^

What kind of fish can a nursing mom eat?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Fish and seafood during breastfeeding can be excellent sources of not only calories, but also other useful elements that are irreplaceable for the child. It is very important to eat the right seafood, which is properly cooked and contains the maximum amount of microelements. It is important for young mothers to know which types of fish can be very useful during breastfeeding, and which can harm the baby or mother.

Benefits of seafood during lactation

The bliss of motherhood comes with many compromises, especially when it comes to food and lifestyle. Your diet is critical to your baby's health and development, both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

trusted-source[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ]

Is it possible to eat fish and seafood while breastfeeding?

Seafood is a healthy food that should not be avoided completely, even when breastfeeding. Fish and shellfish are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy brain development in your baby or child. Shrimp, pollock, catfish, canned light tuna, and salmon that are low in methylmercuric acid are safe to eat while breastfeeding.

Seafood is a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein, both of which are essential for good health. While seafood provides you with all the nutrients you need, some types of seafood can pose a risk to your little one. Mercury in seafood can pass into your breast milk and harm your baby’s nervous system. There are some types of fish and seafood that are high in mercury and other toxic metallic materials. It is best to avoid these substances while breastfeeding. You may want to avoid raw shellfish, shark, king mackerel, and swordfish. So it is important to not only eat seafood in moderation, but also choose the right kind.

Can a nursing mother eat shrimp and squid, given the risk of mercury? Among all seafood, you can safely consume shrimp, squid, as well as anchovies, herring, mackerel, sardines, oysters, freshwater trout, and shellfish.

Shrimp is a shallow water marine species of seafood. Shrimp can prevent excess weight gain and also helps in maintaining your current weight. Eating a 100 g serving of shrimp will give you a maximum of about 90 calories. They also provide you with about 16 g of protein which will help you feel full without adding empty calories. Shrimp is also low in carbohydrates. When you eat shrimp during lactation, you also get a rich amount of vitamins and minerals which are essential for your health as well as for your baby’s development. Shrimp is rich in iron, magnesium as well as potassium which will help your overall health as well as help in preventing anemia in the newborn.

Squid is also useful for a nursing mother because of its rich composition. Squid is a sea product. Squid mainly feeds on sea cucumbers and seaweed. Squid is a very nutritious product that serves as an excellent source of protein during breastfeeding.

You can enjoy squid only if you cook it completely and eat it in limited quantities. You can eat squid once a week, then it will not harm the baby.

Squid contains a large amount of vitamin A, which is a vital vitamin for good eye health. Eating this product helps you enjoy good vision and prevent visual impairment in your child. In addition, vitamin A acts as a powerful antioxidant and minimizes the dangerous effects of free radical activity.

Squid is rich in vitamins and contains a large amount of B vitamins. Vitamin B12 in squid prevents the risk of anemia. In addition, vitamin B helps stimulate the regeneration of cells and tissues.

Squid is a rich source of proteins that contain amino acids that the baby's body cannot produce naturally. Amino acids help in the proper growth and development of muscle tissue, which ensures the proper development of the baby in the first year of life.

Crab sticks are one of the most common products in our country. They are made from a mixture of processed surimi with flavors, colors, and spices. Crab sticks are not a completely safe product during breastfeeding. They have both benefits and side effects, and it depends on how your body reacts to it. The safety of crab sticks also depends on the type of fish used to make it.

Benefits of eating crab sticks while breastfeeding:

  1. Low in fat and calories: Crab sticks are low in fat and calories, making them a great addition to your diet if you're watching your cholesterol. 10 grams of sticks contain 1 gram of fat, 81 calories, and 17 milligrams of cholesterol.
  2. Contains low levels of mercury: Mercury is a pollutant found in some fish. It can negatively affect the development of a child's nervous system. But crab sticks contain little mercury, only if they are made from surimi.
  3. Contains high levels of phosphorus: Crab sticks contain a healthy dose of phosphorus. Phosphorus makes up 1% of our total body weight. It is present in most parts of our body, mainly in the bones. Phosphorus helps in the proper functioning of muscles and kidneys. It supports the function of healthy nerve fibers. The recommended daily intake of phosphorus is 700 milligrams per day. 10 grams of crab sticks will provide you with 240 milligrams of phosphorus.

