How many months does it usually take for pregnant women to start taking calcium supplements?

Calcium supplementation is a particularly important step for pregnant women after pregnancy, because once pregnant women are calcium deficient, it will not only affect their own health, but also affect the healthy development of the baby in the body. The following content is for many pregnant women, and it details at which months pregnant women should start taking calcium supplements. You can have a comprehensive understanding of this aspect.

Why do we need calcium supplements?

1. In the second trimester of pregnancy, i.e. the three months of four, five and six, 1000 mg of calcium is needed daily, because the teeth and bones of the fetus begin to develop during this period, and the pregnant woman's calcium requirement increases by 200 mg. In the third trimester of pregnancy, i.e. the three months of seven, eight and nine, the daily calcium requirement reaches 1200-1500 mg. This period is the last period of calcification of the fetus' teeth and bones. The calcium requirement of pregnant women increases by 400-700 mg, nearly doubling, while the calcium intake in the diet is only about 400 mg. Half a pound of milk contains 250 mg, so there is still a shortfall of at least 550 mg of calcium. Therefore, it is more necessary to take calcium tablets to reach the daily required amount, which is beneficial to the calcification of the fetus' teeth and bones.

2. The calcium requirement during lactation is also 1200-1500 mg, which also needs to be supplemented.

3. Pregnancy and childbirth are special physiological periods for women, and the need for calcium is very high. It is generally recommended to take calcium supplements until the end of breastfeeding.

When to supplement calcium?

It is generally recommended to start taking calcium supplements three months after pregnancy, one pill a day, and two pills after six months. Until the end of breastfeeding.

How to supplement calcium?

1. Oral calcium tablets

2. Eat more foods that are rich in calcium or can promote calcium absorption.

For example: milk (human milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, etc.) is rich in calcium and is well absorbed; animal liver, egg yolk, fish, meat and beans are rich in vitamin D, which can promote calcium absorption, but the vitamin D in animals and plants must be converted into endogenous vitamin D through ultraviolet radiation before it can be used by the human body. Seafood such as kelp and shrimp skin are high in calcium; seaweed and cauliflower are also rich in calcium, and eating broad beans with the skin can improve calcium absorption; adding vinegar to bones to make soup can increase calcium, and refined vinegar spareribs are also rich in calcium; deep-frying fish and eating it with the bones can increase the calcium content.

This article details at which months pregnant women should start taking calcium supplements. For many pregnant women, after a comprehensive understanding of the above content, when they need calcium supplements, they must supplement calcium as soon as possible to ensure the needs of their body and the needs of the baby in their body. This will ensure that both themselves and the fetus in their body are not lacking in calcium.