Seviche

Ceviche is normally prepared with raw fish or seafood, marinated in lemon juice. It is very risky for a pregnant woman. If it has been prepared with cooked shrimp, for example, it would be safe.

I know that some people think that it's bad for you to eat ceviche, but I would have to say otherwise. The first half of my pregnancy I was living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexcio. I pretty much ate seafood all of the time, raw and cooked. I would say try a bite or two and see how you and the baby feel after it.

Although the seafood in ceviche is "cooked" by lemon/lime juice, I would skip it. You could prepare it with cooked shrimp, hearts of palm, lime juice, cilantro, onion and tomatoes. My family LOVES it!
Best C.
PS check out www.weelicious.com (my baby/toddler food website)

Hi J.,

Ceviche is raw or partially cooked fish and is not good to eat while pregnant. It can cause serious harm to your baby. Be very careful with seafood specially if it isn't fully cooked. Only cooked fish and shellfish are safe. Good Luck with you baby girl Congrats!!

Hi J.

Well they say it's not safe but I know I ate it like 5-6 times while I was pregnant with my 6 week old little girl. I used to crave it alot so I took the chance. I know how you feel because I would worry too but I ate it anyway. Hope that helps by the way my little girl is healthy so don't think the ceviche got to her.

This is the only source that I found that even mentioned ceviche...

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/food/factsheet/pregnancy.pdf

It said no. I tend to be a little less cautious about what I eat. I eat sunny side up eggs because I like them and the odds of eggs being contaminated with salmonela are exponentially low. The same is probably true with ceviche- the fish is cooked for all intensive purposes, it's chemically cooked by the acid, and acid kills all or most of the bacteria that could be harmful. But if you would worry about it after, then it's probably not worth it.

I ate ceviche from a local restaurant like crazy - especially at the end of my pregnancy - and everything was fine. I didn't ask, but if you're worried about raw fish just ask the restaurant what they put in it... My husband makes it for us all the time and he just uses shrimp so there's nothing raw in there anyway...maybe try making it yourself and if you want fish in there you can cook it before soaking it in the lime. That was one craving I couldn't pass up! Good luck and congratulations!!

Dearest J.,
Honestly I don't think it's such a good idea to eat ceviche while being pregnant. I know how u must feel, ceviche is my favorite dish. Even though it's "supposedly" cooked in lemon, you don't want to run the risk of it's effects. When I was pregnant, I would completely stay away from fish. Fish is just a little riskier than meat and chicken. You really don't know what will happen to your baby until it's born. My aunt, when she was pregnant from my cousin got sick from eating fish and was in the hospital for a few days. My cousin was born with a speech disability. And yes it was because of the fish. Not that all fish is bad for you, but just in case.
Good luck...
E.M.

Ceviche is raw fish "cooked" by the acid of limes. If it were me, I'd pass on it. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

With all the mercury in large fish (like the kinds used for ceviche), I would really advise against it. Too much mercury exposure could contribute to the baby's toxic load and eventually problems with speech, autism, etc.

Hi J.,

In a word, no. If there are any parasites in the fish, they will not necessarily be killed by the acid of the lime juice (it's actually a very weak acid). If certain types of parasites find their way to the developing fetus, they can cause a variety of birth defects, especially targeting the heart and brain.

It is even more important to make sure that all meats are well cooked and that you avoid handling cat feces because of the risk of developing toxoplasmosis. This is not that common in the US (more common in S. America and parts of Europe), but still something to be aware of.

R.

Not if the ceviche has shellfish--check into each ingredient, but to be safe, I'd not do it. There are lots tasty things out there you can have for a while.

I am no doctor but I heard no raw fish so many times (at least in the U.S.) Here is a website that states the same info. I have read many times:

http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/during/preg_precaution...

Seviche is perfectly safe unless you are having it with tequila shots while you are in the act of getting pregnant.

It should be.. the lime and lemon juice cook the seafood.. you could also modify the recipe and used cooked shrimp and crab meat. Hope that helps

NO. You are not aloud to eat anything raw. And while this is cooked a little from the acidity, it is still to raw. Sorry :(

J. -

First congrats on the girl! Just had my girl 4 months ago - they are so differnt from boys and so special!!

I was told no raw fish or meat during both of my pregnacy.

Good Luck and god bless you!

no, its not. no raw fish. i know the lime cooks it but there is one particular germ i remember vaguely something hideous but anyway, i love seviche and i didn't eat any. no sushi either, no raw cheese or dairy (it's not really very popular actually), no raw shellfish. i couls live without all that but sorry no seviche. don't forget that horrible things could happen to your baby. you can eat whatever you want next year. eat something else with lime juice, cooked fish cold is good too.

Hi J.
Besides the short term potentail hazards of eating raw fish, don't forget that most fish carry mercury loads that can damage your babies developing brain. Check the Monteray Bay Aquarium's fish card for recomendations of chosing types of fish that are both low in mercury and fished sustainably.

J.,

I wouldn't do it. I realize ceviche is kind of a gray area as far as how "raw" it really is but I'd be too cautious to do it. I know some food born bacteria like listeria can cause birth defects. Maybe you should as your OB.

T.

Hi... not sure if you are Latina but I have heard you are able to eat about anything. But have heard that it is not good to eat seafood when months do not have an R such as May, June, July, and August. Just to i haerd this info. Take Care.

J., as appetizing as ceviche sounds, I would hold off on feeding your craving. There are many risks to eating raw seafood and the lime juice alone will not take care of eliminating all of the harmful bacteria. I would say that you could eat ceviche if the shrimp or fish in it was fully cooked. When I was pregnant with my second son my mom would cook the shrimp and then make ceviche with it. Congrats~

Dear J.,
If raw fish of any kind is 100% safe for adults... I would say 100% yes!! I am a great lover of various raw fish as I lived in Japan for 16 years.
It is not impossible to contract "asian" chollera even in Japan, and some people believe that a bacteria found in raw fish leads to stomach cancer.The deaths from fugu ( poisenous blow fish) are only one or two a year, but people can get chollera from raw fish caught by local fishermen.. as a first-hand case I heard of from a friend who visited her hometown in Kyushu..( and ended up in her hometown hospital.)
I can only say that if a raw fish-eating problem exists in Asia for PREGNANT women specifically, I haven't heard about it!!
I would recomend buying raw fish from Korean or Japanese markets IN THE MORNING since there are many varieties of fish that people from these countries enjoy.
Japanese markets that I have seen usually have a bigger variety.
I have not heard anything about whether any raw fish problems hurt unborn babies specifically unless it occurs on the same level with food poisening.
P.S. I Love Ceviche too! ( most people in Asian countries dont even know about it!)