Pregnancy drains a woman's calcium stores. Learn how much calcium your body needs and how to meet the daily requirments.
During the last three months of pregnancy, calcium intake is crucial because the baby's bones are developing. Babies in utero always take the nutrients they need from their mothers, whether or not they leave anything for their mother’s bodies to use. If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet your baby will be fine in terms of bone and teeth development because the baby will mobilize your own stores of calcium; but relying on your own calcium stores to build your baby’s bones can be detrimental to you in the long run. You can develop osteoporosis later in life if you don’t consume enough calcium for both you and your growing baby.
The recommended daily allowance of calcium for a pregnant woman is 1200 mg, slightly more than what you get from a quart of milk. If you’re a big milk fan, you’re in luck. Drinking milk is the easiest way to meet your calcium recommended daily allowance. But a quart of milk a day is a lot, especially if you don’t particularly like milk. So don’t panic if you hate milk; there are other ways to bulk up the calcium in your diet.
One cup of yogurt provides the same amount of calcium as one cup of milk (302 mg). Other dairy products providing a significant amount of calcium include Swiss cheese (260 mg per ounce), jack cheese (210 mg per ounce), cottage cheese (115 mg per ½ cup), and ice cream (176 mg per cup). It’s good to know you can rationalize eating all that ice cream while you’re pregnant.
Non-dairy foods containing calcium include collard leaves (270 mg per ¾ cup), broccoli (160 mg per stalk), okra (150 mg per cup), and acorn squash (108 mg per cup).
Of course, you ought to be taking a prenatal vitamin during your entire pregnancy and also while you’re breastfeeding. But don’t rely on your prenatal vitamin to provide your bones with enough strengthening calcium. Researchers have proven that vitamins and minerals gleaned from whole foods provide more benefits than vitamins and minerals gleaned from supplements.
Along with your calcium intake, make sure you get enough vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption. Ten to twenty minutes a day in the sunlight will give you enough vitamin D to provide adequate calcium absorption. So spend your lunch break in the sun or take a walk (an excellent exercise for pregnant women) in the afternoon sun.
And lastly, all women, but especially pregnant women, should become involved in some type of weight-bearing exercise, which increases bone strength and decreases risk of osteoporosis. Ideally, women should begin a weight-bearing exercise program before they become pregnant. If you’re already pregnant, consult your physician before embarking on a new weight lifting or resistance exercise program.
So don’t let that baby drain you of your calcium stores. You need your 1200 mg every day to ward off osteoporosis and have strong teeth and bones. There’s no need to overdo it, though. You won’t gain any added benefit from drinking two quarts of milk per day.
By : Rachel Tolman Terry
