How long does it take to supplement calcium during pregnancy?

Expectant mothers during pregnancy often experience a decrease in appetite and often do not want to eat. This is a very serious problem. Pregnant women should not only eat on time, but also pay attention to the comprehensiveness of nutrition. They must not be picky eaters, because the development of the fetus requires the participation of multiple nutrients, including the very important calcium element. Therefore, pregnant women must pay attention to calcium supplementation. How long after pregnancy does it take to need calcium supplementation?

How long does it take to supplement calcium during pregnancy?

When expectant mothers are pregnant, it is very important to take in various nutrients, because this is related to whether the baby in the belly can grow healthily. Some expectant mothers will follow the doctor's advice and take calcium supplements after a certain stage of pregnancy. So how many months into the pregnancy is the best time for expectant mothers to start supplementing calcium? Let’s find out with the editor!

How many months of pregnancy should I start taking calcium supplements?

Pregnant mothers can start taking calcium supplements after three months of pregnancy, because the fetus's bones begin to grow at this time and the amount of calcium needed increases. During the 3rd to 7th month of pregnancy, the reference value for calcium supplementation is 1000 mg per day, including various foods; after the 7th month of pregnancy, it is recommended to supplement 1500 mg of calcium per day.

How to supplement calcium for pregnant women

1. Maintain appropriate amount of outdoor activities: Vitamin D can regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism and promote calcium absorption. Outdoor activities can get more sunlight, and as long as you spend more than half an hour outdoors in sufficient sunlight every day, you can synthesize enough vitamin D. However, overdose may cause side effects such as loss of appetite, fatigue, arrhythmia, nausea, and vomiting.

2. Reduce the intake of oxalic acid: After pregnancy, many pregnant mothers begin to pay attention to eating more vegetables and fruits. However, some astringent vegetables contain oxalic acid, which can combine with calcium in the intestines to form insoluble precipitates, affecting calcium absorption. Therefore, it is recommended that pregnant mothers eat 500-750 grams of vegetables and fruits every day. You can also blanch these vegetables in water to remove the astringency before cooking.

3. Reduce the intake of phytic acid, such as rice and white flour: the phytic acid contained in rice and white flour combines with calcium in the digestive tract to produce phytic acid calcium and magnesium salts that cannot be absorbed by the human body, greatly reducing the body's absorption of calcium. Therefore, pregnant mothers can soak the rice in an appropriate amount of warm water for a while, so that the phytase in the rice will decompose most of the phytic acid; and the phytase secreted by the fermented pasta can also hydrolyze the phytic acid in the flour, avoiding affecting the body's absorption of calcium.

Expectant mothers generally need to supplement calcium in the second half of pregnancy, because as the baby continues to grow, the calcium content in their daily diet can no longer meet the baby's needs. In addition, it is very beneficial for the fetus for expectant mothers to supplement calcium in moderation, but excessive calcium supplementation will have a great impact on the fetus.