Tulips

Some of the best french cheeses, especially those in good restaurants, are unpasteurized. True that many French women eat cheese while pregnant, but if you have been eating these cheeses since childhood, you become immune to this. I wouldn't take the risk, since listeria is very dangerous when you're pregnant. In a good cheese shop they will be able to tell you exactly which cheese is ok, and which is not. Same for restaurants; it's absolutely fine to ask.
People are not so much worried about caffeine. I preferred Cafe au lait while pregnant.
Other things to watch out for is any kind of paté and raw eggs (so no fresh mayonaise, chocolate mousse, uncooked cheesecake). And don't eat poultry that's not well cooked.

BLN

Oh, thanks for that Tulips - I hadn't thought about mousse and raw eggs. (I mean, I know not to eat raw eggs, but forget what else has them as an ingredient!!)

You all have been so helpful!! There are a couple great/reputable cheese shops and I think I will go and ask about what is pasteurized ("lait cru!&quot and stick to that. I'll probably avoid it in restaurants just to be on the safe side. None of this would be so hard if I didn't love cheese so much!!

So, how do you say, "I'm pregnant" in French? (Just kidding. I can look that up!)

tondalaya

j'enciente?

Tulips

Je suis enceinte; je ne peut pas manger des fromages non-pasteurise.
And don't forget the baby clothes; Bonpoint, baby Dior, Kenzo. I've also bought some lovely baby blankets in Paris; can't remember where, but some old-fashioned cashmere/knitwear shops stock beautiful soft baby blankets/scarves, in lots of colours.

BLN

Thanks again, Tulips. How do you pronounce "enceinte"? Does anyone know a good site where you can punch in a foreign word and it'll read it to you? I have a French CD but "I'm pregnant" isn't covered!!

AHaugeto

BLN- Try "jzhe sweez ahn-see-yent", or you could always write the whole thing down on an index card and show it to your waitperson or salesperson. Have a great time!

Ann41

Okay, I can live with no wine or soft cheeses and limited caffeine. But no cheesecake or chocolate mousse? This better be one hell of a baby.

StCirq

enceinte - ohn-sahnt is a bit closer than ahn-see-yent. It's two syllables, not three, and there's no "see" sound in the word. You just ever so barely pronounce the first "n" and the "ceinte" part rhymes with the French pronounciation of "saint."

StCirq

sorry...meant to say it rhymes with the French word "sainte," not "saint."

AHaugeto

Hmmm...must be confusing my languages (in all their various states of moldiness and disrepair!). Thanks StCirq!

Tulips

Oh, and no tiramisu either; raw egg yolks in this too I'm afraid.

coccinelle

Lots of good advice here. I, too had to be careful when we went to Italy.

grandmere

I was the one who started a thread about unpasteurized cheese over 2 years ago, when I was going to Paris with my daughter, who was 14 wks pregnant at the time. Listeria may cause fetal death without causing any symptoms in the pregnant woman, and French woman are advised to stay away from unpasteurized cheeses, also.

As for fine restaurants serving pasteurized cheese, we ate at Le Grand Vefour, and when we asked, they informed us that all their cheeses were UNpasteurized.

If you are very hungry for brie, Le President brand, found in Monoprix and other supermarkets, IS pasteurized.

Have a wonderful time! Recommend following shops for baby clothes: Jacadi, Bonpoint, Tartine et Chocolate, Le Petit Faune, Catamini, and don't forget the boutiques in Galeries Lafayettes, where you can get a 10% discount as well as applying for detaxe.