Calcium and Pregnancy: Ensuring Bone Health for You and Your Unborn Child

Sufficient calcium intake is vital throughout life to prevent osteoporosis and other health risks, but this essential mineral is even more important during pregnancy. Although the recommended daily intake of calcium does not change during pregnancy, and remains at 1,000 mg, pregnancy puts a woman at greater risk of calcium deficiency for one primary reason.

During pregnancy, your baby's bones and teeth are being formed. If you do not receive sufficient levels of calcium during this time, the calcium your baby needs will be pulled directly from your bones. Fortunately, during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, your body is able to absorb more calcium from dietary sources than usual. For women who eat a variety of calcium-rich foods, dietary intake should be sufficient to support the needs of both mom and baby. However, if you are like most women, your diet may be inadequate to provide the level of calcium you require.

Most women only receive about 700 mg of calcium each day through diet. Moreover, many supplements contain less than one-third of the recommended daily amount of calcium for women between the ages of 19 and 50 years. Prenatal vitamins are often not a reliable source of calcium, either, and their use during pregnancy may lead many women to erroneously believe their calcium needs are being met.

Ways to Ensure Your Calcium Need are Being Met

To reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, and to ensure that your baby has enough calcium available to develop healthy teeth and bones, you must make certain that you take in enough calcium before, during, and after your pregnancy. Calcium is also important during breastfeeding, as your baby’s calcium needs will continue to be met before yours.

Food sources of calcium are varied and plentiful, and include dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, tofu, and fortified foods such as orange juice and cereals. A healthy, varied diet will also ensure that you receive adequate levels of vitamin D and magnesium, two minerals that are important in the proper absorption and processing of calcium by the body.

If dietary sources of calcium are insufficient, whether due to allergies, pregnancy complications, or other factors, calcium supplements can assist in meeting your daily calcium requirements. To get the greatest benefit from your calcium supplement, opt for a product that contains calcium carbonate, which has the highest percentage of the most readily absorbed type of calcium - elemental calcium. Additionally, it is absolutely vital to avoid calcium supplements containing dolomite or bone meal, as these products have been known to contain lead, arsenic, mercury, and other toxins that can pose a serious threat to the health of both you and your unborn child.

Discuss other methods of meeting your calcium needs during pregnancy with your obstetrician or family doctor, and follow any directions given by your doctor carefully.