Can i eat steamed crabs while pregnant

The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it's likely to contain. So what's safe? Some types of seafood contain little mercury. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 8 to 12 ounces to grams — two or three servings — of seafood a week during pregnancy. During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning.

Your reaction might be more severe than if you weren't pregnant. Rarely, food poisoning affects the baby, too. Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no. These products could lead to foodborne illness. Avoid soft cheeses, such as brie, feta and blue cheese, unless they are clearly labeled as being pasteurized or made with pasteurized milk. Also, avoid drinking unpasteurized juice.

To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria.

Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly. It's unclear how much caffeine use during pregnancy is safe. Your health care provider might recommend avoiding caffeine, if possible, or limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than milligrams mg a day during pregnancy.

For perspective, an 8-ounce milliliters, or mL cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine, an 8-ounce mL cup of brewed tea contains about 47 mg and a ounce mL caffeinated cola contains about 33 mg. There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK — even the types of herbal tea marketed specifically for pregnancy to pregnant women. No level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy.

The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely. Consider the risks. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy leads to a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. In fact, sex during pregnancy can have various benefits for the woman…. Is crab and other seafood safe to eat during pregnancy? Can you eat crab when pregnant? Imitation crab Seafood to eat and avoid during pregnancy Risks Summary When a woman is expecting, the foods she eats, medications she takes, and even chemicals from the products she puts on her skin can potentially cross the placenta to the baby.

Can you eat imitation crab when pregnant? Seafood to eat and avoid during pregnancy. Risks and considerations. Latest news Could 'cupping' technique boost vaccine delivery? Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help?

Related Coverage. Pregnancy and depression: What's the connection? Medically reviewed by University of Illinois. How to manage heartburn during pregnancy? If you have questions about eating crab during your particular pregnancy, feel free to reach out to a healthcare provider. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.

Food and Drug Administration. Advice about eating fish. Updated December 29, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Update on seafood consumption during pregnancy. Reaffirmed March Department of Agriculture. Crab, hardshell, steamed. Updated October 30, Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely. Updated August 4, Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Yes, you can eat crab as long as it is hygienically made and properly cooked. Crab products such as crabmeat, sushi or sashimi are a big no-no. These products are not properly cooked and might harm you and the baby. You should not eat the organs and guts of shellfish and fish as they may have high levels of mercury.

The most significant risk with eating seafood during pregnancy is that they contain natural pollutants like PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls , mercury and dioxins. Also, the FDA states that frozen crab products risk listeria contamination. Check with your healthcare provider before consuming crab, especially when your cholesterol levels are not under control.

You have to be careful when choosing crabs as your already overloaded immune system will have to struggle to fight with the harmful substances. Choose king crabs: The most secure choice of seafood during pregnancy is king crab.

Other popular varieties include blue crab, snow crab, and Dungeness crab, but these are not considered as safe as king crabs because they are high in mercury. Though crab is one of the low mercury seafoods 2 , you need to consume it in moderation. Take advice from fish advisories: Contamination levels vary from one waterbody to other.

You should be wary of any fish or crabs caught in local waters. Therefore you have to check with the guidelines and local fish advisories whether the crab is safe to eat or not.