Can somebody please tell me the harm in eating sushi?

[ElsMommy26]

I'm in rough shape here, ladies. I cannot even fathom eating meat, as just the smell of it makes me vomit (not a big meat eater to begin with). My protein intake is basically none and I am extremely weak. The only "meat" I can ever stomach is sushi. It seems that everywhere I turn on the internet, there is NO evidence of sushi causing some sort of disaster in pregnancy. Articles like this appear everywhere:

https://www.parents.com/blogs/every...7/15/cravings/is-sushi-safe-during-pregnancy/

Yet, my OB/GYN says no raw fish period. What are everybody's thoughts?
I've only had it once this pregnancy but I'd really love a salmon roll.

 

[Amygdala]

Smoked salmon is fine, so you could just stick to sushi made with that?

 

[cskme_]

I usually just stick to crab rolls, shrimp rolls, etc. I haven't yet eaten raw fish. That being said, I don't think eating it once or twice throughout your pregnancy should cause any damage. There are much worse things you could be ingesting.

 

[Isme]

I still eat sushi on occasion, though only the cooked varieties (which is what I eat normally anyway). The risk comes in form of potential contamination and the possible food poisoning. When you're pregnant your body is less able to fend off bacteria and viruses. This leaves you more likely to succumb to things that you might normally not have an issue with. Food poisoning while pregnant can have a major impact on your baby... causing premature delivery, serious infections, and even stillbirth.

 

[skc22]

The listeria risk also has to do with the rice, not just the fish. But I have still had cooked sushi a few times.

 

[2have4kids]

If you get flash frozen sushi it's safer than fresh. My city is landlocked and most of our sushi grade meat is flash frozen except for oysters and a few other 'fresh' marked items. Much of the concern is over high murcury levels in fish but if you're aware of which fish is on the high list vs low list you're fine. We eat sushi all the time. If you listen to the fear mongering over sushi it's just that. Just educate yourself like all other things when you're pregnant. Bacteria can be on anything that isn't handled properly, so when you eat out pay attention to restaurant ratings, how busy they are (their food will be fresher if they have to buy food more frequently).
https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/mercury-levels-in-sushi/

 

[psychochick]

Hah I really wish sushi would be on the list of safe-to-eat. I think the main worry is listeria, which is incredibly bad for pregnancy. However, the latest listeria scare in the states at least was frozen fruits and veggies a few months ago. That was kind of bad since I had bought frozen raspberries to make raspberry lemonade. Thankfully the brand I used was not in the listeria recall. So tbh the only way to avoid listeria is to literally cook EVERYTHING you eat. That means no smoothies, no salads, no raw or smoked fish, raw or smoked ANYTHING. Personally I can't stay away from fruit juice and salads because it's just so friggin hot.

Also someone said it earlier: cooked rice can also get bacteria if you leave it out and then don't heat it up properly. This seems to affect rice grains more than other grains. This is a bit of wisdom passed down from my asian family, so we always heat up leftover rice until it's very hot. So for sushi, I would trust reputable restaurants to handle the sanitation correctly; not sure about more casual sushi restaurants though. Personally, after I deliver, sushi will be one of my first meals

 

[Jessicahide]

The fish isn't actually really raw, its smoked or something so the bacteria is killed, the real problem with sushi is the rice, believe it or not it causes most cases of food poisoning, it contains a bacteria that cant be killed so after the rice cools, the bacteria starts to multiply.

 

[2have4kids]

All this talk of sushi made me hungry. DH brought in sushi last night, it was delicious! And magically, babies and I are still alive

 

[bcos21]

What about alterate forms of protein? This is my second vegetarian pregnancy. I eat beans, lentils, spinach, protein shakes and all that, never had an issue with low iron. I don't eat fish either

 

[2have4kids]

What about alterate forms of protein? This is my second vegetarian pregnancy. I eat beans, lentils, spinach, protein shakes and all that, never had an issue with low iron. I don't eat fish either

Protein shakes are absolutely vital if you're vegetarian. Pregnant women need ~71g of protein/day for healthy baby & brain growth. Unless you're eating massive amounts of beans ie 4 cups/day. Spinach has 1 g of protein per serving...that would be ALOT of spinach Even protein shakes have an average of 20-25g per serving.
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...n-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20045082?pg=2

 

[bcos21]

Cottage cheese, soy milk, cheese, meat substitute, my point was it's possible And many people do it. As far as the sushi thing, why not ask your Dr and them go from there? Good thing too, a lot of things in pregnancy are fleeting so you may just get your appetite back soon 😊

 

[ParisJeTadore]

I miss sushi so much every time I'm pregnant. I like the raw fish variety and refuse to go out with friends who eat it because it would be such a tease.

Funny how doctors opinions can differ so much. My OB told me it was fine to eat sushi (even the raw variety!). He just said to stay away from any fish high in mercury. That said, I refuse to eat raw fish while pregnant just in case bc I am certain their is still a higher risk of getting sick.

Why not make your own sushi? It's a little time consuming but I have done it with great success and it takes *some* of the craving away.

 

[2have4kids]

Cottage cheese, soy milk, cheese, meat substitute, my point was it's possible And many people do it. As far as the sushi thing, why not ask your Dr and them go from there? Good thing too, a lot of things in pregnancy are fleeting so you may just get your appetite back soon 😊

Yes for sure, I didn't mean for you to feel belittled I love cottage cheese, greek yogurt (check for the protein content to be higher than carb to get the not-so-sugary types), hemp seeds (shockingly high in protein). It's tricky to get the daily intake though. I do have some pretty good protein shakes as I always get GD when pregnant, very sensitive to carbs & sugary foods.
It's also difficult to avoid soy in substitution meats/cheeses and soy is a big no-no with infants as it mimics estrogen and there is clear evidence that it contributes infertility when fed to babies & children. Which is why it's illegal to have soy products in any childrens' or infant foods in Europe, New Zealand and many other countries. Unfortunately the Soy lobby group in America is very powerful and it's been marketed as a health product, it's far from a health product and the public should be made aware of the studies that have lead to international restrictions with it.