Zita West Vital DHA with Omega 3 for Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Vitafem and Pregnancy Plan are excellent multivitamins and minerals but they don’t contain the essential fatty acids you need. By taking Vital DHA alongside them, you will help to ensure you are optimally nourished when you get pregnant.

VitalDHA will help with hormone balance and egg production for conception as well as increasing your reserves of DHA to the benefit of your growing baby when you become pregnant.

It is sensible to incorporate fatty fish into your diet if you can. However, you would have to eat an awful lot of it to get the equivalent dosages delivered by the supplement. Unfortunately, as you may be aware, the FSA (Food Standards Agency) has recently had to warn women who are pregnant, or who are trying to get pregnant, to restrict their consumption of fresh tuna (the most popular of the oily fishes in the modern diet) due to concerns over the high levels of mercury found in some tuna fished from contaminated waters. VitalDHA does not contain any tuna but is produced from mixed, deep-sea, oily fish (using a process which removes any possible pollutants) and is biochemically screened for extra safety too.

Zita West recommend that both men and women should ideally start to take a DHA supplement three to four months in advance of trying to conceive; but it is still worthwhile starting at any time prior to conception, or during pregnancy, for women. 8 out of 10 women enter pregnancy deficient in this essential fatty acid. It is important to take some form of DHA supplementation so that you can build your reserves for your developing baby. DHA supplementation has an important role to play for men too. It is thought that over 40% of cases of sub-fertility or infertility are now due to male factor problems (such as low quality sperm or low sperm motility) where deficiencies in DHA may be a contributory influence.

The benefits of taking folic acid or another equivalent form of Folate are now widely known, particularly its role in minimising the chance of anomalies with babies’ spines. And DHA is starting to get lots of recognition and press as well. A good maternal supply of DHA is crucial throughout pregnancy, particularly during the first 12-16 weeks of pregnancy when your baby’s brain and nervous systems are starting to develop. It’s important during the third trimester too (28 – 40 weeks) as this is when maximum brain development occurs. 70% of the nourishment your baby consumes during this period goes towards it.

No, but research suggests 700 – 1000mg per day is what is needed to maximise this vital nutrient for your baby.

It is best to maintain the recommended dosage on the product. 2 capsules provides 450mg of DHA per day.

Health experts around the world now agree on the importance of DHA both during pregnancy and the post-natal period.

Vital DHA is produced from the oils of mixed, deep-sea fish, sourced from clean waters using only dolphin friendly techniques to harvest the fish. The product is made from highly refined oils (using a process which removes any possible pollutants) and is biochemically screened for extra safety too, so there is no risk of contamination. Given the concerns that have been raised about excess levels of mercury in fresh tuna and the risks this could pose for women who are trying to get pregnant or who are pregnant, there is all the more reason to consider using a good DHA supplement to cover your nutritional needs during this critical period. Does not contain any tuna oil.

Your growing baby cannot manufacture his or her own DHA, so he or she has to rely on your diet and your sources. In all likelihood this will be from your richest source – your brain. So far as we know there is no research to link memory loss directly with depleted levels of DHA, but it certainly seems possible that DHA deficiency may be an underlying cause.