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No Sushi During Pregnancy and Other Rules I Am Breaking

June 19, 2013 By Deanna Schober 16 Comments | Disclaimer

No Sushi During Pregnancy and Other Rules I Am BreakingI am a 36 year old woman who has grown to love good sushi, good wine and all the other little luxuries of life.

So when I realized this time I wouldn’t be touching my beloved ahi tower from my very favorite sushi restaurant that I frequent EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND, I am not kidding, I shed a tear. You may think that’s crazy, but that’s because you’ve never eaten at Densetsu.

The minute the second pink line showed up on the stick, I mentally switched over to PREGNANCY RESTRICTION MODE. I dumped my cup of coffee down the drain, I shed those tears over sushi, I kissed my bottle of red wine goodbye, all for the next nine months. Wait… 9 months plus breastfeeding a year so the next ALMOST 2 YEARS OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE.

At first I soldiered along, and told myself it was all for the baby. But this didn’t sit with me, now, even though it was easy to do in my twenties. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’ve grown into the kind of mom who is able to balance my own wants and needs with my childrens’, and this just felt like martyrdom and was making me miserable. Aside from that, some of the “rules” of pregnancy weren’t jiving with my common sense…so many of the rules contradicted themselves. And then, the same “nutritionists” and “dieticians” giving advice on these rules were also saying that a can or two of diet soda a day were just fine, which makes me absolutely cringe. Americans can be so strange, with their fears and phobias of things like fresh sushi but no second thought to the chemicals, also found in flame-retardants, used in fast food and sodas. It’s so backwards, and now that I’m older, I’m making my own decisions based on my instincts, common sense, and tireless research.

THE RULES OF PREGNANCY

1. NO RAW SUSHI. At first, I followed this rule. I then got creative and ordered baked sushi, and I hated it. The American Pregnancy Association recommends avoiding sushi during pregnancy because of the chance of parasite in the raw meat, and also because of mercury content in certain types of fish. OK, I get it…but then my common sense asked, don’t women in Japan eat sushi all the time during pregnancy? And with some research I discovered that yes, they do, and they think Americans are crazy.

As a matter of fact, in the course of my research I found some interesting new studies that found that the type of food-borne illnesses to worry about during pregnancy (toxoplasma, listeria, and salmonella) are not considered to even be a risk with raw sushi [1], [2] as long as the food is handled properly and from a reputable location.

I have been eating at my sushi restaurant (an expensive, local place) almost weekly for years now, and have never been sick. I live inland, so the fish I am eating has been flash frozen before it arrived here. The chance of me getting food poisoning is so low, but even if I did, according to research, the chance of the food poisoning actually passing through the placenta and affecting my baby are even smaller. I totally get that this is enough to scare some women into not touching it for 9 months, and I respect that. As for the mercury, I did decide to avoid tuna and other large game fish that can have higher levels (swordfish, tilefish, mackerel and shark). Although my instincts tell me that once every now and then, tuna is probably fine.

MY PRACTICAL SOLUTION: So once I had all of this information, I weighed the pros and cons…a tiny, tiny chance of food poisoning vs. AWESOME health benefits of fresh salmon (no mercury exposure), avocado, crab, cucumber for both myself and my baby? For me, it’s an easy choice. So every two weeks, I allow myself an all-salmon raw sushi dish from my favorite restaurant, and I unapologetically make sexual noises while consuming it.

2. NO WINE OR ALCOHOL. Again, my common sense asked, don’t European women drink wine while pregnant? And don’t some doctors and midwives even recommend a glass of red wine to pregnant women with pre-term labor?

It turns out that yes, European women do drink wine while pregnant, because their doctors advise them that a drink or two of wine a day (what they apparently consider moderate consumption) is fine. And a recent study found no difference in development between 5 year olds whose mothers abstained from alcohol during pregnancy, and mothers who drank moderately.

American recommendations state that there is still no evidence of what a safe level of alcohol is during pregnancy, therefore it is best to avoid it. Again, respect to those who decide the risk is just not worth it. But again, I’m much more scared of the neuro-toxin MSG in a fast food sandwich than I am of a glass of red wine and all of it’s antioxidants.

MY PRACTICAL SOLUTION: I have one small glass of red wine every two weeks with my sushi. It’s a heavenly evening that leaves me relaxed, my aching muscles relieved, and happy in my soul. I also don’t have to wistfully sniff everyone else’s red wine around me because I don’t feel deprived.

3. NO CAFFEINE. Caffeine is one of the rules that actually has some research and studies to back up the recommendation to limit it. 200mg a day of caffeine has been shown to be just fine, while higher amounts do lead to a higher risk of miscarriage and other complications.

