smoked salmon during pregnancy

Posted by Nancys (208 days ago)

I had some smoked salmon today with sphagheti and mushroom sauce at Delifrance today. I don't know is that is safe? I am close to 9 wks pregnant, is it ok to do so? Then I had one peanut nougat, I didn't know there was peanut in it till i had already put it in my mouth!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

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Posted by cara (208 days ago)

i'm guesing this is your first pregnancy, right?

relax. it is HIGHLY unlikely that one slip will cause a problem.

i ate peanut butter sandwiches all through my pregnancy. unless you have a close relative with a peanut/nut allergy, relax.

i LOVE smoked salmon and had it a few times throughout my second pregnancy.

when i was pregnant with my first, i followed all the rules... although depending on what culture you are from these rules are completely different!!!!

in the west they say, NO RAW FOOD! but what do you think Japanese ladies eat? do you think they completely give up sushi & sashimi for 9 months? second time round, i figured that cold cuts NEVER made me sick before, it was unlikely they would just because i was pregnant, so i ate ham & cheese sandwiches all throughout my pregnancy as well. (QMH even provided them for me when i was suffering terrible morning sickness and could keep nothing down.)

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (208 days ago)

As usual, what cara says goes. Peanuts are just nuts. No, wait, peanuts are actually NOT nuts. In any case, as cara says, unless you have some peanut allergies in your family you can relax.

Salmon is not really an issue. Tuna and swordfish are worse given possible mercury concentrations but even so I wouldn't worry about the occasional tekka maki.

Agreed about the sushi/sashimi. The Japanese are laughing at us. ;)

In the US, no coffee (apart from decaf). In Sweden, max 1 cup a day.
In Sweden, no alcohol. In Italy, half a glass a day.


"i'm guesing this is your first pregnancy, right?"

Be nice. ;)

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Team NZ (207 days ago)

Hi Nancys, congrats on your pregnancy, yay!

Good comments from cara and axptguy. My doc (specialist) with our 1st gave me some great advice, don't change a thing, eat what you enjoy and stay within your typical diet. Just be aware of what you put in your mouth.

The only limit he gave was to alcohol, avoid spirits and limit wine.

I ate raw fish 2-3 times per week, as with salad, cheese and other raw foods (I am western) for me this was my natural diet. The only food I personally avoided was shellfish due to the high level of toxins as they contact all organs. Each to their own.

As long as the food is clean and fresh in my opinion you and bubs will be as healthy as you are on any given day.

Best of luck

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (207 days ago)

it wasn't meant nastily... only that usually women are MUCH more ....ummm....careful during their first pregnancy. it's a whole new experience. and it's amazing and scary at the same time. you have this little being entirely dependant upon YOU. it can be a lot of pressure.

once you've done it once, you kind of feel..."been there, done that" and you relax A LOT!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (207 days ago)

"As long as the food is clean and fresh in my opinion you and bubs will be as healthy as you are on any given day."

Very true. Don't go for the greasy spoon sushi.

Also, if you really are worried (it's normal) there's no point forcing yourself to eat stuff and then fretting about it for a few days after.




"it wasn't meant nastily... only that usually women are MUCH more ....ummm....careful during their first pregnancy."

I know. ;)

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Wheelymate (207 days ago)

at the end of the day, it's each to their own, only you can decide what risks you are prepared to take. there are so many dos and donts during pregnancy that most women probably wouldn't survive (would have gone mad) if they had to follow everything to the letter. so really it's up to you.

but it's natural to be extra anxious with the 1st pregnancy and i don't blame you. but you've already eaten those so-called "forbidden" food, now just try not to think about it and move on. and if eating such foods causes such a great panic for you, then i would say for a peace of mind, don't eat it in the future. there are lots of other stuff you can consume.

good luck and enjoy your pregnancy!

(I am based in Singapore)

Posted by ldsllvn (207 days ago)

I craved peanut butter with my pregnancy - so ended up eating it a few times a week... I agree with you ladies, just be reasonable. A glass of wine now and then, smoked samlon is not going to hurt!

However - here is a point on sushi that I have read somewhere - in Japan, sushi apparently is make out of previously frozen fish (not fresh like for example in UK and HK - I am guessing?) - so whatever nasty bugs the fish had would have been killed by the freezing process - hence it is safer the eat sushi in Japan than elsewhere!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (207 days ago)

"However - here is a point on sushi that I have read somewhere - in Japan, sushi apparently is make out of previously frozen fish (not fresh like for example in UK and HK - I am guessing?) - so whatever nasty bugs the fish had would have been killed by the freezing process - hence it is safer the eat sushi in Japan than elsewhere!"

This is mostly the case in the US as well, and I would guess the UK and HK. It's just the nature of fishing. The fish gets frozen on the ship to make transport a simpler proposition. I don't know if it's for all fish though.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (207 days ago)

also, if you DO eat sushi, make sure you use wasabi. i saw a documentary on discovery channel. they tested pre & post wasabi salmon and the difference in bacteria levels was astonishing!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (207 days ago)

Any excuse to have more wasabi on my sushi is good!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by hkexpat2007 (207 days ago)

freezing may not kill all bacteria - some are extremely resilient to extremes of temperature. also, depending how the raw fish is handled, and how long it is left at room temperature, it may give bacteria an opportunity to proliferate. not to be alarmist, since many women (esp in Japan and Korea) eat raw fish during pregnancy, but for those on the fence, it may be worth keeping in mind.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Wheelymate (206 days ago)

idsllvn,

you are not alone, i had peanut butter cravings for both pregnancies! nothing like a peanut butter sandwich washed down with a big glass of milk.

not sure about impact on my kids though....my 2nd is only 4 weeks and my first, his doc said we should wait until he turns 2 before giving him peanut butter and shellfish so sticking with that advice!

(I am based in Singapore)

Posted by axptguy38 (206 days ago)

"not sure about impact on my kids though....my 2nd is only 4 weeks and my first, his doc said we should wait until he turns 2 before giving him peanut butter and shellfish so sticking with that advice!"

Heh. Probably no effect actually. As you probably know the reason for the advice is that peanuts and shellfish can give quite violent reactions compared to say, but allergy.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Nancys (204 days ago)

Maybe wasabi kills the bacteria but pls keep in mind they might be talking about fresh wasabi and not the tube and powder forms of wasabi that we get from wellcome and similar stores...fresh wasabi is easy to get in japan.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (204 days ago)

wasabi is wasabi. they used the stuff from the tube. it is a chemical/ingredient in it that kills it.

but if you prefer to steer clear then please do.

(I am based in Hong Kong)