A young mum-to-be has told of the frustrating moment she discovered a restaurant had quietly removed a key ingredient from her $15 dish due to her pregnancy.
Brittany Terenowski, from Perth, and her sister were enjoying dinner together at an Italian restaurant on April 20.
The sisters ordered entrées, pasta and fries — topped with crispy prosciutto, truffle aioli and parmesan — as a side dish.
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But things took a strange turn when the siblings noticed something was missing from their plate of fries.
Upon checking the menu, they realised the crispy prosciutto was not included.
When they asked the waiter whether the cooked deli meat was normally served with the chips, he responded, “Yes usually it does but we made a change because…”
The 31-year-old claims the waiter then looked at her as he “rubbed his belly”, hinting at her pregnancy.
Stunned by the waiter’s act, the expectant mum says she found the whole situation “weird” after the waiter decided what she “can or can’t eat” based on the assumption she was pregnant — without ever speaking to her first.
“I was in shock and didn’t really know how to handle the situation at the time,” Brittany tells 7Life.
“I felt quite uncomfortable that I was put in a situation where random people were making decisions about what I should eat on my behalf.
“I think it’s really wrong that I was put in the position in the first place.”
In Australia, pregnant women are advised to avoid deli meats — but cooked versions are considered safe to eat.
Adding further insult to injury, the sisters were charged full price for the no-prosciutto fries.
“That makes me feel really frustrated,” Brittany — who was 23 weeks pregnant at the time — says.
“Not only did they make an assumption that I was pregnant and then make the decision on my behalf without any communication to remove a key ingredient, but they then charged me the full price for the dish.
“The prosciutto was the expensive part of the dish.
“It seems bad practice for a business to remove key ingredients without any communication to the customer and then charge them for it anyway.”
Brittany says she was having such a great time with her sister, she didn’t let the situation ruin their night.
However, as she was driving home, she realised just how “messed up” it was for the restaurant to have removed the ingredient without letting her know.
The mum-to-be is sharing her story so restaurants are aware of how they can accommodate expectant women who dine with them.
“I decided to speak up because I really believe this is a common and unfortunate issue that women face in their pregnancy journey that has somehow been normalised and it’s really not okay,” she says.
“My intent in speaking up about this issue is not to hurt a single business, however to hopefully initiate a little change.
“There is a lot of fear mongering and old wives tales about what’s safe to eat during pregnancy.
”And when you look at the actual medical data and evidence behind it, it’s clear there is a lot of miseducation on this topic.”
Brittany says she knew the crispy prosciutto was safe for her to eat as she has been consulting with her obstetrician-gynaecologist and doctor about her diet throughout her pregnancy.
“The clear message I want to get out there is that what a woman decides to consume during her pregnancy is her decision and hers alone, in consultation with her qualified specialists such as her OBG and doctor,” she says.
“This is not up to the barista, waiter, chef or random person who thinks they know better.
“Every pregnancy is unique and so women will make decisions they feel safe and comfortable… and that’s something that should be supported by the community.
“To assume certain things and make decisions on another person’s behalf is not okay.
“In short, if a pregnant woman asks for a latte, give her the damn latte.”
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