If you're trying to conceive, you may be looking for a food or supplement that will help you do so faster. Alternately, you may be looking for supplements that will help to promote the health of your embryo, once you become pregnant. Fish oil contains many healthful compounds that won't help get you pregnant, but could positively impact your baby.
Conception
Getting pregnant requires that a healthy sperm come in contact with a healthy egg during a narrow window of time -- about 24 hours -- after you've ovulated. Because sperm only have a lifetime of about three days in the woman's body, this requires carefully timed intercourse. Furthermore, sperm meeting egg isn't the only requirement for becoming pregnant. The fertilized egg must implant in the uterine lining, and must develop normally.
Role of Nutrition
While there's no one food, vitamin or supplement that can help you get pregnant faster, following a healthy diet can help ensure your eggs are healthy and that you'll be able to carry a developing embryo to term if you conceive. Fish oil has a role in a healthy diet. The oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory in nature, explain Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in their book "You: Having A Baby." Fish oil also contains DHA -- docosahexaenoic acid -- which your developing fetus uses to build brain cells.
Concerns
If you've heard that you need to avoid certain fish -- particularly during pregnancy -- because of the risk of mercury contamination, you don't need to be concerned about fish oil. The fish that contain dangerous levels of mercury, a neurotoxin, are generally larger predator fish. Smaller fish, mostly sardines and anchovies, go into making fish oil. "The New York Times" reported in March 2009 that commercially available fish oil tablets don't have dangerous levels of mercury in them.
General Guidelines
If you're trying to conceive and want to start taking fish oil supplements, talk to your obstetrician or primary care physician first. Your doctor can help you decide whether you should take fish oil, how much to take, and whether you need other supplements or dietary changes in addition. If you are under 30 years of age and haven't conceived within a year of "trying" -- that is to say, making a concerted effort to do so -- you should see your doctor for a check up.
References
- "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth"; Miriam Stoppard, M.D.; 2008
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
- "The New York Times"; The Claim: Fish Oil Supplements Can Contain Mercury; Anahad O'Connor; March 2009
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