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hi, im a bit confused, as i have been told one thing by my GP and another by my accupuncturust/chinese medicine man.
The accupuncturist said that i should avoid dairy altogether in the first trimester, as it apparently affects my spleen. Apparently this is important to maintain a strong healthy pregnancy.
All other sources that ive read and spoke to say that i must have 3-4 serves of calcium a day...
i dont know what to do?
calcuim is great in pregnancy! Dont avoid it! Ur bub needs all the goodness u can throw at it in the 1st trimester! HTH
Grab yourself a calcium supplement. Make sure that it's got either calcium citrate or calcium hydroxyapatite in it, as well as magnesium and whatever other co-factors you can get. Some good food sources of calcium other than dairy - sesame seeds, whole nuts and seeds, (especially almonds) green leafy vegetables, molasses, and soy. I haven't touched dairy (well, barely) since I fell pregnant, and my calcium levels have been excellent because of what I've been doing.
Hmm I am interested in this topic also. I am not a huge dairy fan. I have skim milk in my tea and with cerial other than the odd piece of cheese this is all the dairy that I get. Ob told me to take a calcium suppliment, and I have tried it but dont know if it will cause constipation like iron suppliments do. i dont want to make this problem worse than it already is. So I am interested in what anyone has experienced taking the Caltrate calcium suppliment.
I take Blackmores Calcium & Magnesium supplement alongside the Blackmores Pregnancy supplement, twice a day. I started off on this combination because I had bought a special Blackmores pregnancy pack during my first pregnancy that included the Calcium supplement. I rang them up and spoke to their naturopaths to confirm this was all okay and I wouldn't be overdosing on anything and they told me it was a great combination. I don't eat a great deal of dairy myself, just a splash of milk in a cup of tea and maybe some cheese every now and again, and a pot of yoghurt if I feel like it, maybe once a week.
I took the same supplements with DS and never had trouble with constipation then. I always thought it was iron supplements that caused problems with constipation.
The way I have heard it - I am building a whole new skeleton, and if my body can't get enough calcium from my diet to do it, it will leach it from my bones...hence why women are more prone to osteoporosis.
There are heaps of other, and better, ways of getting calcium in your diet, rather than dairy. Sorry I don't have time now, but google it and you'll see :)
Puppies - calcium doesn't cause constipation, as far as I know. Iron is generally more of a problem. Caltrate - I worked in a pharmacy, and caltrate is probably the crappiest calcium you can get, lol. Sorry, but it really is. It's poorly absorbed, and is about one step up from eating bits of chalk. There are lots of great supps on the shelves, just ask around a bit! Remember, a lot of pharmacies get bonuses for recommending things like caltrate (ours did!)
TinaK I'm not sure on the calcuim thing, I didn't increase mine at all deliberately but found I would feel like it more often.
Just go with what your body tells you, if anything start a pg vitamin supplement that should be enough to fill in the blanks as I am sure you are eating well.
and big CONGRATS on your BFP :hug:
..Laura
I agree with Helly - Caltrate is the worst calcium supplement out there! It is calcium carbonate, which is basically chalk, go for a calcium citrate or ascorbate,they are much better absorbed and do not cause constipation (by the way as far as iron is concerned, its only ferrous sulphate form of iron that causes constipation, iron in the form of gluconate, such as Floradix, is much gentler and better absorbed). :)
There are lots of other foods that are good sources of calcium apart from dairy. Its just that dairy gets so much advertising in Australia.
Have a google. Good vegan sites have lots of info.
Also your acupuncturist can give you more information if they have qualifications in dietary therapy.
HTH
Isn't it funny how we associate milk with calcium! I agree with the others, I would eat other calcium rich foods, and if you like take supplements. They are not necessary if you are getting enough calcium from other sources, but it might give you peace of mind that you are getting enough. There is no need for milk, or dairy at all, to meet your calcium requirement.