Last Updated on by San San
The life of a pregnant woman is not easy. You have to watch what you eat and what you drink. Making sure you prepare for giving birth is just entirely another story which needs to be started as early as finding out you’re pregnant. Since eating is an important part of a pregnant woman’s every day, it’s good to get down to knowing your diet, “can I eat squid while pregnant?” Well, let’s find out!
Can I Eat Squid While Pregnant?
During pregnancy, a woman is likely to be boggled by so many questions about the type of food she should and shouldn’t consume. One of the food women are wary of during pregnancy is seafood, specifically squid.
“Can I eat squid while pregnant or not?” Yeah, it’s a question you should be asking yourself because plenty of food from the ocean may contain high levels of mercury – which we all know is not safe for the baby’s health and development. “What seafood am I restricted to eat during pregnancy?” Your health is important as well, now that you are pregnant, which is why the food concern should matter. Maintaining proper health is also needed for the fetus.
Eating squid comes with its advantages and disadvantages for both the mother and the fetus. It’s a type of seafood. Seafood consumed regularly during pregnancy can assist with brain development in babies.
When given at about the age of six months, it provides essential nutrients like omega-3s and iron that boost immunity and brain development for babies.
For you, as the mother, you also need to be healthy. Seafood provides you with calcium, protein, and vitamin D, which helps bone strengthen and maintain muscle mass. So, while seafood is one of the varieties of consumption you have to take caution consuming, some seafood is not entirely bad for you and is deemed truly healthy for your pregnancy.
Can I Eat Squid While Pregnant – The Benefits
Squid contains a high content of omega 3. It’s essential in ensuring the fetal brain grows and develops. It also helps in the overall health of the mother during pregnancy.
Pregnant women are advised not to consume squids due to their bacterial and mercury content. When there is too much mercury in seafood, it accumulates in the mum’s body when she eats it. The mercury finds its way to the placenta where the baby is. It can result in congenital disabilities in the infant if the mercury content is consumed too much. Mercury is harmful, whether consumed in large quantities or small ones. This is why you need not eat it to be on the safer side.
It’s even indigestible by your body to its full potential. The baby’s development is at risk if there is mercury in the pregnant mum’s body.
However, the relaxing thing is that squids are one of the seafood with low mercury levels in it. Yes, low – but it doesn’t rule squid out to the safe zone.
When you consume too many squids, that’s like doubling or tripling the mercury content inside your body. Every bite and every piece you consume, that doubles the mercury content inside your body during pregnancy. The mercury will end up harming your baby by inhibiting its proper development.
For the bacteria, squids could have vibrio and salmonella. They are responsible for causing inflammation in the baby’s brain and preventing the infant’s development.
It’s not only squid that can cause all these. Other types of seafood should be avoided or eaten in moderation by pregnant women. We agree you should not take too much of it, the squid since it could be beneficial and still destructive.
All around the world, we have different people who have all kinds of superstitious beliefs. For instance, in the Philippines, pregnant women believe squid can make their umbilical cord twist inside the uterus, so they choose to avoid it. Many other beliefs can make you laugh in the name of not eating squids.
Can You Eat Mussels While Pregnant?
Just as with squids, mussels too can be eaten during pregnancy in moderation. They are low in mercury and hence don’t consume too much because there’s still some presence of mercury. The effects of mercury on a child are the same as discussed above. They can’t miss an advantage or two for both you and the child.
Mussels have high nutritional value due to the vitamins and minerals they contain.
They have iron, selenium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, and vitamin C.
They help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Fatty acids of the omega-3 present are responsible for this.
If you’re preparing mussels at home, handle them well before cooking to avoid creating infections to your body harmful to you and the baby.
The shells of a mussel should be closed tightly. If you tap their carapaces and they don’t close, then get rid of them. Always wash and rinse them thoroughly before cooking them.
With all the proper guidelines followed when preparing and cooking your mussels, you are free to enjoy them, not too much, though.
Can I Eat Prawns While Pregnant?
Prawns contain low mercury content. It makes it a bit safe to eat during pregnancy. Not all pregnant mothers eat prawns; some do; others don’t. Raw prawns are not safe for consumption because they could have heavy metal or food poisoning due to bacteria’s presence.
All of the above contain low mercury and are relatively safer for pregnant women than swordfish, mackerel, and sharks, which have high mercury.
Can I Eat Squid While Pregnant Conclusion
You can stop worrying about the question, “can I eat squid while pregnant?” following the above details. I hope, I have shed light on eating these kinds of seafood during pregnancy.
Squids, mussels, and prawns are okay to eat while you’re pregnant. It is because they have low mercury content. Having less mercury in them is not a guarantee that they are safe to eat. Eat them in moderation since the more you eat them, the higher the amount of mercury accumulates in your body.
The mercury can have adverse effects on your baby. It could either have congenital disabilities or even down syndrome. Eat seafood with low mercury and avoid high mercury, including shark, mackerel, and swordfish. Eating in moderation still gives you the nutrients needed to boost the health of you and your baby. Always mind the health of both you and the child.
