Do I need to supplement calcium during late pregnancy?

A woman's physical health is very important throughout her pregnancy. Because during pregnancy, pregnant women must not only ensure their own nutritional supplements, but also pay attention to the health of the fetus in their body. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the pregnant woman's body has sufficient trace elements, especially calcium. The late pregnancy is the last period of pregnancy for pregnant women, so is it necessary to supplement calcium in the late pregnancy?

Calcium supplementation in late pregnancy will not affect the health of the fetus

As a baby develops from a fertilized egg into a fetus, calcium is especially needed for bone formation. Therefore, the amount of calcium that expectant mothers need throughout pregnancy is several times that of ordinary people. If the fetus does not get enough calcium in the womb, it is likely to develop congenital laryngeal cartilage softening once it is born. Although calcium supplementation in the late pregnancy will harden the fetal skull, the fetal head, the largest part of the fetal body, is plastic. During delivery, the cranial sutures can overlap slightly, which will reduce the diameter of the skull and facilitate delivery. Therefore, calcium supplementation generally will not make it difficult to give birth to a baby, unless there is a macrosomia, pelvic stenosis, or abnormal fetal position, in which case delivery will become difficult.

There are many benefits of calcium supplementation in late pregnancy

It is also very important for expectant mothers to supplement calcium in the late pregnancy. Because in the late pregnancy, the calcification rate of the fetal bones suddenly accelerates. At this time, the fetus needs a large amount of calcium to ensure normal calcification of the bones. During the entire fetal development process, 80% of the calcium reserves in the fetus are accumulated in the late pregnancy, so the mother must have sufficient calcium to ensure the healthy development of the fetus. Moreover, calcium supplementation in the late pregnancy can replenish the body's calcium stores and promote nutrition during lactation.

So, how much should we supplement in late pregnancy?

When supplementing calcium, the more the better is not necessarily better. It should be taken in moderation. After entering the late pregnancy (starting from the 7th month of pregnancy), the calcification rate of the fetal bones will suddenly accelerate. At this time, pregnant mothers need to take in 1200 mg of calcium to meet the calcium needs of the fetus. Excessive calcium supplementation can cause harm to expectant mothers and also affect the fetus. It can easily cause calcium to precipitate in the walls of placental blood vessels, causing placental aging and calcification, reduced amniotic fluid secretion, and a hard fetal head. Therefore, calcium supplementation is possible in the late pregnancy, but in moderation.