Pregnant women and infants are high risk groups in regard to a pathogenic organism called Listeria monocytogenes, in raw fish, and especially soft cheeses. The risks associated with contracting listeria during pregnancy, should convince you not to eat raw fish while pregnant. ↑
I am sick and tired of the ignorance and fear that is being thrown on unsuspecting pregnant women. Women in Japan eat sushi all the time. In fact, it's extremely high in DHA (brain food for the baby). The risk comes in if you eat sushi from non-reputable establishments, or simply if it's old and has not been handled properly. I would never eat prepackaged sushi from the supermarket or from any iffy type restaurant. Bottom line, you get what you pay for. Any self respecting sushi master wouldn't serve crap. Do your research, prepare your credit cards, and enjoy your wasabi! ↑
The more appropriate term is sashimi - for raw fish. I have been having sashimi in decent restaurants thruout my pregnancy and I have been fine. One should just be more cautious of the hygiene of the source rather than type of food. There is just as much risk in buying commercially cut fruit. ↑
If the sashimi was 'fresh frozen' and from a good reputable restaurant then you should be fine. I had the same worries, and after getting a bit of advice from people on these postings, doing some research and asking my doctor about it I feel better now. :o) just becarefull where you go to eat sushi at. ↑
hi julie - as long as the cheese is made with pastrized milk then it's fine. You can even find brie and feta cheese that are made with pastrized milk. ↑
Brucen, you are incorrect that smoked salmon is OK to eat while pregnant. Smoked salmon and other smoked seafoods can be contaminated by listeria. I believe the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website can confirm this. Sushi may contain food poisoning bacteria from handling, or they may contain parasites. However, to my knowledge they do not contain listeria. The risks of eating sushi while pregnant are the same as if you are not pregnant -- you may get food poisoning, but that is not deadly to your baby. ↑
I am so happy to read these posts about sushi being okay to eat. I am 10 weeks pregnant, love sushi and have been craving it but not eating it. I am going to take the advice from this board and eat it at a reputable place. There are so many rules about eating when pregnant and I think that must of them go overboard... ↑
im 17weeks pregnant and im tired of people acting like they know it all!a little bit of anything shouldnt be harmful.if someone wants to eat smoked salmon why not? just dont stock up on it for gosh sakes.there are defintely more risky foods than others but who is to say for sure the truth? doctors dont even know half of the answers, they just figure if there is a risk why take it?that is completely up to the woman to decide.btw, i saw a program that showed a case of ice cream distributed all over the country contaminated with salmonilla. so, you never know what the hell youre eating.theres crap in everything these days.whoever can say that salmon is NOT okay (and if you eat it youll harm your baby for sure) should post an exhaustive scientific study that proves that statement completely true until then dont make such a bold statement. all doctors and books will say all different things. some even say alchohol is okay in moderation after the first trimester.others say NO WAY. i choose not to drink but i know many women who have had perfectly healthy children and had wine during their pregnancys or a beer at dinnertime.evryone wants to act so smart.its hilarious ↑
and even the Center for Disease Control and prevention website cant prove that. because there are still doctors that say its okay MODERATION is the key. dont be so rigid.and unless you are a scientist dont say its NOT OK instead maybe suggest politely that its risky. ↑
Yes; just make certain that you are comfortable with the source and care of the raw fish (reputable sushi bars are very careful about this). Like any raw food, sushi can carry carry parasites or a bacteria called listeria monocytogenes, and some species of fish should be avoided due to mercury levels. The consensus among breastfeeding experts seems to be that eating raw-fish-sushi doesn't pose a problem for a breastfeeding baby (though it has the potential to make mom sick). As far as Lauren's reasoning that Asian countries have been eating sushi for years - all I have to say is Flora Flora Flora.... Do Mexicans get sick from the water in Mexico? No. You may get sick from sushi, while others may not. ↑
Even Japanese women are warned not to eat so much sushi while pregnant--and what's more the Japanese don't only eat raw foods.
There are ohter sources of DHA, but eat what you will. It's not a gauruntee that you will become ill--just a possiblity which some of us are unwilling to take.
It's unfortunate with so much information available at your finger tips, more of you don't take advantage. ↑
listeria is very rare, but if your baby gets this in utero, there is a very very high chance the baby will die before delivery. i have a friend who got this from eating soft cheeses and her baby was born 6 weeks early and the doctors said if she had gone a few more days, she wouldn't have made it. the baby is not the healthiest and has had some difficulties. maybe contracting listeria is not common, but would you take the chance with your babies life? also, there can be no symptoms until i is too late. ↑
During pregnancy I Avoid any foods that have been prepaired and then put on display, like some sushi, sliced meat and deli salads, Try to make sushi yourself it is loads of fun and at least you know where it has been... ↑
I went for sushi with a bunch of friends and was able to get lots off the menu of cooked types of rolls: Eel (always cooked), shrimp tempora, etc. I was stuffed when I left and didn't have any raw food! ↑
Sushi means anything over rice, it does not mean raw, even though that is what most people associate with sushi. And so you can have sushi if you choose the cooked fish and there are usually many choices if you choose to do this. You should not eat raw fish. It's also wise to keep in mind that this is seafood and if you choose to eat foods like tuna, they should only be consumed in moderation. Also beware of smoked fishes as they are not advised during pregnancy due to the high mercury content. ↑
What about shellfish? Crab, shrimp, clams, etc? I am a huge seafood lover and would like to know other opinions on other seafood besides fish. My sister-in-law ate alot of seafood during her first pregnancy and her Son was born with eczema, which some people blamed on her eating all the fish and shellfish... Any ideas? ↑
Make your choices for your self but don't criticize others for doing something differently. Sushi is no more dangerous than any other food - you can get food poisoning from everything, folks. ↑
Amen Kim.
If you are with a group and they want to go have sushi, you can order other menu items (chicken teriaki, etc). Tell the server you are pregnant and can't have RAW fish and have them tell you what sushi items are cooked and what is raw, that is what I did. You'd be surprised how many things you can get that are cooked. Not all Sushi is raw. People need to relax! ↑
No! Don't eat any raw fish! Also don't eat meat that is to rare. And stay away from soft or hard cheeses like Brie, Blue, Goat. Eat plenty of yogurt and milk. I eat american processed cheese while pregnant and I do love my blue cheese dressing and ONLY eat it if it is pre-bottled name brand. No loose blue cheese crumbles. Rather be safe than sorry. I will eat any and all sushi that has been cooked first! ↑
In response to Lauren. I would rather be safe than sorry. I love sushi, but to be on the safe side and to avoid any way of me being guilty of hurting my baby's health I won't eat raw fish or meat while I am pregnant. I don't want to take that chance. I good sushi place or not, we don't live in Japan and our bodies are not accustomed to eating raw food all the time. It's only 9 months. I eat cooked sushi at least once a week. So you don't have to give up sushi totally. There are plenty of cooked sushi out there. Most crabmeat, shrimp, ell are cooked. So eat up!! ↑
Listen about the raw goat products, I know a woman that bought a goat when she found out she was pregnant. She learned how to milk it and then enjoyed raw goat milk, cheese, yogurt during her pregnancies. All eight of her babies, born at home, came out very healthy. Everyone has their own path. Find out what feels right for you! ↑
on the TV last night was a story about sushi, 50 sushi bars were tested, 1out of every 3 rolls were contaminated. They said there is a high risk of poisoning due to poor preparation. As even cooked meats are often contaminated because the sushi maker infected the roll after touching raw fish. They recomended people buy sushi from traditional sushi bars, where the proper tecniques have been learned and used. eg Japanese ones. ↑
