DHA During Pregnancy: How Much Is Enough?

The number most doctors will give you is 200 to 300 mg of DHA a day. ACOG recommends that range, and it’s a lot more doable than it sounds.

Picture Your Week

Say you have salmon on Tuesday and tuna salad on Friday. Maybe some sardines on toast if you’re feeling brave. That’s already a solid week of DHA for pregnancy, and you didn’t need a spreadsheet to get there. The FDA suggests two to three servings of low-mercury fish a week, and most moms find that’s the easiest way to stay in the zone.

Why It Matters

Your baby uses DHA to build their brain and eyes. Your body can’t make much of it, so it has to come from what you eat or take. The demand shoots up in the third trimester, but there’s no need to wait until then. Of all the pregnancy supplements out there, this is one of the few with real backing from groups like ACOG and the WHO.

When Fish Is Out of the Question

Some days even the smell of fish is too much, and that’s fine. Plenty of moms go through this, especially early on. You can take an algae-based DHA supplement instead. It’s the same DHA fish get from algae, so nothing is lost, and it works well if you’re vegetarian too. Flax and chia are nice to eat, but your body turns them into DHA very slowly, so don’t count on them to do the job.

Read the Label

This is where people slip up. The front of the bottle says “omega-3,” but the number you need is the DHA amount on the back. Lots of prenatal vitamins have only a little, and some have none. If yours falls short, you can add a separate one. Pick a brand that’s been third-party tested, and skip cod liver oil, because too much vitamin A isn’t safe during pregnancy. If fish oil makes you queasy, take it with a meal or at night.

One more thing. Don’t go much past 300 mg without asking your doctor. More isn’t better here.

Common Questions