Cheese is a good source of calcium. You can eat cheese during pregnancy but not all forms of cheese are safe to eat.

It is safe to eat hard cheese such as cheddar ,  parmesan and stilton even if they are made with unpasteurized milk. Hard cheese contains less water than soft cheese so bacteria are less likely to grow in them. It is possible for hard  cheese to contain listeria but the risk is low.

Cheese to avoid during pregnancy

You have to avoid mould – ripened soft cheese with rind such as brie and camembert.This also  includes mould-ripened soft goats’ cheese, such as chèvre. They are only safe to eat in pregnancy when cooked.

You also have to avoid soft blue-veined cheeses such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort. These are also safe to eat in pregnancy only when cooked.

Soft cheeses are less acidic than hard cheeses and contain more moisture. This makes it an ideal environment for harmful bacteria such as listeria to grow.  Even a mild form of infection with this bacteria during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage , stillbirth or severe illnesses in a newborn.

Know the symptoms of listeria . If you’re sick and showing these symptoms , contact your doctor right away.

Soft cheese that are safe to eat during pregnancy

Other than safe ripened soft cheeses , all other types of soft cheeses are okay to eat provided they are made with pasteurized milk. These include :

• cottage cheese
• feta
• mozzarella
• cream cheese
• paneer
• ricotta
• goats’ cheese
• halloumi
• processed cheeses, such as cheese spreads

Cooked soft cheese that are safe to eat during pregnancy

Thoroughly cooking should be able to  kill any bacteria in cheese. It is therefore safe to eat  cooked mould-ripened soft cheese, such as brie, camembert and chèvre, and cooked soft blue cheese, such as roquefort or gorgonzola, or dishes that contain them.

It is very essential to make sure the cheese is cooked throughly until steamy hot all the way through before consumption.

If you’re not sure if any type of cheese is safe to consume during pregnancy, talk to your doctor.