is it true sushis bad while pregnant and why?

Celeste - posted on 01/11/2010

You can eat cooked sushi!!! My Dr gave me the ok... he's a sushi eater too!! He said NO RAW and No Tuna, it's high in mercury. I've been enjoying eel avocado rolls and California rolls.

Amber - posted on 01/11/2010

there is a difference betweeen sashimi and sushi... if its deepfried or tempura go right ahead and eat it..no harm done.. most sushi resturants at least steam or boil there fish for a minute to get rid of all germs carried on them... sushi is a general name for all rolls sashimi is raw fish (like raw salmon and cream cheese...jap. bagel roll... but if you like spicy tuna the chili power kills most bacteria... but if you are a little unsure as to how your sushi is cooked them squeeze a little lime or lemon juice on it... naturally the acid in them will cook the fish completely...

Amie - posted on 01/11/2010

I ate sushi all throughout my pregnancy and my baby is fine :) he is a healthy growing boy. Everyone was telling me i shouldnt eat it but i still did and nothing happen.. if you dont feel safe eating it then i would suggest not.. but other than that i would eat it.. its not going to kill you or the baby.. maybe just eat it once a month or something

Rebecca - posted on 01/11/2010

Yes you can so long as the fish has been frozen.

Check out the Food Standards Agency website (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/agesand...).

It's fine to eat sushi, and other dishes made with raw fish, when you're pregnant as long as the fish used to make it has been frozen first. This is because occasionally fish contains small worms called parasites, which could make you ill. Freezing kills the worms and makes raw fish safe to eat.

Sushi sold in shops or restaurants, whether it's ready-made or made in the shop, should be fine to eat. This is because the raw fish the shop uses to make sushi must have been frozen at minus 20°C for at least 24 hours.

If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least 24 hours before using it.

Some raw fish used to make sushi, such as smoked salmon, doesn't need to be frozen before it's used. This is because smoking kills any worms in the fish. Other methods, such as salting or pickling, are also used to make raw foods safe to eat.

Obviously you need to avoid the usual, marlin and shark.

Enjoy!!

Sharon - posted on 05/02/2009

Quoting Christina:

I have a Japanese sister-in-law and she thinks it is funny that people say you can't eat sushi. Everyone eats sushi over there and they have the healthiest babies (and adults!) in the world. Doctors will tell you anything to avoid a lawsuit. I ate sushi at least once a week with my most recent pregnancy and she is just fine.M

My first thought when I saw this thread was what happens to the pregnant mommies in Japan. ;)

I will say that I LOVE sushi and I ate it in MODERATION (once a month) when I was pregnant. My OB said that since sushi wasn't foreign to my body and as long as I ate it at a reputable place where they freeze their fish (freezing it kills off the bacteria) that I would be ok. I couldn't go to the pier and eat sushi that they just fished in :P

My son is born as healthy as can be (5 months @ 20lbs :D). Use your best judgement. They say the salmon cheek is very high in omega 3 so I ate that a lot (it was cooked..fried actually). There is a lot of different kinds of sushi. This may be a little off subject but when I was at our sushi bar one time, I saw a little girl eating TUNA sushi style (tuna on top with rice on bottom). I asked how old the little girl was and her grandma said 3, I said wow, that's amazing she likes sushi. She said they think it's because her mom ate it when she was pregnant with her.

Christina - posted on 05/01/2009

I would steer clear of that kind of sushi anyway, Hanako. I agree you shouldn't eat sushi every single day in large quantities, but that is true for any kind of food. I understand that in Japan it is a different being, but, pregnant or not, I feel comfortable eating sushi at the restaurants I frequent.

Hanako - posted on 05/01/2009

Quoting Christina:

I have a Japanese sister-in-law and she thinks it is funny that people say you can't eat sushi. Everyone eats sushi over there and they have the healthiest babies (and adults!) in the world. Doctors will tell you anything to avoid a lawsuit. I ate sushi at least once a week with my most recent pregnancy and she is just fine.

(I don't mean any offence at all in making this comment Christina) 

As sushi is a traditional and widely eaten cuisine in Japan I would hazard a guess in saying that their sushi, esp sashimi, is of a much higher quality and in most cases probably fresher than the stuff be get from sizzle bento (or other equivalent sushi chains).

Sushi may have no higher risk of Listeria than, say, deli meats (or one of the other foods that are not recommended) but there is still a risk. Listeria is real and very serious, even if it is not very common.

If you know that what you're eating is freshly cooked/caught and prepared then your risk is very low, but if you don't have any idea how long that sushi has been sitting in the window for, I'd steer clear ;)

Christina - posted on 04/28/2009

I have a Japanese sister-in-law and she thinks it is funny that people say you can't eat sushi. Everyone eats sushi over there and they have the healthiest babies (and adults!) in the world. Doctors will tell you anything to avoid a lawsuit. I ate sushi at least once a week with my most recent pregnancy and she is just fine.

Keela - posted on 04/28/2009

My doc told me Listeria crosses the placenta and can kill the baby instantly. I was eating sushi until that point. She said to eat cooked sushi... which made me sad because I love it!

Emily - posted on 04/28/2009

perfect thank you :)

Sabrina - posted on 04/27/2009

My OB said it was okay as long as it was cooked. You kind of have to know your sushi . I ate it at least once a month while pregnant with my last child and she came out completely healthly!

Krystal - posted on 04/27/2009

What they mean about the raw sushi it's actually called sashimi and yes you shouldn't eat it while pregnant, but my husband loves it and we end up in a restaurant at least once or twice while I'm breastfeeding or pregnant and they have lots of cooked fish options and those are good for you and the baby while you are pregnant and breastfeeding. They have lots of choices, just read over the option well, and make sur eyou read all the ingredients when ordering to make sure there's no raw fish.

Rachel - posted on 04/27/2009

The mercury risk is there in certain fish whether raw or cooked - here's some more info: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnan... However in raw fish, listeria or other bacteria or parasites may be there which are usually not such an issue for most adults but can be a severe threat to a developing fetus.

However, as Barbara mentioned, there are some good non-fish sushi options (I always like tamago, the egg sushi), and some restaurants may offer some cooked fish sushi as well.

Barbara - posted on 04/27/2009

I agree with the first two posts, but thought I'd mention that there is still stuff you can eat at the sushi restaurant. I don't eat any meat at all, (fish included) but I have them make me an avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, and tempura sweet potato roll. If you get caught pregnant in a sushi restaurant, have them bring you one of those and you won't regret it!

Becs - posted on 04/27/2009

Yes, probaby even more than the mercury risk mentioned is the risk of the food poisoning bug called 'listeria' which can be contracted from raw seafood (among other things). Listeria can be very dangerous for unborn babies and can sometimes cause miscarriage.

Janelle - posted on 04/27/2009

Yes it is true that it's bad to eat while your pregnant because raw seafood is high in mercury content which is bad for your baby.