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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Tuna - Didn't know it was another pregnancy NO GO AREA!

41 replies

Toothache · 17/05/2004 08:30

Hi folks,

28 wks pregnant and have been eating tuna all the way through this pregnancy. I thought it was recommended that you cut down on the consumption, but read yesterday that it is yet another food that should be avoided entirely!

The Mercury in the tuna can cause nerve damage. I have eating it at least once a week! I thought I was being healthy. I don't like fish, but I know it's normally good for you so thought I was doing well.

How much is toooooo much tuna? Anyone know? I really worried now.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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katierocket · 17/05/2004 09:20

It's fine to eat tuna, really.
To have a problem from eating tuna (due to mercury) you would need to eat it 3 times a day, every day. Once or twice a week is absolutely fine.

sponge · 17/05/2004 09:34

I think the guidelines are no more than 2 fresh steaks or 3/4 tins per week. This is a lot of tuna so unless you eat nothing else you should be fine.

bunny2 · 17/05/2004 09:36

Toothache, did you by chance read the Guardian supplment on Saturday? It is all abou the food we eat and the harm it does especially to a fetus. It nearly put me off eating at all. Try not to panic, I am sure once or twice a week is fine, my midwife recommended no more than that.

beansprout · 17/05/2004 09:45

I was reading about this one only yesterday!
Apparently "2 medium cans a week" is the recommended limit so it sounds like you haven't gone over that. Fish is also good for us too, so don't give yourself a hard time!!
(Although I did watch Finding Nemo last night so I suspect I won't be eating any fish for a while!)

aloha · 17/05/2004 10:01

It is two steaks or four tins. Don't worry!

dinosaur · 17/05/2004 10:03

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Fio2 · 17/05/2004 10:05

really? this is getting ridiculous! What will you be able to eat soon when pregnant? dry bread?

sponge · 17/05/2004 10:05

Taramasalata is cod's roe and there's no problem with cod, so other than the normal guidelines on chilled prepared foods I don't see a problem with it.

gingernut · 17/05/2004 10:06

See earlier thread about tuna in pg here . I'm sure you're not eating too much Toothache.

Original poster

Toothache · 17/05/2004 10:10

Thanks everyone...
I've been having baked potatoes with tuna mayonnaise and cheese at lunchtime. Some weeks it's been 3 days in a row! I've also had a real craving for Ciabatta with Tuna, Cheese and Pickle!

I hate all this hysteria surrounding Do's and Don'ts in pregnancy, but this really concerned me.

Never heard of the taramasalata ban Dino.

OP posts:

bundle · 17/05/2004 10:11

toothache, here's the food standards agency guidelines

Nutcracker · 17/05/2004 10:26

I ate loads of tuna when pregnant with ds (18mths). I had at least 3 tins a week and he is absolutly fine.

smellymelly · 17/05/2004 10:36

Ta for the link Bundle - Can't imagine I could ever eat Marlin though!!! Didn't even know you could!

Jimjams · 17/05/2004 11:35

What's this crap about ham (not parma- normal ham) being banned? I'm sorry but this whole food stuff is getting stupid. And I am eating ham.

I watched everything like a hawk when pregnant with ds1, was much more blase with ds2 (even had unpateurised cheese- by mistake). DS1 is the one who's got SN. I onow that doesn't prove anything, but it does prove that being paranoid about everything we eat doesn't stop bad stuff happening.

BTW- there was the tuna discussion on my autism list a while ago, someone on there lives in an arab state where tuna is eaten every day. No such guidelines been given there.

I think that fact that the guidlines vary so much from country to country mean that providing we're sensible and eat good quality food, I don't think we need to get paranoid.

And why (bugbear of mine this) if it so unsafe to eat tuna several times a week is it perfectly safe to inject an 8 week old baby with mercury?

Honest to god the world's gone mad!

