The short answer: feta made from pasteurized milk is generally considered safe in pregnancy, but feta from unpasteurized (raw) milk is best avoided. Feta is a soft cheese, and health authorities single out soft cheeses as a Listeria risk when they are unpasteurized. This guidance draws on what the CDC, FDA, NHS, and ACOG say about soft cheeses and listeriosis.
Feta is a soft, brined white cheese traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk, though cow's milk versions are common. Because it is soft and moist, it can support the growth of Listeria bacteria more readily than hard cheeses. Whether it is safe in pregnancy depends mainly on one thing: whether the milk was pasteurized. Most feta sold in US and UK supermarkets is made from pasteurized milk, but not all, so the label matters.
The CDC and FDA advise pregnant people to avoid soft cheeses made from unpasteurized (raw) milk because these are a known source of Listeria, which causes listeriosis. The NHS specifically lists soft cheeses and says to check for pasteurization. Listeriosis is rare, but in pregnancy it can be serious, potentially leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe infection in the newborn, which is why authorities treat it cautiously even though the overall risk is low. Pasteurization kills Listeria, so pasteurized feta carries much lower risk.
Check the label for the words 'pasteurized' or 'made from pasteurized milk' before eating feta, and avoid it if the milk source is unknown or labeled raw. The FDA notes that thoroughly cooking soft cheese until it is steaming hot can kill Listeria, so cooked feta (for example in a baked dish) is a lower-risk option when you are unsure. If you want to avoid the question entirely, hard cheeses such as cheddar and pasteurized options like cottage cheese and cream cheese are widely considered safe in pregnancy.