{"id":10182,"date":"2019-05-15T09:26:03","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T13:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10182\/calcium-during-pregnancy\/"},"modified":"2021-09-26T00:49:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-26T04:49:52","slug":"calcium-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10182\/calcium-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Calcium during pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Getting calcium when you\u2019re pregnant is extremely important for a baby’s development. Fetuses draw from all the food you eat, so the amount of calcium in your diet dictates their rate of cardiovascular, skeletal, and neurological growth. You should be getting about 1000 mg of calcium per day, which is equivalent to 3 or 4 servings of dairy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How does calcium help during pregnancy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

As a fetus’ body develops, calcium is essential for strong bones and a healthy heart. Babies take calcium from mothers\u2019 bones if there is an insufficient amount in the food stream, so a well-rounded diet is particularly important to minimize risk for both mom and child. It is such a fundamental part of your diet that while you\u2019re pregnant, you have an intrinsic ability to absorb more calcium from food, particularly in the second half of pregnancy when bone development is rapid. Calcium also helps prevent bone damage while breastfeeding, when you need extra calcium for breast milk and your body is producing less estrogen to protect your bones.<\/p>\n

Ample calcium during pregnancy is also proven to help protect you against osteoporosis later in life.<\/p>\n

What are some good sources of calcium?<\/strong><\/h4>\n