Motivation to Get Your Calcium

Most of us have heard that our babies will get the calcium they need from us, though it may hurt our long term bone and dental health. This may make mothers less motivated to get extra calcium in during pregnancy—most of us don’t think very much about the health of our bones at this point of our lives. However, if babies need to get calcium from our bones and teeth, it may not just be calcium that they get—our bones are where we store up the lead we have been exposed to over time. Lead can cross the placental barrier, and there is no safe level of exposure.

Consuming enough calcium is the best way to protect your baby from any potential exposure to bioaccumulated lead from years past. The Food and Nutrition Board recommends consuming at least 1000 mg of calcium during pregnancy and lactation. Here’s one of my favorite combinations to meet this requirement:

16 oz decaf latte: 600 mg

Spinach and Monterrey Jack Quesadilla: 320 mg

1 cup strawberries: 23 mg

½ cup carrots: 22 mg

1 cup broccoli: 45 mg

If you don’t eat dairy products or consume calcium-rich fish, getting adequate calcium can be especially challenging. Be sure to look for calcium-fortified drinks like some orange juices and some soy milk. If you can tolerate milk, but just aren't crazy about it, go for chocolate milk or hot cocoa. The chocolate only prevents a small amount of the calcium from being absorbed.

Don't lick the spoon.

When a wooden spoon covered in chocolate chip cookie dough is in my hand, I have trouble remembering this one. While always a serious concern, salmonella is even more important to avoid when pregnant. Salmonella (frequently caused by consuming foods containing raw eggs) can cause miscarriage or premature labor. If you are having a powerful cookie dough craving, try making an egg-free cookie dough. Here’s one example:

Mix together (you can vary the proportions):
Peanut butter
Chocolate chips
Oats
Tiny pinch salt (if using salt-free peanut butter)
Brown sugar
Roll into balls and keep in the fridge. You can also add wheat germ, ground flax seed, sunflower seeds, or dried fruit.

Don’t feel bad about not eating liver.

Liver is an excellent source of iron, but with current practices in the animal industry, it should be avoided by pregnant women in the first half of pregnancy due to high levels of retinol (Vitamin A) typically added to increase animal productivity and reproduction. You might be thinking “aren’t I supposed to be increasing vitamin A?” You would generally be right, but excessive vitamin A in the form of retinol can be toxic to your developing baby. (A serving of liver has 18 times the amount of vitamin A recommended for pregnant women). You should also pass on the cod liver oil, unless specifically recommended by your doctor or midwife. The risk of teratogenic effects from retinol passes after the first half of pregnancy, and at any point in pregnancy, you don’t need to worry about getting too much Vitamin A through vegetable sources, eggs, or dairy products.

Nutrition in Pregnancy Survey

I've created a survey about nutrition in pregnancy as a part of a public health nutrition class. If you are currently pregnant or planning/hoping to become pregnant soon, and would like to participate, click below:
Click here to take survey

I'll soon be posting about nutritional concerns that come up through the survey.

Thanks so much!