Shrimp is safe during pregnancy and is one of the best seafood choices you can make. The FDA places shrimp in its “Best Choices” category for pregnant and breastfeeding women, recommending 8 to 12 ounces per week of low-mercury seafood. That works out to two or three 4-ounce servings, and shrimp fits comfortably within that range.
Why Shrimp Is a “Best Choice” for Pregnancy
Mercury is the main reason pregnant women worry about seafood, and shrimp consistently ranks among the lowest-mercury options available. Unlike large predatory fish such as swordfish, shark, and king mackerel, shrimp are small and short-lived, so mercury doesn’t accumulate in their tissue the way it does in bigger species. This is why the FDA and EPA specifically list shrimp as a “Best Choice” rather than a “Good Choice” or one to avoid.
A 3.5-ounce serving of cooked shrimp delivers about 24 grams of protein, which is substantial for such a lean food. Shrimp also provides omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and iodine. That last nutrient matters more than most people realize during pregnancy: iodine supports the thyroid gland, which produces hormones that directly influence fetal brain development, nerve formation, and bone growth. A growing fetal brain needs the right level of thyroid hormones to develop properly, and iodine is what your body uses to make them. Three ounces of cooked shrimp provides about 13 micrograms of iodine, a modest contribution toward your daily needs. Eating a variety of seafood alongside other iodine-rich foods (dairy, eggs, iodized salt) helps you cover the gap.
The Real Risk: Raw or Undercooked Shrimp
The safety concern with shrimp during pregnancy has nothing to do with the shrimp itself and everything to do with how it’s prepared. Raw or undercooked seafood can harbor Listeria monocytogenes, a type of bacteria that poses serious risks during pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery. Pregnant women are significantly more susceptible to listeriosis than the general population.
This means shrimp cocktail made with fully cooked shrimp is fine, but raw shrimp sushi, ceviche (where the shrimp is “cooked” only by citrus acid), and cold smoked shrimp carry real risk. Refrigerated smoked seafood is also a concern unless it’s been heated in a cooked dish like a casserole.
How to Cook Shrimp Safely
Shrimp cooks quickly, and the visual cues are reliable. You’re looking for flesh that turns pearly white and opaque all the way through. If any part of the shrimp still looks translucent or gray, it needs more time. Most shrimp finishes cooking in 2 to 3 minutes per side in a pan, or 4 to 6 minutes total when boiled or steamed. Overcooked shrimp becomes rubbery, so once you see that color change, pull it off the heat.
When reheating leftover shrimp, make sure it’s heated all the way through rather than just warmed on the surface. This is especially important during pregnancy because Listeria can grow even at refrigerator temperatures, unlike most other foodborne bacteria.
Wild-Caught vs. Farmed Shrimp
Most shrimp sold in the U.S. is imported and farmed, and the quality of farming practices varies widely by country. Some imported farmed shrimp has tested positive for veterinary drugs not permitted in the United States, including antibiotics used to control disease in crowded aquaculture ponds. Wild-caught shrimp generally carries a low risk of antibiotic residue or pesticides.
If you want to minimize your exposure to chemical residues during pregnancy, look for wild-caught U.S. shrimp (Gulf shrimp is widely available) or farmed shrimp with third-party certification. U.S. shrimp farms operate under stricter regulations than many overseas operations. That said, the FDA does screen imported seafood, and the overall risk from a serving of farmed shrimp at your grocery store remains low.
How Much Shrimp You Can Eat Per Week
The FDA guideline is 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy, split across two or three servings. One serving equals 4 ounces, roughly the size of the palm of your hand. You could eat shrimp for all of those servings if you wanted, though eating a variety of seafood (salmon, cod, tilapia, crab) gives you a broader nutritional profile, particularly for omega-3 fatty acids, where fattier fish like salmon outperform shrimp.
Many pregnant women eat less seafood than recommended because they’re nervous about safety. The evidence consistently points in the other direction: eating too little seafood during pregnancy means missing out on nutrients that support fetal brain and nerve development. If shrimp is the seafood you enjoy and feel comfortable eating, it’s one of the safest ways to hit that 8-to-12-ounce target each week.