Calcium during pregnancy

Calcium during pregnancy plays a crucial role. That is why its content in the body should be balanced. A sufficient amount of this microelement helps to reduce the likelihood of miscarriage and premature birth, regulates blood pressure and reduces the risk of eclampsia, negates blood loss during labor, eliminates such unpleasant phenomena as spasms of gastrocnemius muscles, brittle nails, hair loss, tooth sensitivity and much more.

Growth and development of the child requires a huge amount of calcium from the mother and if it is not enough, the body begins to draw this trace element from its own resources, namely with bones and teeth (after all, it contains 98% of free calcium). This, in turn, leads to sad consequences. The future mother begins to develop osteoporosis, crumble teeth, hair fall out. In this article, we will tell you all about calcium deficiency during pregnancy, the diagnosis of hypocalcemia, and also about calcium preparations during pregnancy.

[1], [2],

Risk group of people with calcium deficiency during pregnancy

All of us (or almost all) use dairy products and therefore rightly believe that with the presence of calcium in the body we are all right. In fact, everything is a bit more complicated. There is a certain range of individuals who are predisposed to calcium deficiency during pregnancy. These include:

• women of lean physique with light hair color (according to research they are more often always suffer from a lack of calcium during pregnancy);
• women who diet for a long time (insufficiency of the use of products containing calcium adversely affects its level);
• women who eat a lot of flour products, bran, carbonated drinks, coffee, cocoa, as well as fatty and salty foods (all of this contributes to a lower absorption of calcium by the body);
• women suffering from intolerance to lactose (milk sugar) - as a consequence of the lack of consumption of dairy products, and, accordingly, calcium;
• women who use some hormonal contraceptive (they reduce the absorption of this trace element into the blood);
• women, with diseases of the thyroid gland, namely, with an increased function of the production of thyroid-stimulating hormones;
• women with a sedentary lifestyle (for good absorption of calcium, physical activity is necessary);
• women working in offices (this micronutrient is better absorbed when exposed to ultraviolet radiation);
• women suffering from harmful habits (smoking and alcohol have a detrimental effect not only on health in general, but also disrupt the metabolism).

Also, high body temperature (with catarrhal diseases) and strong physical loads contribute to the "washing out" of calcium.

Symptoms of deficiency and calcium overabundance during pregnancy

Often, all pregnant women complain of the same symptoms, which give them a lot of inconvenience. But not all women associate this with a lack of calcium in the body. More often than not, everything is written off to the position and excuse "All pregnant women". A sufficient amount of calcium in the mother is very important, which is why we give below the most common signs of calcium deficiency during pregnancy:

• muscle cramps;
• bone pain, osteoporosis;
• general weakness, fatigue;
• violation of blood clotting, bleeding gums;
• urolithiasis disease;
• sensitivity of tooth enamel;
• loss of hair, brittle nails, teeth;
• insomnia, nervousness.

If you have at least two signs of calcium deficiency during pregnancy, this is a signal that you need to tell your doctor about your concerns.

It must also be remembered that it is dangerous not only for calcium deficiency during pregnancy, but also for its overabundance. Excess calcium can lead to premature closure of the fetal fontanelle, excessive hardness of the bones of the skull, which can lead to birth trauma. There is also the assumption that an overabundance of this trace element can lead to its deposition in the placenta, and this in turn will worsen the inflow of nutrients to the baby.

Preparations of calcium during pregnancy

To treat hypocalcemia and osteoporosis, the doctor prescribes calcium intake during pregnancy. On the market there is an incredible variety of drugs containing this trace element, but most commonly the appointment of calcium gluconate and the preparation of Calcium D3. What is the difference between these medicines?

Calcium gluconate contains only a trace element, in turn Calcium D3 contains a microelement + vitamin D, which actively participates in the assimilation of calcium.

A feature of the use of calcium gluconate during pregnancy is its use strictly before meals or after 1.5-2 hours after taking a glass of milk, as this drug aggressively acts on the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Dosage is usually 2-3 tablets per day (one tablet contains 500 mg of calcium).

Calcium D3 during pregnancy can be taken regardless of food intake. It can be both chewed and swallowed, and it is completely safe for the gastrointestinal tract, it has a pleasant taste. Dosage is also 2-3 tablets per day (one tablet contains 500 mg of calcium).

Another popular drug is calcemin. Its peculiarity consists in the presence of not only free calcium, but also substances that contribute to its successful assimilation, namely, cholicalciferol (50ME), copper (0.5 mg), zinc (2 mg), manganese (5 mg) and boron (50 μg). The recommended dose of application is 2-3 tablets per day (one tablet contains 250 mg of calcium).

You can also take complex vitamins for pregnant women, including calcium, in order to prevent the development of hypocalcemia. But at the same time, strictly to ensure that the daily dose of calcium consumed does not exceed the recommended rate (1200-1500 mg). An example of such drugs can be:

• Elevit Pronatal (contains 125 mg of calcium), appoint one capsule per day 15 minutes after eating;
• Vitrum Pronatal (contains 200 mg of calcium), appoint one capsule per day after meals;
• Multitabs Prenatal (contains 160 mg of calcium), appoint one capsule per day during or after a meal;
• Materna (contains 250 mg of calcium), appoint one tablet a day after meals.

Calcium preparations during pregnancy should be prescribed only by a doctor! Self-medication can lead to negative consequences not only for you, but also for your child.

Diagnosis of calcium deficiency during pregnancy

After reading all of the above, you are likely to wonder: "If calcium is so important for our body, why is its level not controlled throughout the pregnancy?". The answer to this question is very simple. In fact, the diagnosis of hypo- or hypercalcemia is reduced to the usual biochemical analysis of blood, which is done by all pregnant women. If the doctor sees abnormalities, then appoints calcium preparations.

The norm of calcium during pregnancy in the blood is 2.15-2.50 mmol / l

If the patient is concerned about bone pain, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound (densitometry). With the help of this method, it is possible to diagnose earlier the development of osteoporosis, long before irreversible processes in the bone tissue go.

[3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8],

Sources of calcium during pregnancy

The recommended daily intake of calcium during pregnancy is 1000-1200 mg. For comparison, an average adult needs only 800-1000 mg. Below we will list the products, the concentration of calcium in which is maximum.

• hard cheese varieties (up to 1000 mg per 100 g of product)
• low-fat yogurt (450 mg per 100 g)
• Nuts (170 mg per 100 gr)
• cottage cheese (150 mg per 100 gr)
• Milk (120 mg per 100 g)
• spinach (106 mg per 100 g)

It turns out that in order to provide a daily rate of calcium during pregnancy, it is sufficient to consume two sandwiches with cheese, a glass of milk and 100-150 g of cottage cheese. It is not so difficult.

If you belong to people who suffer from lactose intolerance, then you can fill the deficiency of calcium by eating cabbage, broccoli, parsley, soy beans, seeds.

When planning your diet, remember that acidic foods (sorrel, salting) dissolve calcium salts, and a large amount of fat prevents its absorption.