Seafood during pregnancy

Every seafood entry, with a verdict

Sorted with the ones worth knowing about first. Avoid means skip it entirely; take care means it depends on how it was prepared.

• Raw shellfish

  Avoid

  As with lots of raw products, undercooked shellfish, which include oysters, clams, and mussels, can be contaminated and cause an infection. Raw shellfish pose a concern for everybody, and they should be avoided altogether during pregnancy.

• Raw and smoked seafood

  Avoid

  Refrigerated, smoked seafood often labeled as lox, nova style, kippered, or jerky is not the best idea when you are pregnant, as it can be contaminated with listeria. Canned or shelf-safe smoked seafood is usually fine to eat. You can also eat smoked seafood as dangerous bacteria die when seafood is heated until piping hot (over 160 °F or 70 °C).

• Roe

  Take care

  Fish eggs, or roe, or caviar, is a very nutritious meal, offering a variety of vitamins, minerals and fats that are valuable for your child's development: omega-3 fatty acids, which support your baby's brain growth and are involved in nerve development, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B-12, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, zinc and selenium. But before eating roe, make sure that it was thoroughly cooked or pasteurized to minimize your risk of food borne illness.

• Well-cooked shellfish

  Take care

  It's okay to eat shellfish, which include oysters, clams, and mussels, that were well cooked, but it's a rather risky type of meal for a pregnant woman. Cooking helps to prevent some types of food borne illnesses, but it does not prevent the algae-related illnesses that are associated with red tides. So eat carefully, watch your condition and call the doctor immediately if something goes wrong.

• Well-cooked seafood

  Safe

  Seafood is a great product for pregnant women, it provides nutrients that are important for baby's early development and also your health. Seafood is high in protein, vitamin D, and other nutrients that are crucial for a developing baby and a healthy pregnancy. Good choices include shrimp and crab. Make sure that you trust the seafood company (or the place where you are going to order it).

 Remember that you can eat only well-cooked seafood, that was steamed, otherwise malicious bacteria can survive and do harm to you and your baby.

• Brown seaweed

  Safe

  You can definitely consume brown seaweed like kelp, kombu, wakame, arame, quandai-cai, hiziki/hijiki, or Sargassum fusiforme, but better limit to 1 serving a week as it is incredibly high in iodine. Iodine is an important nutrient during pregnancy, but better check the allowed amounts with your doctor. Seaweed snacks may be very high in sodium.

• Red or green seaweed

  Safe

  You can use as much as you like. Nori and karengo are used in sushi and dulse.

• Canned seafood

  Safe

  Canned seafood is okay to eat and cook, make sure the cans are fresh, store in the fridge, and eat within 2 days after opening.

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