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.
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