Can You Eat Sushi When Pregnant? Here's What Experts Say

Pregnancy comes with a long list of dos and don'ts, making it hard to decipher which foods are safe to eat and which are best to avoid. Unfortunately, a lot of the good stuff — from fully caffeinated coffee to a refreshing glass of pinot — is often off-limits. But not everything is so black and white. For sashimi-lovers in particular, one big question remains: can you eat sushi when pregnant?

Eating sushi when pregnant has been heavily debated for years (a quick scroll through Reddit is enough to make anyone's head spin). Some people believe sushi is a definite no-no during pregnancy, while others argue it can be safe if precautions are taken and the sushi is from a reputable source. Some also swear cooked sushi while pregnant is a safe bet. With so many rules and opinions over-saturating the mommy blogging sphere, it's hard to know whether it's actually safe to enjoy that omakase. To help cut through the noise, we did a little digging and reached out to experts about eating sushi when pregnant, whether or not it's safe — and if not, why can't you eat sushi while pregnant? Here's what we found out.

The short answer is no, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Pregnant people should steer clear of raw sushi, but plenty of cooked sushi options are safe to eat.

"Pregnant people should avoid all raw or undercooked fish," says Amy Roskin, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and the chief medical officer of Seven Starling. "The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advises this due to the increased risk of bacteria and parasites in raw fish."

While raw fish is best avoided while pregnant, Dr. Roskin says "you can stick to types of sushi where the fish components are cooked." In other words, if it's vegan, vegetarian, or fully cooked, you shouldn't have a problem. However, some types of fish, including swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and shark, contain high levels of mercury and should be avoided altogether, whether they're cooked or not.

Cooked sushi rolls, such as California rolls and vegetable rolls, offer a safer alternative for pregnant individuals craving sushi. However, it's still important to be mindful of the mercury content in fish when making sushi choices. The Food and Drug Administration provides a list of some of the best choices with fish that are safe to eat during early pregnancy, including salmon, flounder, and herring.

If you're unsure about the safety of a specific dish, it's best to err on the side of caution until you can consult a healthcare professional.

Sushi made with raw or undercooked fish should be avoided during any trimester of pregnancy. This is because raw or undercooked fish can contain harmful bacteria or parasites, like listeria, which can lead to serious complications for the pregnant person and the developing fetus.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant individuals are 10 times more likely than non-pregnant individuals to contract a listeria infection. If a pregnant person becomes infected with listeria during pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or other health problems for the baby.

"Maternal listeria infection during pregnancy is often mild, but fetal infection is associated with a high mortality rate of 25 to 35 percent," explains Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicology physician for Poison Control. "To avoid contracting foodborne illnesses such as listeria, pregnant people should avoid eating raw fish, including sushi, sashimi, and shellfish."

If you're a true sushi-lover, chances are you'll be craving your go-to order after you give birth. But is it safe to resume eating sushi if you're breastfeeding? Generally, it is. But the same concerns apply when it comes to mercury consumption. If you eat fish with high mercury content, the mercury can be passed into the breast milk, per the CDC. Mercury exposure can have a negative effect on infant development.

You can check out the FDA's fish consumption guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding people to determine which kind of fish is safest and how much to eat. And of course, if you still have questions, contact your healthcare provider to have them weigh in on your specific circumstances.