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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 a__sociated with contracting listeria during pregnancy, should convince you not to eat raw fish while pregnant.

Remember that many kinds of sushi don't contain raw fish. There is vegetarian sushi and there are also types of sushi that contain cooked seafood.

yes california rolls and smoked salmon are still on the menu. Raw fish as i said before is OUT!

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 c___p. 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.

is it fine to eat cheese?

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 c___p 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 b___stfeeding experts seems to be that eating raw-fish-sushi doesn't pose a problem for a b___stfeeding 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.

After reading all this all I can say is...WOW...