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Awww... sorry your husbands acting that way. I'm sure a little bit of licorice will not hurt the baby, and he probably is just worried about the baby's safety. But I def think he overreacted. *HUGS*
Apparently the link is about a compound that's only in BLACK licorice, since it comes from the root that gives black licorice its flavor. That's not in flavored licorices, so I think you should be safe (and I'm sure you would have been even if you had only had a small amount! The studies were about women who consumed a lot of licorice over the entire duration of their pregnancy). Maybe have hubby read those links a little more closely? ;P
The list of forbidden or restricted foods is so long!
Digging into the source of potential problems actually helps a lot... like alfafa sprouts are tough to clean and can contain bacteria. Plus I read once that they have some sorta toxin in them and can raise your blood pressure, although don't quote me on that.
Once you understand the "why" behind each item, you'll be better positioned to make decisions about how cautious you'd like to be!
For example, for licorice... I read that you have to eat more than 100 grams per week to put your baby at risk for behavioral and learning problems:
http://www.xomba.com/eating_licorice_during_pregnancy_what_are_dangers
Plus if you ate red licorice, it probably doesn't contain glycyrrhizin... so you should be safe. Only black licorice contains licorice oil/glycyrrhizin...
ps I got all this information off of Google and didn't have time to cross-check for multiple sources...
Panda rasberry does not have the black licorice component if you check the ingredient list, but Panda cherry does. Don't worry! Sounds like you are fine.
I know that others can be nervous nellies about what we consume, but I think it's important to set limits because it is still your body :)
Link to the Panda contents website:
http://www.internaturalfoods.com/panda/panda.html
Most black licorice is artificially flavored anyway. Check the ingredients. I believe the root is Anise (sp?) or some family member of Anise.
It sounds like you have the food police at your house.. lol.. It's really great that he cares but I'd be super annoyed too. I'd probably continue to eat licorice when hubby wasn't around if I were in your shoes. Not to promote lying to your spouse or anything. But sometimes they worry about things that aren't important.
Ohh.. and on the non edible list.. let's not forget beef that isn't well done. It killed me that I couldn't have a medium steak when I was pregnant...
aw, thanks guys. The stuff I ate did have licorice oil in it... it's the real deal! I try to be vigilant about researching all the "dangerous" foods so that I can make informed decisions but this one I just didn't want to hear about!
*Edit, Ok, I just checked again, and it says it has "licorice extract." I'll check out that link DG, thanks!
i'm kind of having a giggle thinking about you hunkering down in the corner and eating all of the contraband food before your hubby gets home from work :) I will be doing this someday when i'm preggo, too. I won't exclusively eat all the things on the no-eat list, but I'm not going to freak out if i accidentally ingest some honey ham and brie hehe. Our parents probably didn't watch their diets as closely and we turned out ok!
I'm sorry the list is so long - a decade ago with my kiddo it was just caffeine (more than 1/2 soda), smoking, alcohol, and kitty litter. It sounds like things have changed a lot. How did we end up turning out okay if our parents drank coffee all day long, smoked a pack, and changed the kitty litter weekly?
Gah, they have 2 different formulations of raspberry licorice! Confusing! Regardless, you are probably just fine.
Sarah71710 - A lot of the rules and recommendations have made a big difference! I've heard that since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that babies sleep on their backs, incidences of SIDS have dropped a good amount...
@mrbee That was actually the most controversial thing in my early childhood class (I took it to get an elective credit). None of the studies can actually determine whether it was laying them on their backs or actually getting people to realize that babies can't have stuffed animals, tons of blankes, etc in with them. There seems to be a "noticable drop" everytime they switch from back to stomach or stomach to back because they switch it every decade or so.
Having said that, I will be putting my children on their backs, but to each his own.
With the exception of very few things, I think that the most sensible approach is moderation. If you look hard enough, you will find something that tells you that you can't eat ANYTHING. I have cut some things out completely, namely alcohol and all medication other than my asthma and allergy meds. But you know what, I still eat sandwiches from the deli, eat seafood occationally and enjoy a cup of coffee every morning. I also exercise, get lots of sleep, eat tons of fruits and vegetables and stay as healthy as I can. Moderation is key.
Ahhhhh, I'm sorry northernazbride; I totally understand how you feel. My husband and I had a tense moment last night when he refused to rub my back because "pregnant women should only receive specialty prenatal massages." It sounds silly now, but boy was I mad when he said that!
I think our partners don't get to be involved or have control over the pregnancy like we do, so they sometimes go overboard on the few areas they can have some influence over (e.g. food/consumption). Compounding the problem is that sometimes it feels like the rest of the world is always telling us pregnant women what not to do; hearing that same judgemental speech from our SOs feels way more personal than I'm sure they mean it to be. Would it help to tell your husband that, while you appreciative his involvement, what you really need is his support? He might just not realize how critical he came across during Licorice-Gate 2010. :)
Also, when I reminded my husband last night that 3 minutes wouldn't hurt the baby, I got my back rub... AND he scheduled a prenatal massage for next week. Win-win!
My mom put me in a little plastic bath tub on the front seat of her car when I was an infant because they didn't use car seats. She probably ate tons of licorice too!
Sorry your DH was so critical. Now that I'm pregnant, pushing my buttons got easier, and it seems like my DH ALWAYS hits them at exactly the wrong moment! He gets mad when I change the litter box, but he'll leave it for a week if I don't. I'm not an idiot, I realize the toxoplasmosis danger. I wear a respirator mask and gloves, so I'm FINE. Plus I change clothes and shower afterwards!! But he still gets mad and I still get mad at him for getting mad!
Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of foods that should be avoided during pregnancy? I've heard of deli meats, soft cheeses, fish with mercury, etc. but hadn't heard of licorice before. (Not that I'm pregnant yet, but I think we'll start trying right away so I like to be prepared with info!)
Thanks again ladies, it's nice to know there are other people out there who share my pain!
Nevjcu- you can look online or in pregnancy books for lists of "forbidden" foods... but there isn't always 100% agreement on things. Both my obgyn and my midwife gave me lists... Licorice was NOT listed on either of them. I guess I'm just going to have to keep my once a month licorice consumption on the dl for the time being.
Oh boo! I hadn't heard about licorice! Granted, I rarely eat it but still. I rarely eat sushi either (unfortunately) and am already not looking forward to crossing that one off for 9+ months! I love real licorice!
Ahgr! My sympathies. Absolutely have a talk with him - it's enough that random strangers will judge you for a sip of wine and every other thing you do without getting it from your husband!
what? deli meat? and cured meats? So can you have any sandwiches? Isn't like every sandwich at every restaurant made with deli meat? And what about ham at Easter or Christmas? Is that considered a cured meat?
I've never heard that all of these things are bad! I don't want to ever get pregnant now. I couldn't go without eating a sandwich. What do you eat for lunch then?
I know someone who ate so much licorice at one time that it formed a ball in his stomach and he had to go to the hospital...
@Chicago ROFLMAO OMG WTH - and every other acronym out there. Poor guy!
@Toffee and Mr. Bee - In the last child psych class I took (spring 2009) the professor and book advocated placing children on their backs, but the teacher also advocated the idea that infanticide (coupled with a lack of autopsy/correct medical diagnosis) may be a more common occurrence than we think. Which is a really creepy thought that I don't know if I totally agree with.
@amariem25-- I think it's okay if you microwave the lunch meat? That way you kill the bacteria? (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong). I didn't know this before reading the baby boards either....I have a lot to learn before I get pregnant.
@sarah One other point brought up was that now the correct diagnosis is found more often than before and thus less is being blamed on SIDS which is kind of a catchall for when infants die without a specific explanation. People tend to want to know more about why their child died rather than just trying to forget it happened.
@newbie No, you're not allowed deli meat because it's cured and also because you're supposed to toss it after 2 days in the fridge whether you're preggo or not. My FBIL is a butcher and that's what he said is the actual foodsafe limit on them. Plus, do you want to trust that your microwave can get it hot enough to kill everything? Not a chance I'd be taking myself.
The deli meat restriction is actually for listeriosis.
Here's some additional information.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nutrition/PR00109
If I can't eat my honey maple ham sandwiches for lunch, brie and mozzerella cheese for 9 months. I'm never getting pregnant. 
MMMMM Good n Plenties! Those are my FAVORITE.
Isn't there lots of fake-flavored licorice goodies out there? I had licorice flavored mints once. Crazy good
these posts always stress me out, bc I think I've read a lot, then there is always something I haven't heard of or forget to do! I mean, I do the "biggies" (no alcholol or caffeinated drinks sinch pregnancy, lunch meat heated, no sushi, etc)...also haven't had any licorice, but I wouldn't have known...and have 2 steaks (medium) since becoming pregnant (not something I normally eat, but we were out to eat). boo
Soon2beeMrsM - You can eat mozzarella, as it is not seen as a "soft cheese", but you can't have brie, although the reason behind it is because they do not want you eating cheese made from unpasteurized milk. I had a huge hankering for a salad with feta cheese and bought some made with pasteurized milk and put a little in. No big deal, but I have tried to avoid it regardless unless I cannot find something else I want to eat. I don't even normally like feta!
My big thing is deli meats...OH, the thought of a maple turkey and muenster sandwich just makes my mouth water. I know so much nitrate isn't good for me anyway, but deli meats were a huge staple of my lunch diet. I have never wanted a sub so badly in my LIFE!
I'll be honest, I eat deli meat (turkey) all the time... and I eat soft cheeses (I check and make sure they are pasteurized though) all the time as well. I'll probably even continue to eat licorice sometimes too... Everybody needs to find their own comfort level.
aw I'm sorry your hubby came down hard on you. I am sure it is just his lack of control over the situation that caused him to behave like that. however, it is worth talking to him to ask him to relax - he means well but he is doing more harm than good in the end by making you upset!! Especially since the baby will be totally fine. I mean if you were getting wasted every night, that wuold be one thing. But a box of licorice is so NOT a good thing for him to freak out about!
EDIT: And having a very reasonable minded doctor also helps me not freak about every little thing. In fact the list she gave me was quite short and focused on the big ones. She even said deli meat and sushi (gasp) were ok if they were from a place that was clean and used quality ingredients. That said, I don't eat raw fish, too many people out there spook me out on that one :)
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I just got into a stupid fight with my husband... over a box of licorice of all things. I brought some yummy raspberry panda licorice home and proceeded to eat the whole box (oops). When my husband saw the remains of the box he got all pissy and proceeded to show me these websites that said pregnant women should not eat licorice. Now the way I understood it was that eating huge amounts of licorice on a daily basis probably isn't a good idea, but I really don't see what the efing problem is if I want to have a little bit of licorice candy every once in a while. I'm just so annoyed with all these stupid restrictions... it's bad enough I can't have a glass of wine, but then "they" say no cured meat, no deli meat, no soft cheese, no soft serve, no alfalfa sprouts (really?), no soy milk, no sushi... etc... and it seems like there is no consensus on anything. I just don't think a little bit of licorice candy is dangerous and I don't need anyone, let alone my husband, trying to micromanage my diet. Ok, vent over. I feel a bit better now.