No, no, no...yes, yes, YEAH!

Opinion is divided over what you can and can't eat or drink during pregnancy. It's very confusing. And frustrating: as you'd like a straight black and white, yes or no answer. Certain things have risks, but are not bad 100% of the time. Thus ladies eat them, have no problems and go on to say to their friends, "Oh I ate loads of xxxxx and I was fine." The only way to be completely safe is to deprive yourself of everything that's interesting! It's all down to personal choice. It can be very difficult to quantify risks. I'm trying to be on the safe side...

I imagine myself post-birth, stuffing myself with unpasteurised cheese, smoked salmon, dried sausage, foie gras, lots of alcohol...wait a minute...that's Christmas and New Year in France, isn't it? YEAH! Can't wait!

I've been lusting after some unpasteurised cheese but this is generally not recommended, due to the risk of listeria. (On French pregnancy forums, many ladies think it's fine, particularly if you have the toxicoplasmosis resistance - the 2 are not at all linked however!)

....Anyway, lying on the couch, I had a brainwave: why not cook it? The classic cheese on toast? And sure enough several sources on the internet say if it's cooked, it's OK. Finally something I can have! Phew, get the grill on. (Photo by Kill Pop on flickr)