I LOVE fish! I actually love to go fishing as much as I love to eat it. When I was 4 months pregnant, my husband, my father, and I went on an overnight fishing trip out of San Diego. Just last week we all went deep sea fishing in Mexico and in a few weeks Piney Run will hold it’s annual spring fishing tournament. Ahh, fishing! But wait, what is a woman to do of childbearing age? I did a lot of research with my first pregnancy and found that large predatory fish such swordfish and shark contain the highest levels of mercury and are therefore unsafe for consumption. These larger fish have lived longer so they have the highest levels of mercury because they’ve had more time to accumulate it (source). Too much mercury may damage your baby’s developing nervous system (source). According to the EPA, by adhering to the following advice, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and can be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.
- Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
- Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
- Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
- Another commonly eaten fish, albacore (“white”) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
- Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.
The Mayo Clinic also suggests the following:
To avoid ingesting harmful bacteria or viruses, avoid raw fish and shellfish — especially oysters and clams — and anything caught in polluted water. Refrigerated smoked seafood is also off-limits, unless it’s an ingredient in a casserole or other cooked dish. Most fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F. The fish is done when it separates into flakes and appears opaque throughout. Cook shrimp, lobster and scallops until they’re milky white. Cook clams, mussels and oysters until their shells open. Discard any that don’t open.
Since Seafood can be a great source of protein and iron, and the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can help promote your baby’s brain development, I try to eat the allotted amount and type of fish, but I also take fish oil supplements. Check out Swanson vitamins for the best selection and prices on supplements. Because the Swanson site can be overwhelming, they have product guides on their site. The Essential Fatty Acid Guide is what you would want to review, in this case, and DHA is the specific EFA that I have discussed as far as promoting brain development. If you’re a member of Costco, they also have great prices, but with only one or two choices.
Best wishes for yummy eating and lucky fishing (if you’re into that kind of thing)!
