How much calcium supplement is needed during the second trimester?

Calcium is very important for the human body. If this element is lacking, it will cause many adverse effects, such as osteoporosis, stunted growth, loose teeth, general weakness and so on. After becoming pregnant, women need to supplement calcium for the fetus in their womb, so their bodies will be calcium deficient. They should pay special attention to calcium supplementation in the second trimester. So how much calcium is needed in the second trimester?

To be precise, calcium intake should be strengthened in advance during the pregnancy preparation stage to reserve sufficient calcium for the actual pregnancy. The calcium requirement in the middle and late stages of pregnancy is as high as 1000-1500 mg/day, and the calcium requirement varies at different stages of pregnancy.

Early pregnancy: 800 mg/day

When a pregnant woman first finds out that she is pregnant, the fetus is still in the stage of cell division and initial organ development and formation, and the pregnant woman's calcium needs are the same as those of an ordinary adult. Drinking 250 ml of fresh milk or yogurt every day can provide 250 mg of calcium. Combined with the calcium provided by other foods and getting more sun exposure, it can generally meet the body's daily calcium needs. People who are lactose intolerant or don’t like drinking milk need to supplement it in time.

Second trimester: Increase intake by 1000 mg/day

Pregnant women generally start to consider calcium supplementation from the fourth month of pregnancy (i.e. the second trimester) because the fetus enters a period of rapid growth, and the development of bones and teeth requires calcium support. In order to ensure the normal growth of the fetus, the normal calcification (or ossification) of the spine, limbs, skull and teeth must be guaranteed, so sufficient calcium must be supplemented. In terms of dietary supplements, eating some calcium-rich foods such as dried shrimps, bean curd, soybeans and green leafy vegetables can generally meet calcium needs. At the same time, do some outdoor sports and enjoy sunbathing to promote the body's absorption of calcium.

Late pregnancy: further increase to 1200 mg/day

As the fetus grows, the demand for calcium increases further. During this period, pregnant mothers need to drink 400 ml of milk or yogurt every day, and still need to take an additional 600 mg of calcium tablets to reach the required amount of calcium!

However, the late pregnancy is also the period when the baby accumulates the most bone mass, and the mother needs to provide the baby with 150-450 mg of calcium every day, an average of about 350 mg per day. Of course, calcium supplementation in the late pregnancy not only benefits the baby, but pregnant mothers also need to consume 1,200 mg of calcium every day and insist on supplementing calcium to supplement themselves and the baby's calcium needed in the final stage of pregnancy. This will ensure a "win-win" situation for the mother and baby's bones! Of course, don't forget the daily sunshine, which should be no less than one hour a day in winter and about half an hour in summer. Also, try to avoid the sunlight between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the ultraviolet rays are the strongest.