Omega 3 - how much to take?

Stefaniepr

I meant to post this over here, but realized I accidently posted over on 3rd tri.  I've been taking prenatal Omega 3 throughout my pregnancy.  The bottle says that each capsule has 850mg in it and the directions say to take 2 a day. 

When I asked my doctor how much I should be taking, she said the research regarding pregnancy and omega 3 is fairly new and there aren't a lot of hard facts about how much to take.

I've googled a bunch and can't seem to find any consistancy.  One site says to take at least 1600mg a day, while another said not to exceed 300mg.  Does anyone have any good info  on this? 

mfc2b4

Omega 3 contains DHA and EPA ( the ingredients that are helpful for heart protection).  It is my understanding that the DHA is what is important during pregnancy. So I just take the Expecta DHA. Each softgel has 200 mg of DHA...and I take one a day. So if you are going to take a normal omega 3 tablet, look under the ingredient section. most good omega-3s have the dha and epa listed seperately. Make sure you are getting 200mg/day of DHA.

CMDR513

I took Expecta once a day throughout.

jmurach

Same here....I take one Expecta a day. My ob's office gave me a free sample pack when I went in for my first appointment so I just stuck with it.

Stefaniepr

mfc2b4:

Omega 3 contains DHA and EPA ( the ingredients that are helpful for heart protection).  It is my understanding that the DHA is what is important during pregnancy. So I just take the Expecta DHA. Each softgel has 200 mg of DHA...and I take one a day. So if you are going to take a normal omega 3 tablet, look under the ingredient section. most good omega-3s have the dha and epa listed seperately. Make sure you are getting 200mg/day of DHA.

Mine has 250mg of DHA and 300mg of EPA in each pill.  The directions on th back of the bottle say to take 2 daily though.  I think I'll just stick to my one per day.

Thanks!

 

CalinsBride

I take prenatal omega 3s, and I take two a day. But for me it was either that or anti-depressants. I'm not sure if it is actually totally "safe", but it was safer than what I was taking before.

NDwife07

My supplements contain 1200 mg, which I take daily. My doc said that was reasonable. And yes, do make sure you're getting one with DHA.

Trader Joe's, if you have one near you, has by far the cheapest omega-3/DHA supps I've found.

MidwestTexan

I take the One A Day prenatal vitamins...there are 2 pills, one of which contains omega 3 (200mg of DHA).

amber_tynan

My midwife suggested Expecta DHA just as others have said.  She suggested this particular one because I am a vegetarian and don't eat fish.  It's once a day with a meal and I find that if I have to take something multiple times per day I'll always forget one of them!

EdwardsRUs

Because I'm high risk, my insurance company has assigned me a special nurse to check-in with me and help me out throughout the pregnancy.  We were just discussing Omega-3 the other day and her advice was to take 200 - 300 mg per day. 

I hope this helps!