Can a nursing mother eat caviar? Caviar is one of the delicacies of seafood. It is very useful for both the baby and the mother.

Caviar is a rich source of dietary protein, which is extremely important for the growth and development of your little one. It also helps to restore and maintain skin, organs, and muscle tissue. The omega-3 fatty acid in caviar reduces triglyceride levels, which helps reduce your chances of heart disease. It is also a good source of B vitamins and a major source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is the main element that ensures normal bone development in children under three years of age. Absolutely every child needs this vitamin, because it is not synthesized in the body. Therefore, regular moderate consumption of caviar can provide both mother and child with the vitamin.

Which caviar should you choose and can a nursing mother eat red caviar? The content of trace elements and vitamins in both red and black caviar is almost identical. Therefore, you can choose the caviar that your mother likes more. But given that caviar is a by-product of fish, the mercury content in caviar can be much higher than in fish. This must be taken into account, and when feeding a child, you must choose only high-quality caviar.

trusted-source[ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Fish during breastfeeding

Can you eat fish while breastfeeding a newborn? According to all recommendations, when a mother breastfeeds her baby, the amount of fish in her diet should be increased by healthy and nutritious types. This is due to the benefits of fish during breastfeeding. Fish is a storehouse of omega-3 fatty acids. It is a rich source of vitamin D and essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, iodine, selenium and copper. You should definitely add fish to your daily diet to improve the health and development of your baby.

What fish can you eat when breastfeeding a newborn? Certain types of fish are superfoods for breastfeeding mothers because they contain higher levels of fatty acids and lower levels of mercury. These types of fish include Atlantic mackerel, capelin, char, herring, mullet, salmon, rainbow trout, and hake. These fish are a good source of protein and are also low in saturated fat.

Can breastfeeding mothers eat pink salmon? Pink salmon is a nutrient-rich fish, so adding it to your lactation diet can ensure good health for you and proper development of your baby. Health benefits of eating pink salmon during pregnancy:

  1. Increases stamina: Pink salmon has a large number of calories, reaching 1350 calories per kilogram and 303 kcal per 100 grams of meat. Adding fish to a child’s diet can meet their increased energy needs and help combat fatigue in mothers when caring for a newborn.
  2. Protein composition: pink salmon is an excellent source of proteins. The protein content in pink salmon reaches 18.4 g per 100 g of meat. As you know, proteins are the building blocks for the cells of our body. Regular consumption of proteins promotes the growth and development of the newborn.
  3. Improves muscle tone: Pink salmon meat contains arginine, an amino acid that can activate growth hormone. Eating fish helps improve muscle tone and minimizes fat accumulation in the mother’s body after pregnancy. This way, you can control your weight gain while providing your child with essential amino acids.
  4. Rich source of vitamins: Pink salmon is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin B12. Including it in your diet can increase the amount of antioxidants in your body, which help fight macular degeneration, prevent oxidative stress and eliminate free radicals. It can also protect your little one from the risk of poor weight gain in the first months of life.

Therefore, it is safe to consume pink salmon while breastfeeding, but in moderation. Also, make sure you cook this fish properly, at least to 145°, before consuming it. Sea fish during breastfeeding that is properly cooked helps minimize the risk of stomach infection and food poisoning.

Can a nursing mother eat sea bass? Any sea fish has advantages, since sea water is considered cleaner, and fish is therefore more dietary. Sea bass is considered more useful than river bass.

Sea bass is a fish with large flakes and soft flesh. The fish has a strong body and its fillet is thick and firm, so this fish can retain more moisture. Sea bass is very nutritious and offers you many health benefits.

