What kind of fish can I eat when pregnant?

Question

Can I have sardines?..What about Talapia?.......Shrimp?

Answer 1

By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.
Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions.

Answer 2

Fish and shellfish can be part of a healthy diet. They are a great source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. But almost all fish and shellfish contain a harmful substance called mercury.

Mercury mainly gets into our bodies by the fish we eat. Only high levels of this metal seem to be harmful to developing babies. So the risk of mercury in fish and shellfish depends on the amount and type you eat.

By following some tips you can get the healthy protein and omega-3 fatty acids in fish and avoid mercury. Use these guidelines:

* Do NOT eat any shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish (also called golden or white snapper) because these fish have high levels of mercury.
* Do not eat more than six ounces of "white" or "albacore" tuna or tuna steak each week.
* Do not eat more than 2 servings or 12 ounces total of fish per week.
* Choose shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish, or "light" tuna as they contain less mercury.


http://www.4woman.gov/pregnancy/pregnancy/eat.cfm#fish

Answer 3

As a Labor & Delivery nurse... I tell patients to be on the safe side NONE. The OBGY council will prob. recommend that for 07. The old rule was NO Great Lakes fish, No shell fish, Tuna in can only, pref. chink light. NO more than 4 oz. a week. Try to stay w/ farmed fish. The only prob with that is in the last couple years the mercuary content in fish (dangereous) has been escalating tremendously!! SO TO BE SAFE, STAY AWAY!!

PS: Same rule apply if you intend on breast feeding. Also it is smart to stay away from most "lunch" meats as well.

Answer 4

Hi! I was told to completely avoid seafood of any kind. But I love shrimp and still eat it. And I am careful that it is fresh and prepared properly. Go by your own judgement but avoid any kind of fish that is high in mercury as that can be very dangerous. Enjoy!

Answer 5

Shrimp is fine to eat..other than that..Wild Alaskan or Pacific fish is safe to eat..most fish is okay in moderation... Here is a site that I found helpful when I was pregnant regarding what was safe to eat and what to avoid eating...hope it helps and CONGRATULATIONS on the baby!!!!

Answer 6

Mercury is what is to be avoided!!http://www.citynews.ca/news/features_4593.aspx That is a link to the news channel in my city, which just did a story on the same subject. Check it out and enjoy!

Answer 7

As long as you don't eat pounds of fish every week, don't worry about it. You wouldn't ingest enough garbage to harm yourself or the baby.

Answer 8

Shrimp is fine. No Tuna.

Answer 9

Shellfish should be avoided while pregnant, but evrything else sould be ok as long as its stored, prepared and cooked properly.