can I eat liver?
Liver and liver products (including liver pâté and liver sausage) should be avoided throughout pregnancy. They contain very high levels of retinol — preformed vitamin A — which can cause birth defects in large amounts.
why it matters
Liver is where animals store vitamin A, and a single portion can contain many times the safe pregnancy limit of retinol. Too much retinol, especially in the first trimester, is linked to congenital malformations. This is a toxicity issue, so cooking doesn't help.
how to have it safely
There's no safe portion worth calculating — it's simplest to skip liver entirely for nine months. Get vitamin A safely from beta-carotene in carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy greens, which your body converts as needed.
worth knowing
- Avoid liver, liver pâté, liver sausage (leberwurst) and haggis containing liver.
- Also avoid supplements containing vitamin A as retinol, including fish liver oils like cod liver oil.
- Beta-carotene from vegetables is completely safe — the body self-regulates conversion to vitamin A.
- This is one of the few foods where UK and US guidance are in complete agreement: avoid.
common questions
I ate liver once early in pregnancy — should I worry?
One portion is unlikely to cause harm; the risk relates to high, repeated intake. Avoid it going forward and mention it to your midwife if you're concerned.
Can I take cod liver oil while pregnant?
No — cod liver oil is high in retinol, the form of vitamin A to avoid. Choose a pregnancy-specific omega-3 supplement instead, which uses fish body oil without the retinol.
also in meat
Aligned with guidance from the NHS, FDA and WHO. This is general information, not personal medical advice — check with your midwife or doctor about your own situation. How we write.