  1. Provides good amounts of protein: Sea bass is rich in proteins. Proteins not only repair damaged cells, but also help build new tissue. One fillet contains about 50 grams of protein. Sea bass therefore provides you with more than 25% of your daily recommended protein intake.
  2. Provides essential vitamins: Sea bass is an excellent source of essential vitamins. Just one fillet provides 25% of the vitamin D requirements. It is also a good source of vitamin A and helps you maintain good health and vision. The B-complex vitamins in the fish ensure that you avoid the risk of anemia during lactation. The vitamins also help your baby grow properly.
  3. Sea bass provides minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Just one fillet of fish provides 15% of your iron needs and 20% of your magnesium requirements. Good iron intake ensures a good amount of hemoglobin during breastfeeding and prevents the risk of various diseases. Magnesium regulates your blood pressure, and calcium and other minerals also ensure good fetal development.
  4. Sea bass contains some unsaturated fats. Consuming unsaturated fats helps reduce bad cholesterol levels and prevents the risk of heart problems.
  5. Sea bass is a type of fish that boosts a newborn baby's IQ due to its good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

What kind of fish can a mother eat while breastfeeding? Can a mother eat river fish while breastfeeding? Of course, during this period it is better to give preference to sea fish. River fish feed mainly on mulefish and algae, which can cause undesirable reactions in a child. Therefore, it is better not to eat river fish while lactating.

Can a nursing mother eat red fish? All types of red fish are sea fish that can be very useful. Salmon is one of the types of red fish. Salmon is considered a fish that has many health benefits. It is a very useful type that is rich in many microelements. First of all, salmon is a rich source of vitamin B12 and vitamin B3 or niacin. These vitamins increase good cholesterol in the body.

Salmon is also a reservoir of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids also help reduce brain-related problems, such as cognitive decline in infants.

Salmon also contains bioactive proteins that are good for joints. In addition, selenium obtained from salmon fish is good for preventing joint inflammation.

Therefore, red fish during breastfeeding is considered one of the most useful and irreplaceable products in terms of fatty acid content.

Another type of red fish is tuna. Eating limited amounts of tuna while breastfeeding will not harm you or your growing baby, as this fatty fish has significant nutritional properties. Tuna provides your body with high levels of protein, as well as sufficient amounts of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, thereby promoting the development of the baby. Omega-3 helps in the development of the baby's brain, eyes, and nerves.

Can you eat dried or salted red fish while breastfeeding? If you are breastfeeding, avoid eating chilled, dried or salted salmon and other raw seafood. There is a risk of contracting a viral or bacterial infection if you consume partially cooked or raw seafood. Therefore, if you want to keep your baby healthy and free from any infection, then it is not recommended to eat uncooked red fish.

Can a nursing mother eat herring? Any salted fish during breastfeeding, including herring, can contain a large amount of salt. This can retain excess fluid in both the mother's and the baby's body. Excess fluid is a burden on the baby's kidneys, so salted fish should be avoided. Fish during breastfeeding in the first month must necessarily exclude salted types, because this can affect the quality of milk and the baby may refuse to breastfeed at all.

The same applies to smoked fish during breastfeeding. In addition to the high level of salt, such fish contains fats that can have a negative effect on the liver of the mother and child. Hot smoked fish during breastfeeding can be used once a month, because hot smoking ensures the destruction of many bacteria, but despite this, it is considered fatty fish.

Dried or dry fish during breastfeeding is fish that is dried and preserved due to a large amount of salt. You cannot eat such fish, because such an amount of salt can increase blood pressure, cause swelling, and also disrupt the normal lactation process.

Cooking fish during breastfeeding is important because it is important to preserve all the beneficial properties of the fish and at the same time not make it fatty or harmful. Boiled fish during breastfeeding can be an excellent alternative because the boiling process allows you to destroy many infections and preserve vitamins. In addition, you can steam such fish with the addition of vegetables. Fish recipes during breastfeeding can be different, but the main thing is to avoid using a large amount of salt and fat. Can you eat fried fish during breastfeeding? You can cook fish by grilling it, which will be tasty, healthy, and with a minimum amount of fat.

Fish should definitely be present in the diet of a young mother while she is breastfeeding her baby. Having fish or some seafood in the diet at least three times a week provides a sufficient level of protein, fatty acids and minerals. Therefore, a mother should definitely eat fish during lactation, it is only important to choose the right healthy varieties and cook them properly.

trusted-source[ 6 ], [ 7 ]

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.