Am I Getting Enough Calcium In My Diet During Pregnancy? Well, nutritional requirements for calcium really do not increase during pregnancy. This means that calcium recommendations stay at the amount of 700mg a day, which is the recommended amount for all adult females in the UK. During pregnancy there is an increased absorption of calcium from foods http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354840/, but it’s still important for mum to make sure she is getting enough in her diet as, if she isn’t getting enough calcium from food, some may be reabsorbed from her bones to support bone growth and development in her growing baby.
Consuming around 3 portions of dairy or alternative foods each day should help to ensure that calcium requirements of 700mg are met during pregnancy. This may be equivalent to:
A 30g piece of cheese and 200grams of plain yogurt alongside around 200mls of milk.
There are plenty of other foods that contain calcium in the diet, therefore the risk of low intakes is reduced as long as you’re eating a varied and well balanced diet. Other sources of calcium include fortified cereals, nuts and seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, fish (especially boned fish), soy and beans, tofu and baked beans.
Some milk alternatives also contain a good amount of calcium but it’s important to choose alternative milks that are specifically fortified with calcium. Most of these milks will say on the front or the back of the pack that calcium has been added.
It’s important to note that many pregnancy multi vitamins do not contain calcium. This is because the formulation of them makes it particularly hard to include a sufficient enough dose of calcium to meet a pregnant woman’s recommended intake. If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, it’s a good idea to talk to a GP or health visitor about how else you might be able to achieve your calcium requirements.
So please read this, as well as my other pregnancy blogs, if you are wondering am I getting enough calcium in my diet during pregnancy. The next set of blog posts can then be all about infants and children!