I’ve just found out that I’m not supposed to eat pâté while pregnant. Apparently there’s a high risk of it containing listeria bacteria. Plus I’ve read that it’s high in vitamin A, which can harm an unborn baby. My GP never told me to avoid the stuff, neither did the midwife and I certainly hadn’t read it in any of the pregnancy bumph I’ve been given.

And the other day I inadvertently ate a forbidden cheese. The menu at the café did say the potato was mashed with stilton but I only quickly scanned over the ingredients before ordering. I felt like I couldn’t send it back seeing as it was my mistake, so I risked listeriosis and munched on.

Oh, then there was the flan at a dinner party a few weeks ago. The host pointed out, once I’d already scoffed half a piece, that it was made using unpasteurised goats cheese. I’d started so, I thought, I might as well finish it off.

As for peanuts, I never even knew about the risk of these passing on allergies or asthma to my baby - not until I read the coverage in the papers a few weeks ago.

All this advice about what I can and can’t eat is driving me crazy. I’ve always enjoyed a varied diet and since I’ve fallen pregnant have become increasingly frustrated with the fact that certain foods can't be touched.

Plus I’m beginning to feel guilty about when I slip up. Am I being reckless? Should I be more careful about what I put into my mouth?

I'm also a bit miffed that no GP, midwife or nurse has ever handed me a comprehensive list of what I can and cannot eat.

So I’m off to surf the net now to find out more. It’s all a bit late really, but I want to know exactly what diet I should be following for these last few months with bump.

Is all the advice on what you can and cannot eat while pregnant scaremongering? Should I be following strict guidelines? Tell me what you think, please leave your comments below.