DHA, an ally from pre-conception to breastfeeding

Omega 3 DHA is an ally for all women who want to fulfill their desire for motherhood, and it continues to be one even after that dream has become a reality. Here are its benefits (and how to obtain them) from preconception to breastfeeding. 

Eat milk, yogurt, and cheese if you want to conceive a girl, seafood, tuna, and salmon if you want a boy: these are just some of the tips you might have come across while looking for the best diet to support your goal of becoming a mom.

It’s hard to say if these tips are effective: for now, no definitive proof exists. What is certain, though, is that nutrition plays a role in promoting fertility, and informed dietary choices can support conception, a healthy pregnancy, and breastfeeding.

One particularly important nutrient for women working on their motherhood journey is DHA, one of the Omega 3 fatty acids abundant in fish. Let’s discover its benefits from preconception to breastfeeding, and how to incorporate it into these phases of life.

DHA before conception: the benefits

Before conception, adequate DHA intake helps create an ideal environment to welcome the embryo by improving blood flow to the uterus.

Much of the available data comes from assisted reproductive technology (ART), where aspirin increases pregnancy rates (from 28% to 45%) and doubles embryo implantation rates. Just like aspirin, Omega 3s reduce levels of thromboxanes—molecules that promote blood vessel occlusion. High doses of Omega 3s (4 grams per day), when combined with aspirin, have been associated with increased uterine blood flow.

But that’s not all—experience from ART also indicates that Omega 3s can improve egg cell quality and promote healthy embryo development.

In general, for women undergoing ART:

• higher blood Omega 3 levels are associated with increased likelihood of achieving pregnancy and delivering a live baby;
• Omega 3 supplementation is associated with a higher chance that ART will result in a live birth.

Finally, high inflammation levels are enemies of female fertility; thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties, Omega 3s can support the goal of becoming a mother.

Supporting this is the case of women whose fertility issues are linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that may increase the risk of miscarriage due to an imbalance of inflammatory molecules, which is in turn associated with Omega 3 deficiency.

The general hypothesis is that Omega 3s modulate inflammatory molecules (prostaglandins), improve their ratio to thromboxanes in the uterus, and influence the function of cells in ovarian follicles that support oocyte maturation.

Omega 3s also seem to regulate receptor activity related to inflammation in ovarian follicles and may help balance testosterone levels in PCOS.

The benefits of DHA during pregnancy

After conception, DHA supports both fetal development and maternal health throughout pregnancy.

For the fetus, the benefits mainly concern brain and vision development. DHA is a key component of nerve cell membranes (also present in the eye), affecting their structure and function. This makes having adequate levels essential from conception, and especially from the third trimester onward, when brain development intensifies and DHA needs rise sharply. In fact, during pregnancy, DHA becomes concentrated in the fetus’s blood and tissues—a phenomenon known as “biomagnification.”

For the expectant mother, adequate Omega 3 intake appears to help reduce the risk of major complications, particularly preeclampsia and preterm birth. Again, the benefits are thought to result from Omega 3s’ anti-inflammatory effects and improved placental blood flow. 

Omega 3 intake has also been associated with improved birth weight, while low fish consumption early in pregnancy correlates with a higher risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Gestational diabetes seems to reduce Omega 3 transfer across the placenta and DHA levels in umbilical cord blood; thus, early DHA supplementation is crucial in such cases.

DHA during breastfeeding

Babies continue to need DHA after birth, and DHA levels in breast milk are linked to better cognitive function, language development, and psychosocial well-being. Supplementing DHA supports optimal brain and vision development in full-term infants.

In preterm babies, low DHA levels negatively affect brain function, while in low birth weight infants, adequate intake supports memory and other cognitive development.

Overall, DHA intake by mothers during breastfeeding supports brain and vision development in babies—just as during pregnancy. But the benefits aren’t just for the baby: the mother’s health may also benefit.

Specifically, there is some evidence that DHA may help reduce postpartum depression—a plausible link given DHA’s importance for brain function at all stages of life.

How much DHA before, during, and after pregnancy?

The recommended DHA intake before, during, and after pregnancy is outlined in the LARN (Reference Intake Levels for nutrients and energy) by the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU):

• before conception, all women should get 250 mg/day of DHA + EPA (the other fish-based Omega 3); in more complex cases (e.g., fertility difficulties), higher doses may be needed. In such cases, consultation with a gynecologist and a fertility-focused nutritionist is essential;
• during pregnancy and breastfeeding, an additional 100–200 mg/day of DHA is needed, on top of the baseline 250 mg of DHA + EPA recommended in adulthood; again, only a professional can assess if a higher intake is necessary.

Meeting these needs is key to avoiding a drop in maternal DHA stores, which can be halved and may take up to 6 months to recover. Unfortunately, diet alone makes this challenging: the main DHA source is fatty fish, which may accumulate hazardous substances like mercury—especially risky during pregnancy.

Dietary supplements are a valid solution to ensure adequate DHA intake without exposure to such substances—provided two conditions are met:

• choose high-quality products that ensure no contamination and accurate dosage as declared on the label;
• take pure DHA from marine oils (not only fish but also microalgae, suitable for vegan moms).

You can find the best supplements to meet your Omega 3 needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding by visiting the Omegor Shop!

References:

European Commission. Food and Feed Information Portal Database. Last viewed: April 2025

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Lazzarin N et al. Low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids improve uterine artery blood flow velocity in women with recurrent miscarriage due to impaired uterine perfusion. Fertil Steril. 2009 Jul;92(1):296-300. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.05.045

Melo V et al. Omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - a review of clinical trials and cohort. Endocr Regul. 2022 Feb 18;56(1):66-79. doi: 10.2478/enr-2022-0008 

Nadjarzadeh A, Dehghani Firouzabadi R, Vaziri N, Daneshbodi H, Lotfi MH, Mozaffari-Khosravi H. The effect of omega-3 supplementation on androgen profile and menstrual status in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized clinical trial. Iran J Reprod Med. 2013 Aug;11(8):665-72. PMCID: PMC3941370

Politano CA and Jorge López-Berroa J. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Fecundation, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 2020 Mar;42(3):160-164. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1708090

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Italian Society of Human Nutrition - SINU, 2014. LARN – Reference intake levels for the Italian population: LIPIDS