Is it recommended to eat seafood while pregnant?

Question

I know it may sound stupid, but my doctor said not to eat seafood at all while pregnant, just fish, because it is usually not cooked well, and it contain bacteria that can harm the baby, but I LOVE seafood, and everybody else said it's ok.
I would appreciate any answers.
Thank you

Answer 1

On the list of foods to avoid which I was given every time I was pregnant (it got bigger each time) shellfish was included.
But my Dad pointed out to me, in some countries like the Philippines, that is a big part of their diet. If it's well cooked I never worried about it through all 3 of my pregnancies.xxxx

Answer 2

The thing about fish is that it has mercury in it and that is why my doctor told me to avoid it during my pregnancy. some fish has more mercury in than others such as tuna, catfish, and shark. The ones that have the most mercury are the bottom feeders.

There are some fish that shouldn't be eaten at all during pregnancy. i can't remember all of them but you shouldn't eat any kind of shark, king mackeral, or sword fish. if you do eat fish limit the amount to only 6 ounces a week.

The bacteria that you should worry about is called listeriosis. this kind of bacteria is found on sandwhich meat. the bacteria grows on the machines that slice the meat. listeriosis can cause you to have a miscarriage, this actually happened to my nutritionist. The only way to avoid this bacteria is to cook your lunch meat on the stove. putting it in the microwave won't kill it. make sure the meat is cooked until it is steaming on both sides.

Answer 3

The problem w/seafood is that some may have high levels of mercury, which is harmful to the baby. I would go w/what your doctor suggests. During your pregnancy you will have to make sacrifices for your baby, but it will be worth it in the end.

Answer 4

Knowing the effects of seafood which contains mercury, the posibble link to autism, I choose not to eat ANY seafood while pregnant. I may be over reacting, but better safe then sorry.

If you do not want to give up all seafood, stay away from fish and anything raw/sushi.

Answer 5

It's not the bacteria, it's the mercury. Some fish have a low mercury content and are ok to eat rarely while pregnant, like salmon. Check on the web for a listing of the mercury content of fish.

Answer 6

Being a parent takes a lot of sacrifice. Give up the seafood for the sake of your unborn child. How bad will you feel if something happens to the baby because you weren't strong enough to give up seafood?

Answer 7

its ok worst case it'll get u sick if not cooked well just like it would if u wasn't pregnant. However don't eat seafood at the end of ya pregnancy because it can cause you to go into labor early. Some of the spices they put into seafood cause ya to go into labor early so don't eat it at the end. But beside that u are fine.

Answer 8

You have to think about all seafood. For example, oysters have very high levels of iodine. Iodine can be harmful to your baby. Some seafoods contain mercury which can also be very hamful to your baby.

I would stay away from it completely. It's only nine months. In the greater scheme of things, nine months is nothing. It only takes one bad shrimp, one bad piece of fish to change your life forever.

Answer 9

You should listen to your MD.

You might want to avoid it because of the possible mercury contamination, which leads to birth defects.

On a side note, there was a recent story that broke saying a study found that the upside of eating fish, like getting omega-3 fatty acids, outweighs the downsides like mercury contamination.

Answer 10

If you must, make sure it is cooked well and stay away from fish with a lot of mercury in it. Try to only it it every once in a while to minimize the danger.