As a breastfeeding mother, you need about 1,200 milligrams of absorbable calcium per day. Calcium is a mineral that the body uses for many things: during pregnancy it helps to form the baby’s bones and teeth, as well as helping to produce breast milk, regulate blood pressure, heartbeat, balance of water in the cells and muscle contractions. There are many foods other than vitamin supplements that will help you increase your calcium.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, your body uses calcium that is stored in your bones to strengthen your baby’s skeletal system and help form breast milk. So not only does your baby need calcium, you need it too! If the baby is taking stored calcium from his body during the breastfeeding process, it makes sense both to take a calcium supplement and to eat calcium-rich foods. The bonuses for getting the right amount of calcium will mean stronger bones for you and help you avoid osteoporosis. Studies have been done showing that postpartum women who get enough calcium more easily regain their pre-pregnancy weight.
Taking the correct type of calcium is essential. Most prenatal vitamins are of very poor quality and contain a form of calcium called calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate comes from stones and shells and is very difficult for your body to digest and use. Blood tests showing how well calcium is absorbed into cells reveal that a form of calcium called calcium citrate is the best absorbed form of calcium. 600 mg of calcium citrate is better absorbed than 1200 mg. of calcium carbonate. It is also very important that you take calcium separately from iron because these two minerals compete with each other and can block the absorption of both. I recommend that you take a high-quality prenatal vitamin in the morning that contains iron and not calcium and that you take a supplement of calcium citrate (600 mg) and magnesium citrate (in a one-to-one ratio) in the evening. The evening calcium and magnesium supplement will often also help you sleep better.
The recommended daily amount
The daily amount for women is 1200 milligrams during pregnancy and lactation. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain enough calcium, easy to absorb. Many doctors now tell new mothers to continue taking their prenatal vitamin for several months after pregnancy. So while nutritional support after pregnancy is a good idea, your prenatal, in most cases, will not provide you with enough calcium. Don’t expect your prenatal vitamin to meet your post-pregnancy needs.
To take 1,200 units of calcium as a supplement, you would need to take it more than once a day for the body to process and metabolize it. This creates a dilemma if you are taking multiple vitamins that contain iron, as the body better absorbs iron and calcium separately.
We at Soundformula Recommend
You get half of your calcium from vitamin supplements and the other half from food sources. Eliminate calcium from its other nutrients at night and eat calcium-rich foods. Here is a list of foods rich in calcium:
Each food listed below is based on milligrams per 100 grams of an edible serving = a 3-ounce serving size
Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflowers have around 60 to 70 milligrams of calcium.
Add vinegar or lemon juice when cooking dried beans or green leafy vegetables. This helps the availability of calcium and decreases the formation of gas.
Food increases calcium intake
Kelp 1093
Switzerland925
Cheddar Cheese 750
Dulse 296
Cabbage250
Turnip 246
Barbados molasses 245
Almonds 234
Brewer’s yeast 210
Corn Tortilla 200
Cooked Salmon 140
Cooked soybeans 150
Water cress 151
Goat Milk 129
Dried figs 126
Sunflower seeds 120
Whole Milk 118
Whey 121
Cottage cheese 94
Spinach 93
Cooked Lentils 25
* Each food listed above is based on milligrams per 100 grams of an edible serving = or a 3-ounce serving size.
Research shows that the nutrient magnesium can play an important role in health. It can help regulate blood pressure and can be beneficial for PMS and fatigue. And magnesium deficiencies can be much more common in the United States than doctors believe. The recommended daily intake of magnesium is around 300 milligrams per day. Add to that another 100 milligrams if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Magnesium plays a role in protein synthesis and this makes the mineral important for the health of body tissues. Like calcium, magnesium (about 60%) is found in bones. The remaining 40% is found in muscles and soft tissues. In teeth, magnesium interacts with calcium to maintain tooth enamel. It can also interact with calcium in other ways, as most calcium-rich foods also provide a good source of magnesium. Like calcium, magnesium is a mineral that helps promote relaxation.
Take calcium / magnesium vitamin supplements to promote restful sleep and provide you with the nutrients your body needs and you should make sure to eat calcium-rich foods such as those listed.