According to Mayo Clinic, eating shrimp while pregnant is perfectly safe. Still, some women avoid shrimp like the plague because they believe the myth that eating shrimp while pregnant is dangerous to the unborn child.
This is most likely because there are certain types of seafood pregnant women should indeed steer clear of. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised not to eat fish with high mercury content because of the danger it poses to the baby (via Mayo Clinic). The Food and Drug Administration warns against eating raw, larger, or older fish since they are more likely to contain higher amounts of mercury.
An influx of methyl mercury poses a threat to the development of your child’s nervous system, according to WebMD. On their list of fish you are better off avoiding, the FDA includes shark, swordfish, and king mackerel due to their long lifespan and size. While shrimp are safe to eat, it’s recommended that pregnant women only eat two to three servings of any seafood per week.
