Calcium and Vitamin D Go Together Like Bees and Honey.
How So? Calcium builds strong bones (and teeth) and vitamin D helps absorb calcium.
Why Is Getting Enough Calcium & Vitamin D During Pregnancy So Important?
- Because, in addition to building strong fetal bones and teeth, calcium and vitamin D help guard against preterm labor (labor before 37 weeks) and preeclampsia (a condition characterized by pregnancy-induced hypertension and protein in the urine).
- Doctors, therefore, recommend that pregnant women take 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day.
- The jury is still out, though, on what the optimal daily dose of vitamin D should be for pregnant women. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women take at least 600 international units (IU) of supplemental vitamin D per day.1 However, some experts recommend taking higher daily doses of vitamin D (up to 4,000 IU) during pregnancy. Ask your doctor how much vitamin D they think you should take each day.
PediaTrivia: Roughly 40% of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D.2
PediaTips
1. If your prenatal vitamin doesn’t contain enough calcium or vitamin D to meet the daily requirements during pregnancy, don’t worry. Just take a combined calcium and vitamin D supplement in addition to your prenatal vitamin. Run this by your doctor, though, first.
2. To maximize the amount of calcium you absorb, do the following:
- Take your prenatal vitamin and calcium supplement at different times.
- Wash down your calcium supplement with orange juice. Why? Because the vitamin C in orange juice promotes calcium absorption.
The Bottom Line
Taking adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D during pregnancy will decrease your risk of preeclampsia & preterm labor and help your developing baby build strong bones & teeth.
