When you’re pregnant, there are some things you just can’t do if you want to have a healthy baby. Most people will probably tell you that smoking, drinking, and other similar vices go away once you wait, but there are certain foods and drinks that should be off-limits, and the people around you should know that too.
This mother-in-law, however, ignored her son and daughter-in-law’s pleas to stop forcing the pregnant woman to eat tuna. She would repeatedly include it in all of her dishes when they came to visit, so much so that his wife began to think that she was on a strange power trip and that she was doing it on purpose. To find out for sure, she sought advice online.
Doctor advised pregnant woman not to eat tuna during pregnancy
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Her MIL knew this, but she continued to serve her tuna dishes and force her to eat them.
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Tuna has one of the highest mercury levels of all seafood and cannot be consumed in large quantities without harm to anyone.
Is tuna really dangerous for all pregnant people or is this just medical advice for this particular woman? If you’re a big fan of tuna, you may be disappointed to learn that it’s not recommended to eat it more than 2-3 times a week, and that goes for people who aren’t even pregnant.
First of all, it all depends on the type of tuna you eat. Canned tuna is the second most consumed type of seafood in the United States, and it is the most common way to consume tuna. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming no more than 12 ounces of canned tuna per week.
This is because tuna tends to have a high concentration of mercury. According to Healthline, it contains more mercury than salmon, oysters, lobster, scallops and tilapia. Because tuna feed on smaller fish that already contain mercury and they don’t excrete it easily, the mercury content in their tissues builds up over time.
Canned tuna is generally made from two types of tuna: skipjack (70%) and albacore (20%). Albacore contains twice as much mercury as skipjack and is often sold as albacore tuna. Skipjack tuna, on the other hand, is called light chunk tuna or flaked tuna. Experts recommend eating light canned tuna (skipjack tuna) 2 to 3 times per week or one serving of canned white tuna (albacore) per week.
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Pregnant women should be very careful as it can harm the development of the baby’s brain and nervous system.
Some people should refrain from eating tuna altogether, or at least eat very little of it. This includes infants, young children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, or women trying to conceive. However, if a woman does not receive clear instructions from her doctor not to eat tuna, she can do so in moderation if she knows which types to avoid.
Seafood can be beneficial as part of a pregnancy diet because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12 and iron. Dr. Nicole Sparks, MD, a Georgia-based gynecologist, told The Bump that in general, pregnant women can eat about two to three servings of light canned tuna each week. It’s best to eat as little yellowfin tuna as possible and avoid yellowfin tuna altogether.
Too much mercury can be very harmful to a baby’s nervous system and brain development. This is why raw tuna in sushi or sashimi is a definite no, and fresh cooked tuna is also best consumed in moderation. Fresh tuna generally has a higher mercury content than canned tuna, so it’s best to eat up to 4 ounces per week.
There are many other foods and drinks that expectant mothers should avoid and be careful with during pregnancy:
- Everything that contains unpasteurized dairy productsincluding pre-packaged sandwiches and salads
- Raw and undercooked meatsliver and game meats (pheasant, venison, goose, etc.)
- Raw, partially cooked or raw eggs
- Any kind of raw fish and seafoodswordfish, shark or marlin
- Limit caffeine admission
- Unwashed fruits and vegetablesincluding pre-packaged and pre-cut ones
- Alcohol and everything that contains licorice root
The OP added that she wouldn’t feel comfortable letting the MIL keep the baby at birth if this behavior continued.
Gn Health
