Healthful dietary fats, such as those found in foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids (fish and seafood, plant, and nut oils), maintain skin hydration and support elasticity and minimize stretching during pregnancy. A common side effect of insufficient Omega-3 intake is dry skin.
Fish and seafood provide pregnant women, as well as developing babies, with high-quality protein and essential Omega-3 fatty acids. However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury, which is toxic in large doses. For this reason, pregnant women are advised to limit their consumption of fish and seafood to low-mercury varieties. Oilier varieties of fish, such as herring, salmon, and sardines, contain more Omega-3.
Fish and Seafood Containing Low Levels of Mercury
- Anchovies
- Clam
- Crab
- Herring
- Oyster
- Pollock
- Salmon (Pacific)
- Sardine
- Squid
- Tilapia
For more low-mercury fish options, see the National Resources Defense Council's Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish, which sources its information from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also be obtained through fish oil supplements. When taking supplements in lieu of eating fish and seafood, make sure that the supplements are certified mercury-free or are made from a specific species of low-mercury fish such as salmon or sardine.
Some varieties of fish are usually too high in mercury contamination to be considered safe during pregnancy. Fish to be strictly avoided during pregnancy include king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish, tuna, and bigeye ahi. In general, the higher up the food chain a fish is, the higher its level of mercury contamination.
Additional Benefits of Omega-3
According to Moss Greene, Nutrition Editor for BellaOnline, the benefits of Omega-3 to women include prevention of pre-eclampsia, lower risk of pre-term birth, support for babies' brain development, reduced risk of postpartum depression, protection from breast cancer, relief from menstrual cramps, improved fertility, reduction in menopause symptoms, protection against osteoporosis, and reduced risk of heart disease.
Additional Practices to Maintain Skin Hydration
In addition to dietary intake of healthful fats, practices for maintaining skin hydration during pregnancy include gaining weight gradually, drinking plenty of water, avoiding excessive sun exposure, and applying a nontoxic skin moisturizer, such as coconut oil, to the belly. When choosing a commercial skin moisturizer, check the label for potentially harmful ingriedients such as phthalates, which disrupt the endocrine system.
Fish and seafood provide essential Omega-3 fatty acids, which maintain hydration of skin and support elasticity and stretching during pregnancy. Low-mercury, oily varieties of fish, such as sardines, salmon, and herring, offer safe and efficient options for optimal maternal nutrition and fetal development.
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