Diet and pregnancy, the importance of dairy
Calcium helps the development of the baby’s bones, and also other organs of your body, so it is very important to eat a diet rich in calcium during pregnancy.
If it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet throughout our lives, there are times when this becomes essential. A power right during pregnancy is not only important for the mother and fetus, but also for the future development of the baby. Hence, the need to control what is eaten is emphasized and special emphasis is placed on the advisability of consuming products that provide vitamins and minerals, such as dairy products, a source of calcium.
Calcium is one of the essential nutrients during pregnancy because it helps the development of the baby. It helps to strengthen your bones and teeth, but it also helps you have a heart rate and blood clotting within normalized standards. And it is not only important for him, but also for the mother herself, who with calcium reduces the risk of suffering episodes of hypertension or pre-eclampsia .
Hence, sometimes you have seen that pregnant women are not only recommended to consume products rich in calcium, such as milk and all its derivatives, but also nutritional supplements added to their diet so that their levels are correct, in favor of well-being of the mother and the baby itself.
Index
HOW MUCH CALCIUM TO TAKE
When a woman gets pregnant, some of her main questions revolve around diet: will I get enough iron? Is it good to consume whole milk? How much calcium should I take? In the case of a pregnant woman, the most generalized recommendation speaks of 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day and doctors point out that this ration should not be restricted to nine months of gestation, but that it would be advisable to apply it before and after. And if you breastfeed, it is even suggested to go up to 1,500 milligrams a day.
This does not mean that a pregnant woman has to obsess and measure to the millimeter the amount of calcium she takes per day. It is something that, in case you are concerned, you can consult your doctor so that he can determine if he is consuming the calcium necessary for the fetus to develop normally and the mother herself to enjoy good health.
IT IS RECOMMENDED TO TAKE 3 DAIRY PRODUCTS A DAY
MAIN SOURCE OF CALCIUM
Dairy is the main source of calcium and generally the easiest way to consume it. Milk, cheese or yogurt are some of the foods richest in calcium and also part of a regular diet. Hence, it is not difficult to reach the recommended consumption standards even during pregnancy, because it can be done even unconsciously.
To get an idea of the calcium that anyone can consume in their diet, we are going to see some examples. A yogurt contains more than 400 milligrams of calcium, slightly less if it is skimmed, a glass of milk exceeds 300 milligrams and a serving of vanilla ice cream slightly less. Cheese, depending on its type, can contain between 200 and 400 milligrams per serving.
When in doubt, in addition to consulting a doctor or nutritionist, it may be interesting to look at the labels of the nutritional values of foods and learn to interpret them. You will appreciate the differences between skim products and those that are not and even between brands although apparently the product is the same.
OTHER FOODS RICH IN CALCIUM
Dairy is the main source of calcium, but not the only one as is often thought. There are another series of foods that have nothing to do with milk and that can report large amounts of calcium during pregnancy. This is the case of sardines -a generous serving can provide 500 milligrams of calcium-, somewhat less but salmon or orange juice also has a lot, with values similar to those of milk.
In this way, during pregnancy, you do not have to obsess over eating dairy to achieve a good level of calcium, but it can be achieved by consuming other types of foods such as certain fish and vegetables. In addition, if even this is not enough, there are nutritional supplements that can make up for a calcium deficiency , as we discussed earlier.
LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
When a woman is lactose intolerant, she has to include alternative products to dairy in her diet that also provide the calcium she needs. Depending on the intolerance, the doctor may choose to give a medicine that allows the pregnant woman to consume milk derivatives in a normal way without suffering the discomfort derived from the intolerance.
Another option is to consume alternative products, such as the ones we discussed above. There is also calcium in vegetables, although at lower levels than in dairy. Or also, as a last resort, it remains to take chemical supplements that provide the extra calcium that is needed during pregnancy.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.