it generally safe during pregnancy?
Exceptions to the rule?
Conclusion

Cream cheese. Whether you're using it to make red velvet cake frosting or just spreading it on your morning bagel, this product is sure to satisfy your cravings for delicious, comfort food. nine0003

And speaking of cravings, if you're pregnant, you may find this treat - whether used in sweet or savory dishes - even more irresistible. But you may have heard that you need to avoid soft cheeses during pregnancy.

This begs the question: is it possible to eat cream cheese during pregnancy? The answer is usually yes (cheers to all cheesecake lovers!) with a few things to keep in mind.

What is cream cheese?

You've probably been warned about soft cheese during pregnancy like brie, camembert, chevre and others, but the fact is that cream cheese doesn't really fit into that category. It's soft, yes, but that's because it's a spread.

Cream cheese is usually made from cream, although it can also be made from a mixture of cream and milk. Cream or cream and milk are pasteurized, which means they are heated to a temperature that kills pathogens ("bad" bacteria) and makes them safe to consume. It is then folded, usually by introducing lactic acid bacteria ("good" bacteria). nine0003

Finally, cream cheese makers heat the curds and add stabilizers and thickeners to give the spread its characteristic smooth texture.

Why it's generally safe during pregnancy

A key step in the production of American cream cheese that makes it safe for pregnant women to consume is cream pasteurization.

As we mentioned, the heating process kills harmful bacteria. This includes listeria bacteria, which can cause a dangerous infection in people with weak immune systems, such as newborns, the elderly, and, you guessed it, pregnant women. nine0003

So cream cheese lovers rejoice - it is safe to consume during pregnancy.

Exceptions to Rules

We have not been able to find any store-bought cream cheese containing raw unpasteurized cream. Although it is possible that such a product exists. Similarly, you can find recipes for making your own cream cheese from raw cream.

In addition, other countries have products very similar to cream cheese that may use raw dairy products. Probably the most notable example is Neuchâtel cheese, which is made from unpasteurized milk from France. nine0003

So if your friend brings you Neuchâtel French cheese and a bottle of French wine, you will have to refuse both - at least until your bun is out of the oven. (Note that American versions of Neuchâtel cheese are pasteurized and therefore safe. )

Eating cream cheese made from unpasteurized cream or milk is not safe if you are pregnant, period. This can lead to listeriosis, an infection caused by a bacterium that poses a serious risk to you and your developing baby. nine0003

Pay attention to the expiration date

In addition, cream cheese is not known for its long shelf life. So pay attention to the expiration date or use it within 2 weeks of purchase, whichever comes first.

Don't sneak a taste with a spreader and then come back for more - this introduces bacteria that can grow and thrive, causing microbial contamination and causing it to spoil even faster.

So it's safe, but is it good during pregnancy?

Like many cheeses and cheese spreads, cream cheese is high in fat. For example, 1 ounce of the most popular Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese contains 10 grams of fat, of which 6 are saturated. This makes up a whopping 29 percent of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat.

Fat is not the enemy when you are pregnant - in fact, you need fat to raise a baby! But too much can increase the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes.