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How much calcium do I need each day during pregnancy?

How much calcium do I need each day during pregnancy?

The calcium needs of women during pregnancy will increase significantly, not only to meet their own needs, but also to ensure the growth and development of the fetus. When the calcium intake of pregnant women is mildly or transiently insufficient, it will cause a decrease in serum calcium concentration in the body, followed by an increase in the synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone, mobilizing pregnant women to dissolve calcium in the bones and teeth to maintain a normal calcium concentration in the blood, to meet the needs of the fetus for calcium; when a severe or long-term calcium deficiency, pregnant women are susceptible to cramps in the calves or twitching of the hands and feet and other symptoms, and even lead to osteochondral softening and pelvic deformity, and fetuses are also susceptible to congenital rickets due to insufficient calcium intake. The fetus is also prone to congenital rickets due to insufficient calcium intake. Women of childbearing age are in the period of peak bone density formation, if the calcium intake during pregnancy is insufficient, it may have permanent effects on the mother's bone density.

The Dietary Reference Intake of Nutrients for Chinese Residents (2013 Edition) suggests that the appropriate daily intake of dietary calcium during pregnancy is 800 mg in early pregnancy, 1000 mg in mid-pregnancy, and 1200 mg in late pregnancy. This can be supplemented by consuming calcium-rich foods such as milk and dairy products, soy products, etc. Meanwhile, pay attention to moderate outdoor exercise and increase the intake of vitamin D to promote the absorption and utilization of calcium in the body.

Dr. Ma's Health Group, Master Ho Hoi Yung

Thank you for inviting Wu Yibo, a member of the Chinese Popular Science Writers Association, to answer your questions.

To put it simply, pregnant women will consume a lot of calcium in their bodies during pregnancy. For an average pregnant woman, the general daily calcium requirement is around 1500 mg, and usually when pregnant women go to the hospital for maternity checkups, the doctor will give appropriate calcium supplementation advice according to the pregnant woman's own situation.


Every pregnant woman during pregnancyIn order to provide sufficient calcium to the fetus to ensure normal bone growth and development, as well as to maintain their own developmental needs for calcium, will be a large amount of calcium consumption in the bodyTherefore, pregnant women should not only be careful to add more calcium products to their diets, but also take additional calcium preparations and some vitamin complexes in appropriate amounts.

Calcium deficiency in pregnant women can cause cramps in the calves and muscle twitching in the hands and feet, and in severe cases can lead to osteoporosis in pregnant women.Calcium deficiency during pregnancy can also lead to gestational hypertension, or hyperemesis gravidarum.Meanwhile, if a pregnant woman is deficient in calcium, the placental transit of calcium is affected, and the fetus does not absorb enough calcium from the mother, which will result in poor development of the fetus's bones and teeth and intrauterine growth retardation, as a result of which congenital rickets in newborns, edema and decreased immune function in infants may occur.

For the average pregnant woman, the typical daily calcium requirement is roughly 1,500 milligrams.However, because the general dietary structure does not contain enough calcium, pregnant women need an additional supplement of about 600 milligrams to 800 milligrams of calcium carbonate.Note that the dose here refers to the amount of calcium carbonate contained in the calcium tablets.For the time being, calcium carbonate products on the market are better absorbed in the human body, theCalcium supplements with small molecular particles are again more easily absorbed by the body than those with large molecular particles.

General dietary structurePredominantly plant-based foods, with fewer calcium-rich foodsThe ratio of calcium to phosphorus content is severely inverted, which is not conducive to the body's absorption and utilization of calcium, and dietary fiber is high in phytic acid, which also hinders the absorption and utilization of calcium.Both phytic acid and oxalic acid, which are dietary components, can combine with calcium ions in food to form insoluble salts, thus preventing the absorption of calcium from food by the intestines.

Of course, this does not mean that pregnant women should consume less plant foods, but rather add extra calcium products and calcium preparations to their dietary structure. There are many types of calcium preparationsCalcium carbonate, for example, which is better absorbed by the body, as mentioned above, as well as calcium lactate, calcium gluconate and calcium phosphate. There are also bio-calcium preparations made from animal bones, shrimp skins, eggshells and oyster shells.The biggest disadvantage of chemical calcium preparations compared to food and other ways of calcium supplementation is that the body is difficult to absorbIn addition, the animal bone crushed and milled bone powder, bone mud made of higher nutritional value, human absorption and utilization is also good, is also an excellent calcium supplement preparations.

