Using omega-3 (fish oil) during your pregnancy

Are you pregnant or looking to become pregnant? If so, omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy are an important topic. After 3.5 years of extensive research, the Health Council has formulated clear advice for pregnant women on essential nutrients such as folic acid, fish fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and iron. For omega-3 during pregnancy, the advice is: fish twice a week or a daily fish fatty acid supplement.

Omega-3 pregnancy: why is it so important?

Omega-3 fatty acids during your pregnancy are about more than just eating healthy. The Nutrition Center translates the advice into a practical version: if you don't want to or can't eat fish, take a daily supplement. For pregnant women, the dosage is clear: at least 250 to 450 mg of DHA per day.

This may be fish oil with DHA and EPA, just as the fish fatty acids are found in fish. It may also be algal oil with DHA or DHA and EPA. The extra EPA in a supplement is actually a bonus because EPA is also converted to DHA.

Fish and omega-3 when pregnant

When you are pregnant, the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish (oil) are needed. Maternal intake of DHA contributes to normal fetal eye and brain development and in breastfed infants.* And in addition to your baby, DHA also helps keep your brain function normal (handy against that famous "pregnancy brain")!

In addition, did you know that 60% of the brain is made up of fat and as much as 1/6 of it is DHA? This also explains why omega-3 is so important for pregnant women. The construction of the nervous system begins early in pregnancy, so it is wise to keep your omega-3 status up even before you become pregnant.

Fish oil during pregnancy

Are you pregnant and want to take omega-3 fish oil? Fish oil is a good addition to your diet during pregnancy. Because, unfortunately, farmed salmon from the supermarket today contains less omega-3 than it used to. It may also be that you dislike the taste or smell of fish. Then fish oil for pregnant women is a great alternative as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

The benefits of liquid fish oil

The advantage of liquid fish oil (from a bottle) during pregnancy is that 1 spoonful of fish oil is equivalent to the omegas of over half a herring! By using fresh fish from Norway, the fish oil has a fine mild taste, which means it can even be put in yogurt, smoothie or shake. So it's ideal if you also have poorer fish oil tolerance during your pregnancy. 

Depending on the brand, the purity of fish oil is also perfect for pregnant women. Arctic Blue MSC Fish Oil, for example, is at least 75x cleaner* than tuna and 20x cleaner than herring or kibbeling, which are already listed as fairly clean (*measured by the amount of the heavy metal mercury found in these fish on average).

Which omega-3 do you choose during pregnancy?

Which omega-3 is best to choose during pregnancy? And is it still safe with the polluted oceans? Research shows that the benefits of omega-3 far outweigh any risks. The healthy effect of barely contaminated fish such as sardines, cod or mackerel is many times greater than the minimal contamination.

Arctic Blue has several omega-3 products for use during pregnancy. All Arctic Blue products are suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, except the anise-flavored salmon oil (because of the anise).Because of the nice dosage and built-in vitamin D, many people choose our fish oil with vitamin D. Do you prefer capsules without vitamin D? Then our fish oil capsules are a popular choice.

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Then there are plant-based algal oil products with the same omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and often EPA) as fatty fish. The algae are cultivated and cannot contain environmental contaminants. Our algae oil DHA and EPA has the highest concentration and is widely chosen by pregnant women. Do you like capsules more? Then the algae oil DHA and EPA capsules are a convenient alternative.

When to take omega-3 during pregnancy?

Wondering when is the best time to start taking omega-3 during pregnancy? It is wise to supplement your omega-3 status even before you want to get pregnant. In the last 3 months of pregnancy and first months after birth, your baby's brain grows the most. The unborn child then withdraws omega-3 from your body.

Even after pregnancy, you continue to need omega-3. During breastfeeding, your baby gets omega-3 DHA through breast milk. So it is important to continue with adequate omega-3 after pregnancy.

Omega-3 pregnancy dosage

How much omega-3 during pregnancy is recommended? The recommended daily intake for when you are pregnant is 250-400 mg of DHA per day. But the omega-3 dosage for pregnancy is also customized. As omega-3 specialists, we believe the dosage should depend on your current omega-3 status. That is the amount of omega-3 in your body. When can you definitely use omega-3?

1. You eat little or no oily fish (herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines).
2. You eat vegetarian or vegan.

Actually, if you want to get pregnant, you should start with a good omega-3 status. This can be measured very simply these days with a self-test. An ideal result is an omega-3 status of between 8 and 11. This is the percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in all cell membranes. Of these, the DHA status should then be at least 5.

In practice, we see that most people fall far short of this. That is why some kind of catch-up dose should be taken first. You understand that this will have to be higher than the 250- 400 mg DHA per day. That is why we generally recommend liquid products, because it is easier to take a high dose. 

Frequently asked questions about omega-3 pregnancy

You may see on the packaging, "Consult an expert when pregnant." If so, can you use the product? This indeed seems confusing. Omega-3 is actually good for pregnant women, but in the Netherlands it is required by law to put this text on every dietary supplement. The government wants vulnerable groups to think carefully when making decisions about their health.

With omega-3 supplements during pregnancy, this is actually strange, because they are actually a welcome addition to our omega-3-deficient Western diet. So you can confidently take omega-3 fish oil if you want to get pregnant or are pregnant! The same goes for omega-3 capsules during pregnancy.

Buy Omega-3 for pregnancy

At Arctic Blue, you can buy omega-3 products for pregnancy by the bottle or with a convenient subscription. Ideal if "pregnancy brain" makes you keep forgetting to order new fish oil! You have a choice of liquid fish oil and omega-3 capsules, both suitable for omega-3 during pregnancy.

Do you still have questions about omega-3 pregnancy? Or would you like to know which product is best for your situation? Feel free to contact us. As omega-3 specialists, we're happy to help!

*Approved EFSA health claims. The beneficial effect is obtained with an additional daily intake of 200 mg DHA in addition to the recommended daily intake for omega-3 fatty acids for adults (250 mg DHA and EPA).