Jimjams · 17/05/2004 11:36

Mind you the food standards agency s run by John Krebs isn't it? Who I have to say is one of the most unpleasant men I have been unfortunate enough to meet.

bundle · 17/05/2004 11:37

jimjams, I agree about the tuna/jabs anomaly, which is why I asked for the alternatives for dd2, once I knew about it (not for possible autism link, but if the FSA says tuna etc no-no for bfeeding/preg women then it can't be right for tiny babes).

bundle · 17/05/2004 11:38

jimjams, what did he do? I must say I interviewed him years ago (about birds???!) and he was v pleasant.

BigBird · 17/05/2004 11:51

guys - quick question. Am off on hold this w/e to purtugal (yummy fish). Is it ok for me to eat plenty of fish as long as I vary it (mackerel, cod, plaice, sole, salmon, sardines etc ?).
And I loooove prawn cocktails and they would be cooked, right ?? Is it safe or should I abstain ?

(also - and a bit of an aside, at the water park can I safely go on the rides/slides my 2yr old would go on....obv I wont go on anything MAJOR !!). Advice appreciated.

Jimjams · 17/05/2004 11:54

bleurgh bundle Having said that I've just turned my head to the right and realised I still have lots of his books

Nah was unfortunate enough to sit opposite him at a lunch once- lets just say he was very political- woudln't trust him further than I could throw him.

Slinky · 17/05/2004 12:03

Crikey! Sooo glad I'm not pregnant - the way things are going, they'll be nothing left on the "OK to eat" list!!!

My first pregnancy was 9 years ago and I ate absolutely everything apart from Liver/Pate/Soft cheeses. (They were the recommended No-gos at the time).

I ate peanuts, tuna (lots of!), prawns, mayonnaise, Mr Whippy icecream, and lots more besides.

Baby was born perfectly OK - went on to have 2 more children - eating similar foods again and both are OK - no allergies/hayfever/asthma etc etc.

I really think moderation is the key - and I think you'd have to eat tuna at every single meal for months on end to have some effect.

Next week, they'll think of something else that's "bad" for us to eat! Perhaps if manufacturers stopped "tinkering" with food, adding "crap" to it and left it in it's natural state, then we'd all be able to eat everything

bundle · 17/05/2004 12:19

jimjams

also about diet: my mum back in the 60s would have been advised to eat lots of liver for iron, but it's a total no-no now because of high vit A.

Turtle35 · 17/05/2004 12:21

I am off to go eat a Tuna sandwich!! I am so fed up with the propaganda on what we can and can not eat. As long as you are sensible (key word here folks) then it should be fine.

Jimjams · 17/05/2004 15:42

yes I was fed full of vitamin A as a foetus. And pate come to that. Funnily enough ds1 has now been put on cod liver oil- precisely for the real vitamin A (non of this beta-carotene rubbish ) as a lot of autis are very low in it.

Also there was that recent research that suggested that the increase in asthma may be due to us not eating shellfish when pregnant anymore as shellfish contain trace minerals.

Twinkie · 17/05/2004 15:48

Ooooo jimjams does that mean I can munch out on shellfish whern I'm in Italy on my hols - I am getting quite depressed about not having any.

Have to say I had a craving for liver when having DD and I had a tiny bit a few times - had mostly bacon and the gravy just to get the taste - actually hate the stuff now and can't imagine eating it but its all I wanted when pregnant - now I just want deep friend brie with cranberry sauce

aloha · 17/05/2004 16:20

Shelfish is OK as long as it is in a reputable restaurant or you cook it yourself or it is piping hot. Mind you I hate the stuff.
As for liver, well, firstly there is no actual proof that high levels of vitamin a does cause birth defects, the cases thought to be caused by Vitamin A are so very rare that there is no consensus on what level would cause the defects if they were caused by vitamin A and the lowest level at which daily consumption would cause problems is about 3,300mg - which is the amount of Vitamin A/retinol in 2KG of liver!! Also, the risk is only in the first three months. So the advice is super-cautious.
Listeria, a problem associated with pate is very rare - occurs in about one in 20,000 pregnancies. But if you do get it and are very unlucky, it can cause miscarriage. And it only takes one dodgy foodstuff to cause it.

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