OatleafCan I eat sushi with raw fish while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Raw fish can carry listeria and parasites. US advice (CDC) lists sushi with raw fish as a riskier choice in pregnancy, and UK advice (NHS) says to skip it even if the fish was frozen first. Cooked or vegetarian rolls are the swap.
Breastfeeding is not on CDC's list of groups at higher risk from listeria (pregnancy, newborns, age 65 and older, weakened immunity). While breastfeeding, sushi from a place you trust is commonly considered fine. Mercury still matters: skip bigeye tuna and other high-mercury fish.
Safer swaps while pregnant
- California roll
- Cooked shrimp or eel rolls
- Vegetarian rolls
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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.