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Can I eat raw oysters while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Pregnant
✕ Best to avoid
Raw shellfish may carry harmful bacteria and viruses, so pregnancy guidance commonly advises skipping it.
Breastfeeding
! Use caution
Raw shellfish carries a general risk of foodborne illness for anyone. Cooked shellfish is the lower-risk choice.
Safer swaps while pregnant
- Cooked oysters
- Cooked shrimp
- Cooked mussels
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How these answers are made
Oatleaf answers come from public food-safety guidance, mainly the CDC, FDA and EPA for the US and the NHS for the UK. Each answer cites the pages it relies on, and every link was opened and checked in October 2026. Where US and UK advice differ, the answer says so. Written by the Oatleaf team at Astralab Studios. It is general information, not medical advice.
Last reviewed October 2026.