You find your pregnant and if you're anything like me, you jump to research everything you need to know. What should I eat? What shouldn't I eat? One of the top list makers for pregos to avoid is always sushi. For some people, the idea of raw fish freaks them out, pregnant or not. You'd think that with some of the food aversions that pregnant women get, the texture of raw fish would probably turn them off, at least for the time being, right? Well, as far as the girls that I know, if they liked sushi beforehand, they REALLY want sushi while they're pregnant. The books, and maybe their doctor, tell them its a no go. But, why?
Photo courtesy of ZushiBistro.com, my favorite sushi restaurant here in Virginia Beach
After a bit of research, all I can find to explain the dangers of sushi when you're building an itty bitty person is in relation to mercury levels. Yes, there are articles that you can find that will go into the different bacterias that you should worry about, specifically anisakiasis, which is a little worm guy that will make you feel horrible and will probably empty you out before he's done messing you up. Besides being miserable, the worst part about this is typically dehydration. Being dehydrated while you're pregnant is a major no-no, considering the baby is hanging out in a bag of fluids that help it complete important tasks, like breathing and eating.
When I was about 7 months pregnant with Ryker, I caught this horrible stomach flu that was going around my shop. I thought I had beat it, I made it through without getting it until after almost everyone I worked with had it, then it caught up to me on a Friday night. Had it been just me, I would have suffered through it and been thirsty and hungry until it passed, but once I couldn't keep any water in me and there was nothing to come up anymore, Vic and I decided the ER and an IV would be a good idea. But, I digress, that wasn't sushi related at all! Back to sushi...
Most sushi products in America are frozen at some point, which actually helps to kill the pesky bacteria that we're worried about. Also, and this is just my opinion, we live in America. When is the last time you personally heard about someone getting knocked down for a while by bacteria from sushi? It doesn't happen that often, it would be a restaurant disaster, so fish is treated properly and safely. A burger or a chicken sandwich can be loaded with bacteria too, if you take that risk, I think you're good with bacteria and sushi.
However, the other issue is mercury. Fish can be high in mercury, specifically yellowtail, yellowfin, mackerel, swordfish to name a few. The American Pregnancy Association has a complete list here if you are interested. They also list sushi fish sources that are safe to have. They suggest checking out mercury levels, defining low mercury levels as 0.29 parts per million or lower, and high mercury levels as more than 0.3 parts per million.
So, in summary, according to Pregnant Chicken and the American Pregnancy Association, you can have sushi, just maybe order the cooked rolls and try to stick to salmon, crab and unagi instead of spicy tuna rolls or yellowtail sashimi.
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