Can I eat shellfish?

[shoegal84]

I'm newly pregnant and learning what I can and can't eat. What I really want to know is whether or not I can eat prawns?

Aslong as they're cooked thoroughly, but I've been avoided shellfish altogether

Congratulations by the way!

My Japanese friends laughed their heads off when I told them what we are told to avoid in pregnancy, they are told to eat plenty.

Yes as long as its thoroughly cooked. I have been eating it as I usually do, the rules for prawns etc are food poisoning based, so if you would normally without thinking you would get food poisoning theres no real reason not to in pregnancy.

Im only avoiding the listeria, vitamin A type rules. Oh and the toxoplasmosis one is killing me as I LOVE a rare steak!

Greentshirt I'm the same regarding the steak!!!!!

What they said. It's worth being more cautious when eating out though - cold prawns in a salad less safe than prawns freshly cooked into a risotto, that kind of thing.

I haven't stopped eating prawns. What k8eee said is my thoughts exactly. Have not had mussels, etc.

I've also not given up a rare steak, I figure as long as the outside is sealed is fine.

Starting to crave paté now though!!!

OP - the NHS website is really clear and I've managed to stick with their guidelines.

The one that's often confusing is runny eggs - as long as the eggs are lion stamped, you can have runny yolk, as the hens have been vaccinated against salmonella. Fry ups back on the menu!

Urgh. Just read that back and the first bit sounds really snotty! I didn't mean it to - but their guideline are clear and current ...

FastWindow, im not sure thats the case with rare meat. Worth checking to make sure.

Thank you all. I'll check out the nhs website. Only found out I was pregnant 2 days ago and this is all so new to me, would never have thought to look on there.

particularly interested in the runny egg thing as I've already been wondering how I'll manage without my eggs!

Shoegal - just check for the stamp and make sure the white is cooked through.

I still can't get my head around goats cheese to be honest (so haven't had any since my BFP), but just make sure you're as informed as you can be!

The advice is you can eat shellfish while preggers, even raw fish but it MUST have EITHER been thoroughly cooked (so you could prawns, chill them and eat them cold, OR, the fish MUST have been frozen for 24 hours and properly defrosted.

I could live on shellfish and have found the mixed seafood bags from the supermarket (tesco have a 342 offer) are a happy comprimise.

Nothing beats the stuff that comes straight from the sea, but the risk isn't worth it.

The only thing I have reallllllly missed was Oysters. When we went to France in the early summer I had to walk past tons of Oyster sellers and it was torture. But I will make up for it when we goes back next year, AND I have started a fund to pay for an overpriced seafood meal at Loch Fine post pg. I just wonder whether I would be able to squeaze in a rare steak in the meal with the seafood platter! That might have to be a seperate fund! Lol

*someone suggested cooked oyster were fine and I nearly gagged at the thought. They have to be alive and kicking for me. But as they can even carry norovirus, I will just have to be patient! It will be worth it in the end when I have my kickin' munchkin in my arms all well and healthy. We have many years of Oyster eating ahead of us :)

Yes, you can! My OH is American and here we are told to avoid so much! Luckily I listened to my mum and ate pretty much normally throughout all my pregnancies.

I have basically lived on prawns for the final trimester. There's obviously something in them I needed!

I love oysters carole and would have previously agreed with you about only having them raw, but oysters Rockefeller are pretty good!

giggi i have never been poorly from oysters, but it would be my luck to have that one dodgy one while pregnant!

I also like the idea of the nectar tasting sweeter afrer the wait. I am really looking forward to next summer when I can buy a big bag of oysters, hand the 6+month old monkey over to my dp, hosts, freinds, anyone really and just dive in while sitting in our freind's pool house sipping on a glass of chilled white wine :) (ahhhh, that will be a mummy moment good and proper)

Green, I will check it out. I though toxo was something you could catch off cat litter. Mind you, I'm so rubbish at cooking steak it always comes out overdone

I think what you eat in pregnancy is really up to you.
Lots of things carry risks so it just depends on the type of person you are.
I myself am a worrier and although I know the risks with a lot of foods are tiny, for me they are still risks that I am not willing to take especially as it's only for 9 months so have been avoiding it all. I can still eat lots of things I enjoy so although I miss some foods it won't be long until I can eat them again.
I am sure people who are much more relaxed and calm about pregnancy will eat a lot of the things I just wouldn't dare touch so I really think it's up to your personal feelings.

for info the NHS website said that rare steak was fine as long as sealed by cooking all the edges until about a year ago.

sadly they changed it. .

I have been eating prawns but have avoided mussels (even in nice restaurants they can be dodgy) and crab. Also avoided oysters, which I love.

You know that you can eat sushi, as long as the fish was frozen first? It's probably best to go somewhere very popular though, you don't want to risk somewhere that the owner sits looking forlorn in.