Sushi cravings!

[MoonshineJungle]

I'm finding it hard to think of anything else at the moment, I've managed to not buy any yet but I'm even dreaming about it now it's crazy and my boyfriend thinks I'm nuts has anyone else had this or had sushi safely? I'm reading mixed reviews!

[showmeislands]

I love salmon sushi but haven't had it while pregnant. I have had sushi a few times though, just not any with raw fish- so cucumber or crab avocado maki, California rolls, shrimp nigiri, etc... still hit the spot!

[lovelearning]

americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/mercury-levels-in-fish/

[MoreBushThanMoss]

Latest guidelines say that salmon sushi from a reputable source is v low risk. I ate it while I was pregnant many times. There is mercury in salmon but as long as you don't have it more than twice a week, there's little evidence of a problem (indeed many European countries say daily fish is fine)

The other risk is from food poisoning - but because salmon for sushi in the U.K. Is frozen before use, it kills the bugs. Also it's generally farmed- farmed salmon is almost 0 risk at source.

Chains like abokado and itsu are likely fine (see latest NHS advice on this). If it's a local sushi place, ask them what is safe for you to eat. But still avoid the fish that are listed as not good in pregnancy due to high mercury content - I think such as swordfish(??)

Also bear in mind,... Japanese women it sushi all the time while pregnant!!!

I'm not a dr - but having read about it extensively when I was having my pregnant sushi cravings, imo I would just eat the sushi and enjoy it.

[MoreBushThanMoss]

Sushi and pregnancy - from www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#Sushi

It's fine to eat raw or lightly cooked fish in dishes such as sushi when you're pregnant, as long as any raw wild fish used to make it has been frozen first. This is because, occasionally, wild fish contains small parasitic worms that could make you ill. Freezing kills the worms and makes raw fish safe to eat. Cooking will also kill them.
Certain farmed fish destined to be eaten raw in dishes like sushi, such as farmed salmon, no longer need to be frozen beforehand. This is because farmed fish are very unlikely to contain parasitic worms because of the rearing methods used. If you're unsure, contact the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for advice.
Lots of the sushi sold in shops is not made at the shop. This type of sushi should be fine to eat – if a shop or restaurant buys in ready-made sushi, the raw fish used to make it will have been subject to an appropriate freezing treatment. If you're in any doubt, you might want to avoid eating the kinds of sushi that contain raw fish, such as tuna.
The safest way to enjoy sushi is to choose the fully cooked or vegetarian varieties, which can include:
cooked seafood – for example, fully cooked eel (unagi) or shrimp (ebi)
vegetables – for example, cucumber (kappa) maki
avocado – for example, California roll
fully cooked egg
If a shop or restaurant makes its own sushi on the premises, it must still be frozen first before being served. If you're concerned, ask the staff.
If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least four days before using it.

[raviolidreaming]

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#Sushi

As per above, sushi is fine. Everything from Yo Sushi is okay to eat - I emailed them to ask. Although they don't freeze their salmon, it's considered free of parasites. Enjoy!

[sofato5miles]

Pregnant women in Japam don't stop eating sushi either.

[GreenGoblin0]

sushi has been one of my cravings too!

[MoonshineJungle]

Thanks everyone! I know what I'm having for lunch now!

[HellsBellsK]

Like above - When I went to the doctor she asked me did I know what I can't eat I said Sushi. But she said I can just don't have it everyday and that women in Japan don't give it up once they get pregnant. Enjoy it!

[Avengerhart85]

I feel for you! I'm pregnant & craved pate so bad a dreamed about it too
I gave in bought some & it wasn't as nice or satisfying as my dream so it may be just a taste of it you need?

[MoonshineJungle]

You know I get the feeling I'll have some and not like it! I'm so weird at the moment with food but this sushi craving just wont budge!

[FeelingForSnow]

I had a sushi craving in 1st trimester. I am not trying to encourage anyone but I ate it as and when I craved and only checked so that salmon is not raw. Supermarkets usually label their sushi saying if it contains raw fish.

Also its mostly tuna, shark, mackerel (and some others) that are high in mercury. Salmon, which comes mostly from farms is less likely to do you any harm (apart from food poisoning risk like all other foods).

[MouseClogs]

A huge proportion (by no means all, but a significant percentage of) the dietary bans for pregnant women are utterly spurious and have very little in the way of hard data to back them up.

There is no suggestion, for example, that a pregnant woman who is accustomed to drinking coffee drinking in the region of a couple of cups a day (there is a ceiling, of course) is at any higher risk for anything at all. Even the soft cheese thing is fairly tenuous if analysed - it's on the basis of the risk of listeria but this is not only a vanishingly small even in the general population (like, a couple of handfuls of cases annually small) but no or virtually no recorded cases of late have been from soft cheese - foodstuff wise they're mostly from bagged salad AFAIK.

I've done a decent amount of research on the subject (and come from a medical family background) and it's served largely to leave me with a deeply uncomfy feeling regarding the manner in which some of these issues are presented to pregnant women. The reliance on the vaguest of potentialities and "if we tell them this, they'll probably do that which eliminates the most risk" and "nobody's researched it to confirm it's safe so we'll just say it's not" is colossal. As I say, some things ARE demonstrably unsafe or high risk, but the odd pint of bitter, cup of Nescafé or brie sarnie are not amongst them.

Have a big old heap of sushi and enjoy!

[Pinkbottletop]

I read that it's fine to eat Sushi so long as the fish was frozen before being made into the sushi roll etc. Abokado is my local sushi place and they have an order that comes in on a Saturday that they freeze ready for prep on Monday. So every Monday, that's what I'll treat myself to!

I'm also having the same issue with coleslaw. I can eat it with pretty much everything and my cousin told me last week that it's bad for pregnant women!

[raviolidreaming]

I'm also having the same issue with coleslaw

If you couldn't eat coleslaw the NHS would tell you! Only homemade mayonnaise tends to be made with raw eggs, and even then the advice on eggs looks set to change provided they're lion stamped.

[Pinkbottletop]

I read somewhere it's not the raw egg in the mayo, it's traces of listeria that can be found in shop bought coleslaw.

[raviolidreaming]

Either way, if it's not on the NHS list then I don't take any notice

[Lunalovepud]

To be honest, I was semi - surprised to give birth to a baby and not a California roll after my first pregnancy - I ate LOADS of sushi.

As PPs have said, make sure the fish has been frozen first (most of it will have been anyway - tuna comes from the Pacific which is far) and stay within your recommended limits for oily fish / dodge fish that advised etc on the NHS website. I am PG again now, still stuffing sushi and as I was the last time and I just make sure to stay within the limits and choose things like California rolls and stuff with prawns etc rather than using up all my fish allowance on sashimi.

[MoonshineJungle]

Thanks for all the replies! I had sushi today! Seems to have hit the spot for today but I'm thinking I might stock the fridge for the weekend 😂 Even the veggie sushi seemed to be fine so might try to stick with that and less fish