Fish can be very nutritious, but not every type is safe to eat during pregnancy. Here's what expectant women should know about consuming fish.
Having a healthy diet is very important, especially for pregnant women. Furthermore, those who add more vegetables and fish to their diet while pregnant have a much lower risk of developing high blood pressure. Additionally, a child might have less of a risk of having symptoms of ADHD if their moms eat fish when they are in the womb. But some fish are unhealthy for pregnant women and unborn babies. They can put them at risk for some serious health issues. Here is everything that a person needs to know about eating fish while pregnant.
Smoked seafood might be very tasty, but it is something that women should not consume if they are expecting a baby. According to americanpregnancy.org, that is because this kind of fish can sometimes end up having something called listeria in it.
But even though they should not be eaten alone, there are some conditions under which they might be safer for pregnant women. For example, they can be eaten if they are a part of a meal that has been cooked. There are plenty of tasty cooked meals that include smoked salmon, including casserole.
Expectant mothers should always exercise some caution when they are eating foods like fish. They really need to be careful if they choose to eat fish that has been recreationally caught. According to whattoexpect.com, this is the case because the water that they were caught in could have some impact on whether or not that fish is safe for them to eat. They shouldnt eat much of it if they are unable to obtain information on the water in which it was caught. In fact, perhaps they should avoid eating it altogether, just to be safe.
While there are plenty of fish that a pregnant woman can safely eat without worrying about whether or not she or her baby will be affected, there are actually a lot of fish that can be really dangerous for expectant moms to consume as well.
Some of the fish that fall into this category are sharks, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. For those that do not know, tilefish are creatures that one might find if they go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, pregnant women should also avoid orange roughy fish and marlin. That is because all of those fish are very high in mercury, which is dangerous for pregnant women.
Salmon is usually fine for women to eat when pregnant (unless it is smoked). In addition, it can actually come with a lot of benefits.
So, those who love to eat it do not necessarily have to cut it out of their diet when they learn that they are expecting. But, they need to be particularly picky about the kind of salmon they are consuming. Pregnant women should choose to eat wild salmon since salmon that is not wild can still have some harmful things in it. Expectant moms should be very careful when it comes to eating salmon, but it can be very safe and healthy for them.
Even some of the fish that are typically considered safe to eat should still not be eaten in large amounts, at least by pregnant women. Some of those fish include ones like carp, halibut, sablefish, sheepshead, snapper, rockfish, bluefish, buffalofish, Chilean sea bass, mahi-mahi, and grouper.
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While expectant mothers can eat them without putting themselves or their babies in much danger, they should not eat a lot of any of them. Pregnant women should limit themselves to eating one serving of them a week, which amounts to approximately 4 ounces. Eating too much of them could be harmful.
According to mayoclinic.org, expectant mothers should not choose to eat fish that is not cooked. Some of the fish people love to eat that are often uncooked include sushi, sashimi, and oysters. Even though unborn babies do get some benefits if their moms eat fish, eating fish that is not cooked is not a great idea for pregnant women. That is because fish like that can contain bacteria or even a virus. Pregnancy can already be a very risky time in a womans life. Eating fish like this only makes it that much riskier.
While any uncooked fish is unsafe for pregnant women, raw shellfish can be particularly dangerous. In fact, this kind of fish is actually a dangerous thing for many people, so even non-pregnant people should exercise some caution if they choose to eat it.
However, fish not the only food that a person needs to worry about if they are pregnant. There are plenty of other foods that can be dangerous for them as well, including pate, unpasteurized milk, and certain kinds of cheese. But, it is important to remember that some fish is beneficial. For example, babies might be smarter if their moms consume fish during pregnancy.
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Sources: What To Expect, Mayo Clinic, American Pregnancy Association
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Kirstie has been writing for various websites for a few years. In the future, she hopes to publish books. Kirstie writes for Babygaga because she is very educated on health and pregnancy.
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Fish: Which Ones To Eat & Which Ones To Avoid During Pregnancy - BabyGaga
