A balanced diet during pregnancy plays an almost decisive role in the full development of the baby. But sometimes this is not enough to cover all the needs of a woman’s body in vitamins and minerals. In this case, the doctor may recommend a pregnant woman taking various dietary supplements. It is to their number that fish oil belongs. During pregnancy, it should be taken only as directed by a doctor. We will tell you in what dosage and how it is useful for a future mother and child in our article.
Is it possible to fish oil during pregnancy: indications for use
This product has been known to many people since Soviet times. Fish oil is a fat supplement, the components of which have high biological activity. Outwardly, the product resembles a thick vegetable oil with a characteristic fishy taste and smell. In fact, this is the real fat - the extraction of large cod fish from the liver. In the Soviet years, this fat supplement was prescribed to all children and schoolchildren without exception with the goal of preventing rickets and other dangerous diseases. But if everything is more or less clear with children, then the question of whether you can drink fish oil during pregnancy or not, is still controversial.
Indeed, in the annotation for preparations containing fish oil, it is indicated that it is not recommended for pregnant women. Therefore, it is forbidden to take a fat supplement on your own, and this should only be done as prescribed by a doctor. Indications for taking fish oil during pregnancy are:
- the absence in the diet of the expectant mother of seafood;
- intrauterine growth retardation;
- increased risk of developing late toxicosis (gestosis);
- a history of pregnancy that ended in miscarriage;
- Prevention of preterm birth.
It is worth noting that drugs with the appropriate composition are prescribed only in the absence of a woman's contraindications.
Chemical composition and nutritional value
Fish oil is a source of vitamins A, E and D, trace elements, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids. It contains in optimal quantity all those substances that are necessary to maintain the heart, strengthen blood vessels, and the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system as a whole. In addition to omega-3, the composition of fish oil includes oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic and other fatty acids. All of them are very important for a woman’s body, as they help strengthen immunity, improve metabolism, normal development of the fetus and the course of pregnancy in general.
Fish oil is not only extremely healthy product, but also very high-calorie. Its 100 g contains 570 mg of pure cholesterol. That is why it should be taken only after consultation with a doctor, taking into account the existing contraindications.
What is the benefit of fish oil for the fetus?
Most doctors find it advisable for a pregnant woman to get omega-3 fatty acids not only with food, but also in addition. Fish oil contributes to the normal development of the fetus in the womb, as well as:
- improves blood flow to the placenta, thereby providing the baby with all the necessary nutrients;
- reduces the risk of allergic reactions in the baby after birth;
- has a positive effect on the cerebral cortex, improving the mental abilities of the baby;
- provides prevention of rickets long before the birth of crumbs.
Thus, according to the doctor's prescription during pregnancy, fish oil can be drunk and even needed, since this contributes to the normal intrauterine development of the fetus. In addition, a fat supplement will be beneficial for a nursing mother. It is believed that fish oil helps to increase lactation and improve the quality of milk.
Product benefits for the expectant mother
It is no secret that a woman during the period of bearing a baby greatly decreases immunity and increases the risk of developing colds, viral, infectious and other diseases. To prevent these conditions, doctors often prescribe fish oil for their patients during pregnancy. We can say with confidence that it is very useful for the expectant mother, as it helps:
- increase immunity;
- lowering blood cholesterol;
- improving the condition of hair and nails;
- normalization of the cardiovascular system and improve blood circulation;
- enhanced production of the hormone of joy - serotonin;
- preventing the development of gestosis (late toxicosis);
- reduce the risk of miscarriage.
Fish oil is prescribed for pregnant women in order to make up for the omega-3 deficiency in the body, which is especially acute during childbearing.
Contraindications
Fish oil can be called a powerful and effective remedy for many diseases. And if in the post-Soviet countries it is used as a fat supplement, then in the USA the same product has long been registered as a drug. That's why fish oil during pregnancy, despite all its benefits, should be taken only according to indications.
Women in position should not be used in the following cases:
- with renal failure and other kidney diseases;
- with abnormalities in the endocrine system and impaired thyroid function;
- with pancreatitis and diseases of the gallbladder;
- when diagnosing an open form of tuberculosis.
Fish oil should not be taken simultaneously with a complex of vitamins, which already includes omega-3. Otherwise, it may lead to hypervitaminosis.
