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Calcium promotes your baby’s bone structure development, which continues throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy. In fact, in a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, infants of moms who took 2,000 milligrams of calcium supplements per day during their second and third trimesters were born with 15 percent greater bone density than newborns whose mothers took placebos. Scientists suspect that the greater calcium stores may protect your baby against adult osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

In addition, if you don’t provide enough calcium to your baby, he or she will leech it from you, depleting your own calcium stores, which maintain your own bone density, and potentially setting you up for osteoporosis later in life.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women increase their typical intake of dairy products to three servings of milk, yogurt and cheese daily to receive an adequate amount of calcium. Don’t rely on your prenatal vitamins; they typically contain only 300 milligrams of calcium, so it’s important to include dairy products and foods rich in calcium.

Interestingly, pregnancy naturally creates conditions in which you store more calcium than in pre-pregnancy; less is lost when you use the bathroom. However, this is just Mother Nature’s way of helping; she’s relying on you to do most of the work.

Excellent sources of calcium include dairy products, soy milk, fish, tofu, almonds, and oatmeal. If you are like me and find milk gross while pregnant, try switching to orange juice fortified with calcium during the day. For breakfast, make oatmeal with milk instead of water.

References:

www.childbirthsolutions.com

What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Third Edition. By Heidi Murkoff (Author), Arlene Eisenberg (Author), Sandee Hathaway (Author)

Tags: bone development, calcium, Pregnancy