MY PRACTICAL SOLUTION:ย I order a half-caf at Starbucks, and I make my own coffee in the morning with 1/4 regular coffee grinds and the rest decaf.

4. NO HEAVY LIFTING OR INTENSE EXERCISE.ย I hate any rule that paints pregnant women as helpless, dainty, and sick with a “condition”. Of course I’m not going to be running around lifting couches off the ground or something, but I strength train, and I’m not stopping. I trust my body and I listen to it. It will tell me if I am doing something that I shouldn’t be.

The recommendation from the medical field for prenatal exercise is to keep it slow and steady, not letting your heartbeat or your body temperature get too high. But again, common sense tells me, if this type of exercise is so great for me, why wouldn’t it be beneficial to my baby?

MY PRACTICAL SOLUTION: I am continuing with the exercise I love, including weight lifting, kick boxing with a bag, and high intensity exercise until my body tells me I shouldn’t. I drink plenty of water, I rest more than I used to, and I pay careful attention to how I feel.

RULES THAT SHOULD BE ADDED

  1. NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, TRANS FATS, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, OR ANY OTHER CHEMICAL, PRESERVATIVE NOT FOUND IN NATURE. The research I have done on the man-made chemicals found in processed and fast foods these days is enough to scare me into not touching them, ever, but ESPECIALLY during pregnancy. Study after study have found that these substances are harmful in grown adults, with links to cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and heart disease just to name a few. Just a few weeks ago I ate a popsicle without reading the ingredients. 10 minutes after finishing it, my heart began to race and I felt horrible. After a label check, the second ingredient listed was high fructose corn syrup. I still worry about how that affected my tiny baby if it had such an instant negative effect on me. I won’t be making that mistake again.
  2. NO FAST OR PROCESSED FOOD. As I mentioned earlier, the chemicals and preservatives added to these foods is downright scary. Common sense tells me that one day, science will find a link between regular consumption of these foods during pregnancy and a higher risk of defects or complications. MSG is a neuro-toxin, meaning it excites brain cells to death everytime I consume it. Do I want to risk killing off my child’s brain cells too?
  3. NO SODA. For all of the reasons listed above, and also this article that I wrote and researched for Coach Calorie.

Please understand, I am not recommending any of these above rules for anyone but myself, but instead encouraging EVERY pregnant woman to do her own research and make her own informed decisions.

Related posts:

5 Healthy Pregnancy Habits Preparing for Labor and Delivery - A Training Plan | Fit to Be PregnantPreparing for Labor and Delivery – A Training Plan How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy on The Road Fear of Exercise During Pregnancy | Fit To Be PregnantFear of Exercise During Pregnancy – We’re Not Delicate Creatures

Comments

  1. Alicia Marie VanGordon says

    July 7, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    I very much appreciated your take on food consumption and activities during pregnancy. I couldn’t agree more about the food additives in processed food, I avoid them at all cost. It seems simple, if it’s good for you its probably good for your baby. I love that your keeping up your daily workouts; I haven’t had a baby but that topic has always lingered in the back of my mind as I love both yoga and high intensity workouts as well and wondered how they would integrate into a pregnancy. I look forward to more of your updates, looks like you are doing well!

    Reply
    • dds32 says

      September 1, 2013 at 12:54 pm

      Thanks Alicia!

      Reply
  2. blairshackle says

    September 26, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    So glad I found your site and SO glad to find a kindred spirit in twisting some pregnancy “rules” ๐Ÿ˜‰ Adding the no HFCS, soda, processed/fast food is GENIUS! I’m with you sista! Thanks!

    Reply
    • dds32 says

      September 26, 2013 at 4:43 pm

      So glad you found me too, Blair! I just checked out your blog, which I LOVE (total kindred spirits), and CONGRATULATIONS! Stay in touch!

      Reply
  3. R. Rich says

    September 29, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    You seriously just opened my eyes to Chic Fil A… It is one of the only fast food restaurants I have been able to eat without getting sick and I was loving their little mini sandwiches. I was hoping you were wrong so I did some research. CFA is yuck yuck yuck. So bad for me. And I’m not even close to being pregnant. I suppose it’ll do me some good to stop eating it now. I found you via Pinterest tonight and I love your blog! You have a wonderful writing style. Congratulations on the little one to come.