Possible harm from use
During pregnancy, fish oil should be taken with caution, as it can cause the following side effects:
- lowering or increasing blood pressure;
- nausea
- decreased appetite;
- constipation;
- headaches;
- depressed.
Doctors associate the harm from the use of fish oil with a high content of vitamin A, which tends to accumulate in the body, causing fetal malformations. That is why it is so important to avoid overdose of the drug.
In what form and in what dosage should you take fish oil
Many people from childhood remember the specific taste of fish oil. It was usually given to kids in kindergarten and schoolchildren in liquid form, a teaspoon every day. Drinking it was very unpleasant. Today, in any pharmacy, you can buy fish oil in capsules. During pregnancy, this form of vitamin is considered optimal, especially in the early stages, when a spoonful of unpleasant taste of the drink can easily cause another attack of nausea. Another advantage of the capsules is that they are more convenient to take, since it is almost impossible to mix the dosage and pour more medication into the spoon than it should be.
How often and for how long to take fish oil, the doctor must say. The usual dosage is 1 capsule 3 times a day for 2-3 months. It is recommended to take the drug immediately after eating, drinking the medicine with enough water. The optimal time for taking fish oil is the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
Fish oil at different stages of pregnancy
In most cases, drugs containing omega-3 acids are prescribed to women in the II or III trimesters of pregnancy. It is advisable to take fish oil in the early stages, that is, in the first 12 weeks of gestation, in cases where the previous pregnancy of the woman ended in miscarriage, anembryony or there is a risk of termination of the current pregnancy. In this case, taking medications prescribed by your doctor will increase the chances of a successful outcome.
If pregnancy proceeds normally, you can take fish oil from the 20th week. Such a drug is prescribed for prevention and at the initial stage of gestosis. The first symptoms of this dangerous condition are: swelling, increased blood pressure, nausea and dizziness. In addition, the intake of a fat supplement in the second trimester of pregnancy is indicated for those women whose screening results revealed a delay in fetal development. In this case, fish oil improves blood flow between the placenta and the baby, as a result of which the fetus begins to receive more oxygen and the nutrients it needs.
Advice
Before you start drinking fish oil during pregnancy, you must familiarize yourself with the following rules:
- The intake of any medications and dietary supplements should be discussed with your doctor in advance.
- Fish oil, like most other vitamins, should be taken in a course, and not on an ongoing basis, since the product tends to accumulate in the body. This is fraught with side effects for the fetus.
- Fish oil should be taken during or after meals. This will avoid pain in the stomach and provide the most complete assimilation of the vitamin in the body.
- Do not take fish oil simultaneously with other complexes, which already contain vitamins A and D.
Do I need to take fish oil when planning pregnancy
A modern woman is more responsible in the process of conceiving a child. Even at the stage of pregnancy planning, she passes all the necessary tests and, on the recommendation of a doctor, begins taking vitamins, for example folic acid, which prevents the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus. At the same time, you must adhere to a proper and balanced diet, include in your diet more fresh vegetables and fruits, meat and fish.
Reception of fish oil when planning pregnancy, as well as other vitamins, it is recommended to start 2-3 months before the proposed conception. This will strengthen the immunity of the expectant mother and increase the chances of a successful conception and safe bearing of the baby. According to medical statistics, women who took fish oil at the planning stage in more than 60% of cases gave birth to completely healthy children, and their pregnancy passed without any complications.
Reviews of pregnant women
Until now, doctors have not been able to agree on whether it is worth taking fish oil during pregnancy. Reviews of women who drank it in the process of bearing a baby are also quite contradictory. They come down to the following:
- Not all pregnant women were able to drink fish oil. Some minutes later after taking an attack of nausea, and others - pain in the stomach or pancreas.
- Women who took fish oil in the second trimester noted that their children developed much faster than their peers. This means that omega-3 really improves the brain and increases the mental abilities of the child in the future.
- Reception of fish oil after the 35th week of pregnancy improves skin elasticity. Women who were prescribed vitamin III in the third trimester noted that they managed to avoid birth gaps.
Most women are surprised that in the annotation to fish oil preparations, one of the contraindications for taking is pregnancy. They believe that it is necessary to take it without fail, since it is necessary for the normal bearing and development of the fetus.