How many months of pregnancy is it best to start taking calcium supplements

After a pregnant woman becomes pregnant, one person needs to eat the nutrients for two people. Therefore, the nutrients needed by pregnant women after pregnancy are very many, and the demand for high-quality protein also increases sharply. It is best for pregnant women to actively supplement calcium and zinc after pregnancy. So how many months should pregnant women start supplementing calcium and zinc? When should pregnant women supplement calcium and zinc? How should pregnant women supplement calcium?

1. When should pregnant women start to supplement calcium and zinc

The early stage of pregnancy is the stage of formation of various tissues and organs of the embryo. The health status of the pregnant mother is particularly important for the continued growth and normal development of the fetus. At this time, the calcium requirement of pregnant women is basically the same as that of ordinary people, so there is no need to supplement calcium and zinc.

Calcium and zinc supplementation should start from the second trimester of pregnancy. At this time, pregnant mothers can eat some easily digestible foods, such as cookies, steamed buns, baked cakes, birthday cakes, etc., and eat more water-rich fruits and vegetables to supplement water, vitamin C, B vitamins and calcium, potassium and other carbonates, which can relieve the feeling of pregnancy discomfort.

2. Pregnant women start to supplement calcium and zinc for several months

In the second half of pregnancy, starting around the fourth month of pregnancy, the daily calcium requirement of pregnant women gradually increases to 1000-1200 mg. At this time, the amount of calcium contained in the daily diet can no longer meet the growth needs of the baby, so the remaining calcium must be taken from foods high in calcium or high-quality iron supplements.

The late pregnancy is the fastest growth and development stage of the fetus. The daily calcium intake should exceed 700 mg, and pregnant mothers should eat more calcium-rich foods. At this time, the growth rate of the fetus begins to accelerate, and he needs calcium. The calcium content in the pregnant woman’s daily diet cannot meet his needs, so he "robs" from the pregnant woman’s body. At this stage, pregnant women should eat according to their own physical condition.

3. When should pregnant women supplement calcium and zinc?

Pregnant mothers can start to supplement calcium and zinc after three months of pregnancy, because the fetus's bones begin to grow and develop at this time and need more calcium. From the 3rd to the 7th month of pregnancy, the standard daily calcium and zinc supplement is 1000 mg, including various foods; after the 7th month of pregnancy, it is recommended to supplement 1500 mg of calcium and zinc every day.

However, excessive intake of high-quality protein is not completely harmless to the human body. If pregnant mothers take too much calcium and zinc supplements, high-quality protein will be deposited in the blood vessel walls of the embryo, causing aging and thickening of the placenta, a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid metabolized by the pregnant woman, and a firm fetal head. In this way, the baby cannot get enough nutrition and oxygen provided by the pregnant mother. The heavy head will also delay the delivery process and threaten the health of the baby. Therefore, calcium and zinc supplementation must be scientifically studied, and you must not blindly follow the trend and excessively supplement calcium and zinc. Calcium and zinc supplements are no longer needed until 36 weeks of gestation to prevent premature thickening of the fetus' skull.

4. How to supplement calcium for pregnant women

1. Maintain appropriate outdoor activities: Vitamin D can adjust calcium and phosphorus metabolism and promote calcium digestion and absorption. Outdoor activities can provide a lot of sunlight. As long as you spend more than 30 minutes outdoors in sufficient sunlight every day, you can produce enough vitamin D. However, taking too much will cause adverse reactions such as loss of appetite, drowsiness, irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, etc.

2. Reduce oxalic acid intake: During pregnancy, many pregnant women begin to pay attention to eating more fruits and vegetables. However, some bitter vegetables and fruits contain oxalic acid, which can combine with calcium in the stomach and intestines to form insoluble precipitates, affecting the digestion and absorption of calcium. Therefore, it is recommended that pregnant mothers eat 500-750 grams of vegetables and fruits every day. You can also blanch these vegetables and fruits in tap water to remove the bitter taste 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 the calcium in the digestive system to form phytic acid calcium magnesium salt that cannot be digested and absorbed by the body, greatly reducing the body's absorption of calcium. Therefore, pregnant mothers should soak rice in appropriate amount of warm water for a while, so that the phytase in the rice will dissolve most of the phytic acid; and the phytase metabolized by the fermented pasta can also hydrolyze the phytic acid in the flour, so as to avoid affecting the body's digestion and absorption of calcium.

4. Reduce the intake of ammonium sulfate: soda, cola, coffee, hamburgers, etc.: Under normal circumstances, the calcium: phosphorus ratio of the human body is 2:1. However, if pregnant mothers consume too much soda, cola, coffee, hamburgers, pizza, protein foods, potato chips and other foods containing a lot of phosphorus, the calcium: phosphorus ratio will reach 1:10-20. In this way, excessive phosphorus will "drive" the calcium out of the body.

5. Reduce oleic acid and vegetable oil foods: Oleic acid (especially in saturated fat) produced by fat can form insoluble substances with calcium in the digestive tract, reducing the digestibility of calcium. Therefore, pregnant mothers should arrange their diet scientifically and avoid eating too greasy food.

The article explains in detail the relevant issues regarding calcium and zinc supplementation for pregnant women. If you are a pregnant woman, you'd better take the initiative to supplement yourself with high-quality protein. It is best to start supplementing calcium and zinc in the third or fourth month of pregnancy, and you can stop supplementing high-quality protein after 36 months of pregnancy. If you want to supplement calcium and zinc for pregnant women, you can refer to the methods of calcium and zinc supplementation in the article.