is it ok to eat prawns whilst pregnant?

Question

im 22 weeks and love prawns and have seemed to fancy them alot through this pregnancy. Only a friend said earlier you have to be careful with prawns when your pregnant.

Answer 1

It is advisable to avoid shellfish. If you do wish to eat prawns for example, buy them from a reputable source, pre-packaged and date-stamped, make sure they have been thoroughly cooked.

Answer 2

The only risk is food poisoning, which won't actually harm your baby, it will just make you feel rubbish.
If the prawns are within their use by date and well cooked, then it is fine to eat them. Just don't go eating a gone off prawn cocktail that's been sitting in the fridge for 3 weeks. But that advice applies to anyone, not just pregnant women!

I have eaten plenty of prawns during my pregnancy. They are a good source of protein and zinc and don't contain high levels of mercury like some other fish do.

Answer 3

I have worked for ten years in catering and my rule with prawns is if I didn't cook them I won't eat them. I craved prawn curry all through my pregnancy, though for some reason I never ate the prawns, just liked the taste they give the sauce!
Prawns are a huge source of food poisoning, they must be thwed very slowly in a fridge at less than 5C, or extremely quickly, ie straight into already boiling water. The danger zone for food is above 5C and below 63C, this is when the little germs wake up and start to multipy, any temp either side of this range send them to sleep or kill them. With prawns, once out the fridge eat straight away, once cooked DO NOT reheat, and if more than 24 hours in the fridge discard.
A good way to thaw them quickly to eat straight away is under freezing cold running tap water with them in a sieve, they stay at fridge temp and so are safe, but it's alot faster than actually waiting at the fridge.
And yeah, you CAN eat them while pregnant, my doctor told me it was fine!
They are nice though!

Answer 4

i'd say its fine to eat prawns as long as they are cooked properly. and just another point its totally fine to eat tuna while your pregnant so dont worry. a healthly balanced diet is important during and after alittle bit of what you like as long as its not harmful in pregnancy ie liver Raw shellfish
Avoid raw shellfish when you’re pregnant. This is because raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning. And food poisoning can be particularSome types of fish
You can eat most types of fish when you’re pregnant. But there are a few types you should avoid and some others where you should limit the amount you eat.

Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system.

Have no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout.

But remember that eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby, so you should still aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish.
hope that helped you.

Answer 5

You can eat most types of fish when you’re pregnant. Eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby, so you should still aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. But there are a few types you should avoid and some others where you should limit the amount you eat.
Limit the amount of tuna you eat. This is because tuna contains a high level of mercury, which can have a damaging effect on your baby’s developing nervous system. You shouldn’t eat more than one tuna steak, or four medium-sized tins (about 140g per can) of tuna a week. This works out at about six rounds of tuna sandwiches or three tuna salads.
You should avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin as these fish also contain a high level of mercury.

Answer 6

My sister ate fish throughout her pregnancy, so I shouldn't see why it would be a problem.

The only thing that I do suggest, if you are worried speak to your doctor. Though I am sure that its fine.

And another thing, as always with shellfish, never eat them where they've been served hot and then gone cold, or if they are not cooked properly. You can get severe food poisoning.

Shell fish is a high risk food and should be cooked, like any other food to above 68c.

I would never recommend eating them of a buffet, you can never trust how long they have been there. (in room temperature bacteria increases, increasing food poising).

As already mentioned shell fish is a high risk food, and doctors may ask you to avoid it for that reason.

Hope this is of some help!

Answer 7

Prawns are my fave food but had to give them up for 9 months whilst preggers as they are shell fish and it has something to do with the bacteria in them i think.
Good luck with the baby mine is 6 weeks old now and he is the best thing that ever happened to me :)

Answer 8

It is advised not to during pregnancy, as they live on the bed of the water and feed off the crap basically. Other reasons not to at is food poisoning ie in resturants. However I asked my midwife she says it's fine if I do them myself, know how and when they have been stored etc, or cooked. As I can't resist my favourite king prawns sauteed in chilli and garlic, served with crusty bread and advocado-i'm off shopping now I thought about it.

Answer 9

I have never seen a pregnant prawn are they bigger than the normal ones

Answer 10

It's fine to eat prawns. There's only a handful of fish that you should avoid and shellfish is not one of them. Pregnant women worry too much!