Most fish is not only safe during pregnancy but actively recommended. The FDA and EPA advise pregnant women to eat 2 to 3 servings (8 to 12 ounces) of low-mercury fish per week to support fetal brain and eye development. The key is choosing the right species and avoiding a short list of high-mercury fish.
Best Choices: 2 to 3 Servings Per Week
The FDA and EPA maintain a “Best Choices” list of fish with the lowest mercury levels. These are safe to eat two to three times per week during pregnancy. A standard adult serving is 4 ounces, measured before cooking (roughly the size of the palm of your hand).
The list includes many everyday options: salmon, shrimp, tilapia, catfish, cod, pollock, sardines, anchovies, trout, flounder, sole, haddock, and whiting. Canned light tuna (skipjack) also falls into this category, so you can eat 2 to 3 servings per week without concern.
These fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, which plays a direct role in your baby’s brain and eye development. Salmon and sardines are among the richest sources. If you don’t already eat fish regularly, pregnancy is a good time to start.
Good Choices: 1 Serving Per Week
Fish in the “Good Choices” category have moderate mercury levels and should be limited to one serving per week, with no other fish eaten that week. The most common one people ask about is albacore (white) tuna, which contains roughly three times more mercury than canned light tuna. If you eat a serving of albacore, skip fish for the rest of the week.
Other fish in this middle category include halibut, mahi-mahi, snapper, and yellowfin tuna. They’re not dangerous in moderation, but they require more careful tracking than the low-mercury options above.
Fish to Avoid Completely
Seven types of fish have mercury levels high enough that the FDA says to avoid them entirely during pregnancy:
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico)
- Bigeye tuna
These are large, long-lived predatory fish that accumulate mercury over their lifespans. Note that bigeye tuna is a specific species often sold as sushi-grade tuna, not the same as canned tuna you’d find at the grocery store.
Shellfish Is on the Safe List
Shellfish often gets lumped in with “risky” seafood, but most shellfish is firmly in the Best Choices category. Shrimp, crab, crawfish, scallops, clams, oysters, and squid are all low in mercury and safe to eat 2 to 3 times per week. The only requirement is that they’re fully cooked. Shrimp and lobster should turn opaque and milky white. Scallops should be opaque and firm. Clams, mussels, and oysters should be cooked until their shells open; discard any that stay closed.
Skip Raw Fish and Sushi
Even low-mercury fish becomes a problem when it’s served raw or undercooked. Raw fish carries a heightened risk of Listeria, a bacterium that can cross the placenta and cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious infection in a newborn. Babies born with a Listeria infection can develop seizures, organ damage, and developmental delays.
Raw fish can also harbor parasites from the water it lived in, which create additional pregnancy complications. Seared or “lightly cooked” fish counts as undercooked. Vegetable rolls, cooked shrimp rolls, and fully cooked eel (unagi) are safer sushi options if you’re craving a restaurant visit.
How to Cook Fish Safely
All fish should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). If you don’t have a food thermometer, cook finfish until it turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. For shrimp and lobster, look for an opaque, milky white color throughout. These visual cues are reliable stand-ins for a thermometer.
Locally Caught Fish
Fish from local lakes, rivers, and reservoirs can be a wildcard because mercury and pollutant levels vary by waterway. Before eating locally caught fish, check your state or county’s fish advisory, which will tell you which species are safe and how often you can eat them. As a general example, rainbow trout from freshwater sources is typically safe at two servings per week, while bass and carp often carry enough contaminants to warrant avoiding them during pregnancy. If no advisory exists for your local water, limit yourself to one serving per week and skip other fish that week.
A Practical Weekly Plan
Hitting 2 to 3 servings per week is simpler than it sounds. A salmon fillet at dinner, a shrimp stir-fry the next night, and a tuna salad sandwich made with canned light tuna for lunch covers your week. You’ll get plenty of omega-3s without needing supplements, and you’ll stay well under any mercury threshold.
If you prefer albacore tuna or a Good Choices fish like halibut, plan that as your only fish meal for the week. The goal is consistency across your pregnancy rather than perfection at any single meal. One serving of a higher-mercury fish won’t cause harm; the concern is repeated exposure over weeks and months.