Q&A: Are You Getting Enough DHA in Pregnancy?

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When it comes to supporting your baby’s brain development, few nutrients get as much attention as DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid. In this episode, we answer a listener’s questions about omega-3s during pregnancy. Learn how much you need, where to get them, and whether a supplement is necessary. Get a breakdown of the difference between ALA, EPA, and DHA, and why the ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 is important. If you consider supplementing your diet with omega-3s, learn what to look for in a high-quality supplement and how to reduce the risks of toxins like PCBs and heavy metals.

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Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Martin.
0:10.4	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast.
0:15.7	In today's episode, we're answering a listener email with some questions about getting enough DHA. When it comes to
0:24.0	supporting your baby's brain development, few nutrients get as much attention as DHA. This is an
0:31.0	essential omega-3 fatty acid. Learn how much DHA you need during pregnancy, where to get it from your diet, and whether you should consider taking a supplement.
0:43.5	We'll talk about the difference between different omega-3s, ALA, EPA, DHA.
0:49.8	We'll discuss why the ratio between omega-3s and omega-6s is important. And if you are considering
0:57.5	supplementing your diet with omega-3s or DHA, learn what to look for in a high-quality supplement
1:04.7	and how to reduce the risk of toxins like PCBs and heavy metals. You can find the complete article and all
1:14.2	of the resources for this episode at Pregnancypodcast.com slash dh.A. You are currently listening to
1:24.7	the public feed of the podcast, which gives you access to the last year
1:28.9	of episodes and content supported by advertisers. Become a pregnancy podcast premium member to get all of the
1:38.1	episodes ad-free and access to hundreds of episodes exclusively available to premium members.
1:45.6	There are hundreds of episodes that take thousands of hours of research and distill information
1:52.0	into short podcast episodes that answer every question you could have about pregnancy or planning
1:58.3	for your birth. Check out pregnancy podcast premium at
2:02.9	pregnancypodcast.com slash premium. You put a lot of thought into preparing for a new baby.
2:11.8	You get all the supplies that you need, you have diapers and all the baby gear, but what are you actually going to do with
2:19.1	your baby when they arrive? New parents love the Pathways.org Baby Milestones app because it
2:26.7	offers the support they need during those early days at home. Those first few days are a significant
2:33.6	adjustment. The app has you covered with a first
2:37.4	week survival guide that has everything you need to know from safe sleeping practices to why
	...

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