HELP PLEASE ASAP! Fish restaurant for dinner

[HPSource]

I have to go out for dinner tonight with work and just realised we are going to a fish restaurant... can anyone remember what I can/cannot eat? First trimester so trying to be discrete!

yes, agreed that any food poisoning is horrible and possibly dangerous to the mum; but listeriosis is the main one, as far as I am aware, that can directly contribute to the death of the foetus. Not sure if Salmonella can do the same, would have to re-read my notes on it.

I have seen a listeric egg, and had a listeric pregnancy described to me by someone who was in the operating theatre when they did the CS - the luminous green of the amniotic fluid was probably the same colour as the albumin of the egg I saw.

Listeria is not a risk I am prepared to take.

It being raw fish. I wouldn't intentionally consume listeria anywhere although I have been known to drink unpasteurised milk and eat unpasteurised cheese which I suppose counts as potentially consuming it.

I know, frak - that's why I emphasised the any.

buggery x-posting

Listeria scares the bejesus out of me. I don't think most pregnant women have a bloody clue just how dangerous it is, nor do I think the guidelines are sufficiently explicit.

I have seen people posting on here about how cheeky they are to be devouring some brie or whatnot

Assuming the fish/ shellfish is well cooked, the food poisoning risk is pretty low, right?! I can't bear the thought of eating it raw anyway, so for me personally, that's irrelevant. But stuff like prawns and scallops cooked properly in a nice restaurant aren't risky, are they?

I've been scared shitless by some threads on here today, so would like a little reassurance!!

Leila - since your source of info appears to be Mother & Baby magazine, forgive us if we don't take it all that seriously.

Monkfish is also out from a mercury perspective I believe.

However it is all very clearly listed on the eatwell.gov.uk website under the pregnancy section. That is the safest source of info I'd say.

Have a nice evening!

Scallops are probably ok.
Prawns and mussels I wouldn't - even cooked they can contain toxins from food poisoning bacteria that could make you very ill - you must know that most people aren't going to eat raw prawns, even sushi prawns are cooked! and yet prawns are a prime culprit for being food poisoning carriers.

Cooked fish - less of a problem - different scenario, usually different bugs.

PLEASE if you want 100% reassurance call you doctor or health care professional- noone on an online chat forum can be verified, so it's all just someone's opinion. Take everything you read on here with a 'pinch of salt' and get the important information from professionals.

Sorry that wasn't to you - it was to leila saying that the NHS say not to eat it because of mercury and food poisoning, not listeriosis, which completely misses the point that listeriosis is food poisoning and the worst type to get whilst pregnant. And caused by bacteria therefore nothing to do with freezing.

I ageee - listeriosis, and toxoplasmosis, are very scary indeed and there's no way I would take the risk personally.

Properly cooked is fine! Heat is the only way to kill the little buggers, which is why bottles of formula need to be made with hot water. Kills the bacteria in the powder.

oh please. we cannot be verified without "outing" ourselves, true - but to be frank, those of us posting about the effects of the bacteria etc. do at least know what we're talking about.

Or just apply the precautionary principle and go for cooked fish in a restaurant...

It's also worth bearing in mind that a pregnant woman's immune system is suppressed.

Oh for God's sake- how the hell would ANYONE seriously trust someone on an online chat forum regarding making choices that directly influence the health and safety of our pregnancies!!?? We COULD all say we were consultant obstetricians/astronauts or blooming nuclear scientists!

We could - but you'll note that we haven't. We've just stuck to the facts without the misinformation.

I would rather listen to thumbwitch than Mother & Baby magazine. Just saying, like

I wouldn't take all my 'facts' from what 'someone' says on an online chat forum.... And do you have to keep posting 'we' like there is some 'thumbwitch army' on MN?...Your opinion can suffice, and doesn't need back-up.

But anyway, let's just agree to disagree. It's getting a tad boring now...

Oh my God- wouldn't you RATHER listen to your DOCTOR?!? JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar

no, I am talking about "we" as in the three people on this thread who have obvious knowledge of bacteria and food.

Actually I really like Mother & Baby magazine...it's reasurring to know that most of their articles are written by qualified MWs and health professionals. I mean, if we can't trust them regarding our pregnancies, who can we trust?!

oh I don't know - perhaps public health officers and food scientists, bacteriologists, immunologists - those sort of people.

I would listen to my doctor and the sorts thumbwitich mentions.

Have a nice bit of cooked haddock.

I think I'll suffice with MWs and Obstretricians when it comes to advice on maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

ooooh haddock- lovely, ta for the idea Beamur- might get some for my dinner tonight.