    Reply
    • dds32 says

      October 2, 2013 at 11:54 am

      I used to think I was making a healthy choice choosing Chik Fil A too. Wish that healthy choices could be easier and more affordable for the general population! I’m so glad you found me, thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  4. Casey says

    November 25, 2013 at 9:55 pm

    I absolutely love this. I refuse to stop eating sushi or even unpasturized cheeses. Ecspecially feta. Mainly because in the countries that these foods come from tend to have less birth mortality levels that America. So the stuff can’t be that bad. I believe it is all fear mongering and who better to scare than pregnant women. I live in south louisiana and eat fish kinda regularly so I’m sure I take in way too much mercury – it happens. But both of my kids are fine and I had uneventful pregnancies. I also won’t give up my exercise or hot baths. Taking a Luke warm bath or shower is ridiculous. If its too hot my body will tell me 100%. Even when I’m not pregnant. Sorry this was so long I just agree so much.

    Reply
  5. Markella says

    March 12, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    I think I just found my pregnancy soul mate. Im 38 weeks now and have been eating pregnancy “no-no’s” (sushi, unpasturized cheese, caffeine) and drinking wine in moderation since day 1. Pregnancy no-no’s should be all the processed crap in the standard american diet, which, you can eat throughout your entire pregnancy and no one will bat an eyelash. I was told by one mother I shouldn’t eat red meat unless it was extra, extra well done. Unsafe to eat medium rare steak during pregnancy, she warned. She then proceeded to tell me her pregnancy cravings led her to taco bell and wendy’s every day! I can’t handle the insanity. Kudos to you for posting this, I’m surprising they haven’t started rioting. I learned to shut my mouth about my pregnancy diet after the first trimester. I maintained my diet of whole, unprocessed and high quality foods and I feel great. Wish I had discovered your blog sooner!

    Reply
    • Deanna Schober says

      March 17, 2014 at 2:43 pm

      Hi Markella, “I’m surprised they haven’t started rioting”…everytime I get a comment on this article I hold my breath ๐Ÿ™‚ Good luck with your upcoming birth!!

      Reply
  6. Jaime says

    April 18, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    This is the most reasonable post about pregnancy I have ever read!!! I want to share it with all mom’s to be . Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Deanna Schober says

      April 19, 2014 at 5:36 am

      Thanks Jaime ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. julie says

    August 14, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    Thank you for this…more than a year after you wrote it. I wonder where you stood on soft cheeses, deli meats, etc.? I decided I wasn’t going to “follow the rules.” I have been craving soft cheese, sushi, and hotdogs like crazy. I eat 90% organic typically and although veggies during this time have had no allure for me, it’s getting better. I even drink raw milk, believing a happy, organic grass fed cow on a small farm, produces healthier milk than high pasteurized, all enzymes-killed regular milk. I do think I should follow your half-caf coffee idea though.

    Reply
    • Deanna Schober says

      August 14, 2014 at 3:33 pm

      Hi Julie, there are so many pasteurized soft cheeses available that I never really thought about it, but I did have the organic raw milk bought straight from a farm where I could go pet the cow they got it from ๐Ÿ™‚ Hot dogs I ate but organic and without nitrates/nitrites added. You can do the same with deli meat. It’s all about quality – make sure your vendor is reputable and following strict food preparation guidelines and common sense rules from there ๐Ÿ™‚ Good luck!!

      Reply
  8. Audrey says

    March 31, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    Hi! I really appriciate your blog, nevertheless I would like to comment on this “It turns out that yes, European women do drink wine while pregnant, because their doctors advise them that a drink or two of wine a day (what they apparently consider moderate consumption) is fine.” I live in France and I can affirme that this information is untrue. There is a strong advice from medical structure on absolutly no drinking during your pregnancy, even wine.
    And this recommandation your giving (2 glasses of wine a day) for a non-pregnant woman, is already to high. They recommand 1 glass of wine per day max (2 for men).
    I look forward on other fitness articles, that seem pretty advance for a french mentality. I’m not able to fine good source for traning here. Hopefully, Internet is a pretty good way!

    Reply
  9. Tina says

    November 1, 2016 at 11:43 am

    Good for you! With the whole exercise thing, I totally agree we should listen to our bodies! I know if I’m overdoing it because my body will let me know thank you! If I feel exhausted one day, I rest. If I’m feeling great & full of energy, I’m gonna use it to my benefit! I don’t think I could do the sushi, only because the thought of raw fish just sounds icky to me! I do like cooked ones though. And the decaf, my midwife actually told me if I do have coffee on occasion to make sure it’s NOT decaf! (Which surprised me) But she said it’s because they use terrible chemicals like stuff in paint thinner in the process of decaffinating the beans & it’s like poison to the baby. ๐Ÿ™

    Reply
  10. Jennie says

    March 12, 2017 at 7:45 am

    Thank you for this post. I survived the first few nauseous weeks of pregnancy on fast food and crap. Now that I’m feeling more human and can eat more normally, this was good motivation to remind me of my priorities. Thank you again!

    Reply

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