Written by Editorial Team
Your diet must continue to be nutrient-dense and healthy after the delivery of your baby because the food you consume will reach your infant through breast milk. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep exercising extreme caution with regard to the food that you consume during breastfeeding. What about sushi while breastfeeding? Is it safe?
If you are someone who has been craving sushi all through your pregnancy and is waiting to deliver the baby so that you can indulge in this yummy delicacy, then you must be wanting to know if sushi is on the “safe to eat” or “stay away” list for a breastfeeding mom. Sushi is one delicious food that all people love indulging in, but whether this is safe for you while you are breastfeeding is something that most moms fear. If you are a sushi lover, then there is good news for you. If eaten in moderation, sushi is considered to be safe for nursing mommies.
In This Article
Sushi is a Japanese preparation that has vinegar-flavored rice and is tossed with a variety of ingredients, including seasonal fruits, raw seafood and veggies. Although the ingredients can vary, all kinds of sushi have brown or white rice as their base. With umpteen ingredients, sushi is extremely nutritious and contains considerable quantities of minerals and vitamins.
Sushi contains
Sushi is typically considered safe for breastfeeding mothers. This is due to the fact that, in contrast to a baby who is still in the womb, a baby who is breastfeeding does not run the risk of developing listeria from their mother’s breast milk. However, the origin and quality of the fish matter. This depends on the restaurant or grocery store. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have a good understanding of where the product came from.
Even though the consumption of raw fish might not directly affect the baby through breast milk, you should still exercise caution. You run the risk of getting sick if the fish has not been properly cleaned.
The caution regarding mercury in fish should also be taken seriously by nursing mothers. Mercury can be passed on from mother to child through breastfeeding. Similarly, to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers should limit their consumption of mercury-contaminated fish.
Although not all sushi poses a threat to nursing mothers, sushi made with the following fish should be avoided.
Sushi should only be eaten if the fish used does not contain excessive amounts of mercury. Some acceptable fish options include:
The following is a list of some of the dangers that come with eating sushi while breastfeeding.
Consuming raw sushi raises the likelihood of contracting a foodborne illness such as listeriosis, which is one of the most significant dangers associated with this practice. Listeria monocytogenes are the microbe that causes listeriosis.
The following are some of the symptoms of a listeria infection:
Another potential health hazard when eating sushi is cross-contamination. When employees in restaurants use the same utensils to prepare both raw and cooked fish, cross-contamination occurs. It’s possible that bacteria and other pathogens from raw fish have made their way into the cooked fish ordered by customers.
Tinned fish is used more frequently than fresh fish when making sushi. Women who consume large quantities of canned fish should monitor their sodium intake to ensure they do not exceed the recommended limit. Even fish that are safe to eat, such as anchovies, may be high in sodium when they are canned.
Sushi is raw food that has all risks of containing bacteria that are foodborne like e.coli and listeria. These bacteria can cause infections, so you need to be quite careful while eating sushi. It can trigger diarrhea and even vomiting and if it is severe, it can even lead to dehydration in the breastfeeding mom and that can be dangerous.
Given below are some simple tips that can be followed while eating sushi in order to ensure there is no contamination while eating the same.
Sushi-loving women who do not wish to consume raw fish while breastfeeding can choose from a variety of tasty vegetarian sushi options.
It is important to note that the vegetarian options presented here do not include certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D. However, it is possible to obtain these nutrients from other sources.
Whatever you eat, make sure your doctor gives you a green signal before you indulge in it. Most doctors are OK with breastfeeding moms eating sushi, so relax and begin eating this nutritious food even if you are breastfeeding, as it does contain all kinds of useful minerals and compounds that are necessary for both you and your baby.
If you are a sushi lover, we hope this post is of help to you. Do share your experience of having sushi when breastfeeding in the comments section below.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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