# Is it ok to eat Halibut (fish) while nursing?



## medaroge (Dec 21, 2004)

Ok, this may be totally silly, I normally do not eat any fish so I dont pay much attention to the "rules" of nursing on if you can eat fish or not. I remember from being pregnant something about the mercury in certian types of fish, but cant really remember. At any rate: Is it ok to eat Halibut while nursing?
Thanks!
~Melissa
ps-going out to eat with non breastfeeding friendly friends tonight







:


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

eat the fish. Even when you're pregnant, it's only if you eat fish like four times a week that mercury is a problem anyway.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Actually, Halibut is not okay. It is widely known to be highly contaminated with mercury (plus it's seriously overfished but that's another thread).

Also, Stafl, I disagree that it's that kind of quantity ("4 servings a week") that makes a difference, given that one serving of many kinds of fish contains more mercury (or PCBs etc.) than one should be exposed to in an entire month. If something is so contaminated, so poisonous, that I can only eat it once a month (!), I sure won't touch it when pregnant or nursing.

Instead of the halibut, here are some popular fish to go for instead with the lowest levels of contamination:

Scallops
Clams
Flounder
Wild salmon (never farmed! n.b. all Atlantic salmon is farmed)
Shrimp
Talapia

More info on why halibut is bad in particular and fish safety in general:

http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/...sp?Main_ID=716

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp

http://www.mercola.com/2001/apr/25/mercury_fish.htm


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## Avena (May 27, 2005)

I totally 2nd what Periwinkle said!
It's important info.!!! Thanks Periwinkle!
I have bookmarked those web sites.

Peace!


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