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Can I eat sushi while breastfeeding?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Salmon and tuna sushi show Check in Doola Scan for breastfeeding in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, because the fish counts toward each country's weekly fish advice; cooked and California rolls show No known issues. For breastfeeding, the guidance these countries give on fish is about mercury and how much fish a week, not whether it's raw. The CDC says to choose lower-mercury fish, and the FDA says bigeye tuna is among the highest in mercury.

Checked against Doola Scan's breastfeeding rules · Updated

  • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rolls

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahi

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rolls

    No known issuesIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Sushi while breastfeeding: what each country says.

Each country's own breastfeeding guidance on sushi, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • United States

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • CDCLimit to 2-3 servings (8-12 oz) a week of Best Choices, or 1 serving of Good Choices.Source
    • FDABreastfeeding: 2 to 3 servings (4 oz) a week of Best Choices fish; oily fish like salmon and sardines are Best Choices.Source
    • FDAFish is nutritious for baby's brain development; choosing lower-mercury fish limits mercury exposure.Source
    • CDCCDC breastfeeding: limit to one 4 oz serving if the fish is a Good Choice (albacore).Source
    • FDACanned light tuna 2-3 servings a week; albacore/yellowfin 1 serving and no other fish that week; bigeye avoid.Source
    • FDAHigher mercury than Best Choices.Source
    Bigeye tuna
    • FDAHighest mercury levels; mercury passes to baby through breast milk.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • NHSOily fish can contain pollutants that build up in the body.Source
    • NHSAim for at least 2 portions (about 140g each) of fish a week; no more than 2 portions of oily fish.Source
    • NHSBreastfeeding: no limit on tuna.Source
    • NHSBreastfeeding: no limit on tuna; only oily fish (max 2 a week) and shark/swordfish/marlin are limited.Source
    Bigeye tuna
    • NHSBreastfeeding: no more than 1 portion a week of shark, swordfish or marlin.Source

  • Canada

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • Health CanadaLow-mercury oily fish encouraged; no weekly cap.Source
    • Health CanadaEat a variety of fish; low-mercury fish listed with no weekly amount; limits only on predatory fish.Source
    • Health CanadaSome tuna is higher in mercury; Canada sets limits while breastfeeding.Source
    • Health CanadaCanned albacore tuna up to 300 g a week; fresh/frozen tuna etc. 150 g a month; other fish not limited.Source
    Bigeye tuna
    • Health CanadaFresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar: up to 150 g a month.Source

  • Australia

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)2 to 3 serves (150 g) a week of fish not on the higher-mercury list; no oily-fish limit.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)2 to 3 serves (150 g each) a week of fish not on the higher-mercury list.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)1 serve (150 g) a week of catfish or orange roughy and no other fish.Source
    Bigeye tuna
    • NSW Food AuthorityBreastfeeding: shark/flake, marlin, swordfish no more than one 100 g serve a fortnight, no other fish then.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Breastfeeding: 1 serve (150 g) per fortnight of shark or billfish and no other fish.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • Health NZBreastfeeding guide recommends eating oily fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, eel) with no weekly limit.Source
    • Health NZBreastfeeding guide recommends oily fish including tuna with no limit.Source

  • Ireland

    • Salmon nigiri, sashimi and rollsCheck
    • Tuna nigiri, sashimi and rolls, such as yellowfin or ahiCheck
    • Cooked and vegetable rolls, such as California rollsNo known issues
    • HSEBreastfeeding: no more than 2 portions oily fish a week (incl. fresh tuna).Source
    • HSEBreastfeeding: no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.Source
    Bigeye tuna
    • FSAIBreastfeeding women should not eat swordfish, marlin or shark.Source
    • HSEBreastfeeding: swordfish, marlin or shark no more than once a week.Source
What to check

Before you eat sushi.

  1. Count sushi fish in your fish for the week

    The CDC's advice while breastfeeding is 2 to 3 servings (8 to 12 ounces) a week of the FDA's Best Choices fish, or 1 serving of a Good Choices fish with no other fish that week. The FDA counts salmon among its Best Choices and yellowfin tuna among its Good Choices. A serving is 4 ounces, measured before cooking. CDC

  2. Keep oily fish to 2 portions a week in the UK and Ireland

    The NHS says breastfeeding women should eat no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week, and names salmon. Ireland's HSE gives the same limit and counts fresh tuna and salmon as oily fish. HSE

  3. Ask which tuna is in your sushi

    The FDA lists bigeye tuna among the fish with the highest mercury and says mercury passes to the baby through breast milk. Doola Scan shows Avoid for bigeye tuna while breastfeeding in the US, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the UK, Canada and Australia. FDA

Questions

About sushi
while breastfeeding.

Salmon and tuna sushi show Check in Doola Scan for breastfeeding in all six countries, for their place in your weekly fish. The breastfeeding fish advice from the CDC, the NHS and the HSE is about mercury and portions; none of their breastfeeding pages names raw fish or sushi.

The CDC says 2 to 3 servings of Best Choices fish a week, 4 ounces each. The NHS says at least 2 portions of fish a week, no more than 2 of them oily. Health Canada sets no weekly amount for low-mercury fish but limits fresh or frozen tuna to 150g a month.

The CDC says most fish contain mercury that can pass from mother to baby through breast milk, and that too much can affect the baby's brain and nervous system. It says lower-mercury fish are a good choice for everyone.

Raw salmon shows Check in all six countries. The FDA counts salmon among its Best Choices, and Health NZ's breastfeeding guide recommends oily fish such as salmon with no weekly limit.

California rolls and cooked sushi show No known issues in Doola Scan for breastfeeding in all six countries. If a roll has raw fish too, that fish's verdict applies.

The NHS says eating fish is good for your and your baby's health. The FDA says fish supply nutrients such as omega-3s, iodine and choline that are particularly important while breastfeeding.

Il sushi di salmone e di tonno mostra Check in Doola Scan per l'allattamento in tutti e sei i paesi, per il mercurio e le porzioni di pesce a settimana. Il tonno obeso (bigeye) mostra Avoid negli Stati Uniti, in Nuova Zelanda e in Irlanda.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each fish against your country's guidance for breastfeeding. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's breastfeeding guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' breastfeeding guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.