The browser you are using is too old for our website. Please visit www.aptaclub.ie from Chrome and you will be able to browse normally.

Pregnancy

      Pregnancy Nutrients: Calcium

      Sources Of Calcium

      Pregnancy Nutrients: Calcium

      Tooth and Nail

      Discover your daily calcium needs

      Known for its role in building healthy bones and teeth, calcium has many other vital functions in the body. Learn how your body adapts during pregnancy to make the most of the calcium in your diet and which foods to eat for a healthy supply.

      Calcium: A mineral of many powers

      Widely recognised for its importance in the normal development of bones and teeth, calcium is an essential nutrient for your baby throughout pregnancy.

      But calcium is more than just a bones and teeth builder. As well as forming and strengthening the hard structures of your baby’s body, this easily obtainable mineral is needed by every single cell. It is present in tissues and body fluids, and has various functions, including helping muscles and nerves to function, aiding digestion and enabling blood to clot.

      According to one study, an adequate intake of calcium in pregnancy may also help to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and preterm birth

      Building healthy bones for life

      By the time they are an adult, calcium will make up around 2% of your growing baby’s body weight, the majority of which is found in the skeleton. It’s during pregnancy, however, that their bones take on more calcium than at any other stage of their life – the third trimester in particular.

      The human body cannot make calcium so it’s important to get an adequate intake in your diet.

       

      Because the body cannot make calcium, the only source is through your diet. An adequate intake stops the body withdrawing calcium from your own stores, which could affect your own bone health. So as well as helping your baby grow and develop normally, a healthy calcium intake in pregnancy is important for your own bone health.

      Figs
      Not only important for the development of bones and teeth, calcium is needed by every single cell which makes this easily obtainable mineral essential

      How much calcium is enough during pregnancy?

      Despite the fact that your baby requires plenty of calcium, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) during pregnancy is the same as it would usually be – 1200mg per day. What can be different is that your body may absorb more of the calcium you eat, making more available to meet the increased demands.

      The RNI for calcium during pregnancy is 700mg per day, which should be achievable from a well-balanced diet.

      700g = Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of calcium each day
      58.4mg= 80g pak choy
      600mg= 2 glasses of semi-skimmed milk

      Because of our moderate dairy intake, most people in Ireland get enough calcium without making a special effort. If you are vegan, or unable to eat dairy foods for another reason, you may need to increase your intake with a calcium supplement during your pregnancy. Your midwife or other healthcare professional will be able to advise you on how much you need.

      An extra helping for beyond birth

      Once your baby is born, breast milk takes on the job of providing all the calcium your baby needs. With their bones continuing to strengthen and lengthen, this is when your dietary requirement increases.

      The RDA for calcium while breastfeeding is 1200mg per day.

      Again, this should be achievable by including plenty of calcium sources, such as dairy foods, in your diet.

      Good sources of calcium

      The bioavailability of calcium (the amount you are able to absorb) varies from food to food and depends on other nutrients present.

      Dairy foods are a rich source of calcium with good bioavailability. Others include cereals, green, leafy vegetables, fish and some fruit.

      Dairy sources of calcium and their content⁴:

      Dairy (average portion sizes) Calcium per portion
      Whole milk (200ml) 236
      Semi-skimmed milk (200ml)
      240
      Skimmed milk (200ml)
      250
      Cheddar cheese (30g) 221.7
      Half-fat cheddar (30g) 252
      Cottage cheese (90g) 114.3
      Whole milk yogurt (150ml) 300
      Low-fat yogurt (plain) (150ml) 243

      Other sources of calcium and their content:

      Food type (100g) Nutrient quantity (mg)
      Sardines, canned in brine, drained 540
      Figs, dried
      250
      Almonds 240
      Spinach, boiled 160
      Curly kale, boiled 150
      Dried pineapple 120

      NEXT STEPS

      Add these items to your shopping list to maintain a healthy calcium intake:

      • Natural yogurt
      • Sardines in brine
      • Cheddar
      • Kale
      • Almonds
      • Sesame seeds
      • Dried figs
      recipe-book-icon-circle.png

      Free recipes 

      Delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes from our team of nutritionists 

      Join now for free

      Your baby's future health begins here

      Your baby's future health begins here

      At Aptaclub, we believe that experience helps to build resilience; that
      each new encounter, whether in pregnancy or after birth, can shape your
      baby’s future development. With our scientific expertise and one-to-one
      round the clock support, we can help you and your baby embrace tomorrow.

      Join Aptaclub

      Related articles

      Questions about feeding and nutrition?

      Our nutritionists and feeding advisors are always on hand to talk about feeding your baby. So if you have a question, just get in touch.

      Free recipes

      Delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes from our team of nutritionists

      Join now for free

      Your privacy is important to us and therefore we would like to explain how we use cookies on this website. With your consent, we will use cookies to measure and analyse how our website is used (analytical cookies), to tailor it to your interests (personalisation cookies), and to show you relevant advertising and information (targeting cookies) we think you will like. For more information please read the cookie statement.

      Privacy Settings

      You can choose your preferences anytime for cookies and tracking. For more information please read our cookie policy.

      • Strictly necessary

        They are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services (setting your privacy preferences, logging in, filling in forms, etc.). You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.

      • Analytical cookies

        They allow us to count visits and traffic sources, to measure and improve the performance of our site. They show us which pages are the most and least popular and how visitors move around the site. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

      • Personalisation cookies

        They enable website’s enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third parties whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.

      • Targeting cookies

        They may be set through our site by our advertising partners, to build a profile of your interests and to show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.