Can I take cod liver oil supplements when I'm pregnant? I've read about the benefits of fish oils and I'm worried I'm not getting enough. Usually I enjoy fish, but now I'm pregnant it seems to make me nauseous.
When you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you shouldn't take supplements containing cod liver oil, or other types of fish liver oil. This is because fish liver oil contains high levels of vitamin A, like liver and liver products such as liver pâtè. If you have too much vitamin A, levels could build up in your body and may harm an unborn baby.
People generally take fish-oil supplements because of the omega 3 fatty acids they contain. These fatty acids can help protect against heart disease. Some people think that having omega 3 fatty acids while you're pregnant can help an unborn baby's cognitive development. But at the moment there isn't enough evidence to draw any firm conclusions.
It's better to eat fish than take fish-oil supplements, because as well as containing omega 3, fish is an excellent source of other nutrients that are good for your health and your baby's development.
We should all try to eat at least two servings of fish a week, including one serving of oily fish, as part of a healthy balanced diet. Oily fish, such as salmon, trout and mackerel, contain more omega 3 than white fish. But generally you should avoid having more than two portions of oily fish a week, because it can contain pollutants called dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
It's important to remember that when you're pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, you should avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin. This is because these types of fish can contain relatively high levels of mercury. You should also limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks (weighing about 140g when cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can).
If you're suffering from nausea, you could try eating fish at a different time of the day when you don't feel so unwell, or try disguising it in other dishes. It often helps if someone else can prepare and cook the food for you! Eating small amounts of food often, rather than large meals, and drinking plenty of fluids can also help to reduce nausea. The good news is that the nausea usually disappears around the 12th to 14th week of pregnancy.
