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Is it safe to eat tilapia?

Hey ladies, I have heard that seafood is not safe to eat while pregnant. I really really love talapia and salmon, are they also not safe to eat while pregnant?
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Avatar universal
Tilapia is safe to eat as long as you only eat a certain amount a week and as long as it is cooked.
Helpful - 0
1009169 tn?1250636327
okay so i love tilapia... i put it in a peruvian ceviche. just tilapia onions and lime. the fish is uncooked but the lime does cook it a little bit. this is obviously one of my favorite dishes and i make it almost every week, and now i'm preggo... am i going to have to hold off till the baby is born to eat this again=[ is it safe to eat?
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Avatar universal
according to the book
you and your baby pregnancy by dr.laura riley

do not eat shark,swordfish,king mackeral, or tilefish they contain high levels of mercury/ these are large fish that live long lives. these fish pose the greatest risk because they've had more time to accumulate mercury in their bodies.

eat up to 12 ounces ( about 2 meals) a week of fish and shellfish that are lowest in mercury. these include shrimp, canned light tuna,salmon, pollock, and catfish. (white tuna contains more murcery than light tuna) other fish that contain low levels of mercuery are anchovies, butterfish, cod, clams, crab ( blue, king and snow) crawfish, atlatnic croaker, flatfish ( flounder, plaice, sole) haddock, hake, herring, jacksmelt, spiny lobster, north american mackerel, pacific mackerel chub, mullet, oysters, ocean perch, pickerel,sardines,scallops,american shad, squid, TILAPIA, freshwater trout and whiting

if you eat more than the recommend amount of fish in one week, cut back the next week to average it out

never eat raw fish

i found this very helpful and i hope so do you!!
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Avatar universal
Ok well I will stick to Tilapia but not to much. Thanks Ladies!
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Avatar universal
Ha ha! See? Don't listen to the chick that doesn't eat seafood... But I did know that Tillapia was safe. Albacore tuna is a BIG NO-NO (a ton of mercury)!
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231441 tn?1333892766
The small fish that grow quickly and eat mainly plants and small critters are fine to eat very often.  This includes Tilapia, sardines, and the like.

The big fish that eat other fish are not ok as they may have build up of heavy metals or toxins.

I think salmon is recommended not more than once a week - something like that....

S
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Avatar universal
Salmon is great for you and the baby during pregnancy!  What you need to make sure of is...

1. It does not have any dyes.  Yes, most grocery store salmon has dye in it.  It will say it right on the package or the fish counter.  If it doesn't, ask the butcher.  If you have a Whole Foods Market near you, check with them.  They typically purchase wild, dye free salmon.

2. Make sure it is wild.  You might be inclined to think that wild salmon would have more contaminants, but that is not true.  Farm raised salmon is subjected to bleach and other algae killing pesticides that circulate the water they swim in.  They are also given food that is "man made" and has a ton of chemicals in it.  Also, farm raised salmon is far less rich in omega-3 fatty acids which aids in brain and neurological development in a fetus.  That is kinda the point of eating salmon (to get omega-3 fatty acids)... so make sure it is WILD.

If you look for those 2 things you will be fine.  You really should only eat approximately 4-6 oz. of fish a week though.  4-6 oz. is only about the size of your palm... so it really isn't a whole lot.  

Like Joy said, there are a ton of websites available that discuss what fish is ok during pregnancy.  Even better than reading anything online... TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.  Your doctor will inform you of exactly what is safe for you and your baby.  Oh, and tilapia is just fine :)  It is great for making fish tacos with... yum yum!
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Avatar universal
haha thanks Joy!
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Avatar universal
Tillapia is safe, but a lot of salmon isn't. There are websites that have more conclusive data on which is the safest and which is the worst. I know the king mackeral, shark, etc. are NOT safe. Obviously uncooked fish is unsafe, too.

I ate tillapia when I was pregnant. I don't even like seafood but I DO eat that fish.
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