During pregnancy, you can safely eat a variety of fish that are low in mercury and high in beneficial nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, which support your baby's brain and eye development. Here are key guidelines and fish recommendations:
Fish You Can Eat Safely
- Low-mercury fish to eat 2–3 servings (8–12 ounces) per week:
- Salmon (wild or farmed)
- Shrimp
- Catfish
- Tilapia
- Sole
- Flounder
- Haddock
- Pollock
- Cod
- Canned light tuna (skipjack)
- Crab
- Crawfish
- Lobster (American and spiny)
- Clams
- Black sea bass
- Anchovies
- Trout (freshwater)
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Squid
- Hake
- Herring
- Mullet
- Oyster
- Perch
- Plaice
- Shad
- Skate
- Smelt
- Whitefish
- Whiting
- Fish to limit to 1 serving (about 4 ounces) per week:
- Albacore (white) tuna (canned or fresh/frozen)
- Yellowfin tuna
- Bluefish
- Buffalofish
- Carp
- Chilean sea bass
- Grouper
- Halibut
- Mahi mahi
- Monkfish
- Rockfish
- Sablefish
- Sheepshead
- Snapper
- Spanish mackerel
- Striped bass (ocean)
- Tilefish (Atlantic Ocean)
- Weakfish/seatrout
- White croaker/Pacific croaker
Fish to Avoid Completely
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)
- Bigeye tuna
These fish tend to have high mercury levels, which can harm the developing nervous system of your baby.
Additional Guidelines
- Always eat fish that is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (opaque and flakes easily).
- Avoid raw or undercooked fish and shellfish, including sushi made with raw fish.
- Avoid cold-smoked or cured fish (like smoked salmon or gravlax) unless cooked until steaming hot to prevent listeria infection.
- Limit oily fish (like salmon, mackerel, herring) to no more than two portions per week due to potential pollutants.
- Limit tuna intake because of mercury content: no more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 medium cans of tuna per week.
Following these recommendations allows you to benefit from the nutrients in fish while minimizing risks to your baby during pregnancy
