Calcium and Magnesium During Pregnancy

A Nutrition Primer for Optimal Health While Pregnant

Calcium and magnesium are extremely important for pregnant and lactating women, as I'm sure you are aware. What you may not know, however, is that taking adequate amounts of calcium and magnesium during pregnancy can actually decrease your risk of osteoporosis later in life. It can also optimize blood pressure levels during pregnancy and increase your pain tolerance threshold, making for a more comfortable delivery.

Let's discuss the benefits of calcium during pregnancy, the part magnesium plays in the body's ability to properly use calcium and what foods are high in calcium.

Benefits of Calcium During Pregnancy for Optimal Health

Calcium is one of the most important nutrients for optimum health during pregnancy. A pregnant or lactating woman needs between 1,600--2,000mg of calcium each day, but research has shown most American women only consume about 600mg each day from their diets, due to improper food choices. Calcium has benefits to optimize health during pregnancy for both mother and baby.

In the mother, calcium helps keep blood pressure in check and decreases her risk of preeclampsia, a condition of late pregnancy. Calcium also helps a mother regulate her sleep patterns, thus minimizing or eliminating leg cramps that plague many pregnant women. This is one reason why it can be good to take your calcium and magnesium supplement at night before bed.

For the baby, optimal health is achieved when 200--300mg of calcium is deposited each day into the baby's skeleton during the last trimester. A similar amount of calcium is delivered via breast milk after birth. Optimal levels of calcium intake by the mother also help the infant regulate his blood pressure levels once he is born.