In addition to the calcium preparations available in the market, pregnant women can also choose to eat more calcium-rich foods in their daily life.The most common types of products include milk, cheese, tofu, eggs, seaweed, seaweed, and other egg and dairy products and seafood products.Of course, you should be careful not to overdose on calcium, as this can lead to the formation of stones that the body is unable to absorb.

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additionallySome vitamins promote calcium absorption, the most important being vitamin D and vitamin AD.The main function of vitamin D is to promote the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the mucosa of the small intestine and the reabsorption of calcium and phosphorus from the renal tubules. And vitamin AD is important for bone development and the establishment of immune function.Pregnant women can take calcium supplements along with appropriate vitamin supplements as well, again taking care not to overdose, as adverse effects can also occur.

In short, pregnant women during pregnancy should be reasonable calcium supplement, usually pregnant women go to the hospital for maternity checkups, the doctor will be based on the pregnant woman's own situation to give appropriate calcium supplementation recommendations.

Questions answered by Yumei Liao, Harbin Medical University Reviewed by Yibo Wu

Pregnancy is a complex physiological process, the physiological state of women during pregnancy and the body metabolism has undergone a large adaptive changes to meet the growth and development of the maternal reproductive organs and fetus during pregnancy, but also for the postpartum lactation nutritional reserves. So, how to reasonably supplement calcium during pregnancy? Now I will talk with you about those things about calcium during pregnancy!

early pregnancy

During this period, the fetus is in the stage of differentiation of tissues and organs, and there is only a small amount of calcium deposition, so it is said that pregnant women do not need much calcium in this period. The recommended dose of calcium in early pregnancy is 800mg/day in the Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake for Chinese Residents. Therefore, attention should be paid to calcium supplementation during preparation and throughout pregnancy.

middle and late pregnancy

Into this period, especially after the fetus enters 20 weeks, the fetal bone growth accelerates and the bones begin to calcify, that is to say, in this period of time pregnant women's demand for calcium is increased. Especially in the late stage of pregnancy, if the blood calcium is too low, it will often lead to muscle spasms in pregnant women, such as cramps in the calves. In the "Chinese residents dietary nutrient reference intake" in the middle and late pregnancy calcium recommended dose of 1200mg / day. Therefore, if calcium supplementation from food is insufficient after 20 weeks of pregnancy, then additional calcium supplementation is needed, which is preferable to taking calcium citrate.

The best source of calcium is milk and milk products, and the high calcium content is easily absorbed. For example, 500ml of milk contains 580mg of calcium, followed by soybeans and soybean products, shrimp skin, sesame paste, etc. Therefore, you should eat more of the above foods during pregnancy. In addition, vitamin D can promote the absorption of calcium, so attention should be paid to supplementing vitamin D while supplementing calcium in order to improve the blood calcium value. Calcium supplementation can be started in advance for those who are over 35 years old, have multiple fetuses, multiple pregnancies, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, and vomiting during pregnancy.

Reference: Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2007

The authoritative interpretation of Pharmaceutical Affairs, unauthorized reproduction, plagiarism will be punished.

Calcium deficiency is also a prominent problem during pregnancy, with many expectant mothers experiencing back pain and leg cramps during pregnancy.

The intestinal absorption of calcium is significantly increased after pregnancy, an evolutionary mechanism that may prevent calcium deficiency to some extent. When the dietary calcium intake of pregnant women is insufficient, the calcium "stored" in the bones of pregnant women will be used preferentially by the fetus, which is beneficial for the fetus, but for pregnant women, if there is a calcium deficiency, the first threat is the health of pregnant women. Common symptoms during pregnancy, such as back pain and leg cramps at night, are mostly related to calcium deficiency, which, if left unchecked, may lead to osteoporosis and chondromalacia.

According to the recommended intake of dietary minerals for Chinese residents, the recommended daily intake of calcium in early pregnancy is 800mg, which is the same as that of normal women, while the recommended daily intake in mid- and late-pregnancy needs to be increased by 200mg on the basis of early pregnancy, totaling 1,000mg.

These 1000mg of calcium can be obtained from these foods:

If you are not used to drinking milk or are lactose intolerant consider replacing it with yogurt.

Combination 1:

Combination 2:

Reference: Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2016 Edition

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Calcium deficiency is more likely to occur during pregnancy due to the need for calcium to supply a portion of the fetus, coupled with increased body circulation and lower blood calcium concentration. No less than 1,000 milligrams per month in mid-pregnancy and 1,200 milligrams in late pregnancy. While supplementing calcium, you should also take vitamin D to promote calcium absorption, and you can also take more than one milk supplement for calcium in general.

The point is that you don't get calcium from bone broth!!!! The soup is full of fat!!!

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