Calcium is an important mineral especially during pregnancy. Your growing baby will need large amounts of calcium for its skeletal development as well as nerve and muscle development. If there are not enough reserves of calcium for the baby to draw upon, the baby will draw what it needs from the mother's bones! This would cause a decrease in bone mass for the mother and putting her at risk for osteoporosis.
How much Calcium do I Need?
The Health Promotion Board recommends that the dietary allowance for pregnant / breastfeeding women should be 1000mg of calcium each day. For comparison, the recommended daily amount of calcium for an adult is 800mg.Sources of Calcium
Although the richest source of calcium are found in milk, cheese and dairy products. there are lots of other sources of calcium found in our everyday foods. That was a relief to me when I was pregnant especially since I did not particularly enjoy drinking milk.
The table below is a good guide for dairy and plant-based sources of calcium.
| Food | Serving Size | Calcium content (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy Products | ||
High-calcium milk powder
Low-fat milk Full-cream milk Low-fat yoghurt Low-fat cheese* |
4 scoops (25 g)
1 glass (250ml) 1 glass (250ml) 1 carton (150g) 1 slice (20g) |
500
380 300 240 200 |
| Non-dairy foods | ||
Canned sardine (with bones)
Dried ikan bilis (with bones) Silken tofu Tau kwa Dhal (raw) Baked beans, canned* Kai lan, cooked Spinach, cooked Chye sim, cooked Broccoli, cooked |
1 fish (80g)
2 tablespoons (40g) package (150g) 1 small cake (90g) mug (50g) can (210g) mug (100 g) mug (100 g) mug (100 g) mug (100 g) |
270
270 100 150 85 110 195 140 140 50 |
| Calcium-fortified products | ||
High-calcium soybean milk
Enriched bread Calcuim-fortified orange juice |
1 glass (250ml)
2 slices (60 g) 1 serving (240 ml) |
450
100 350 |
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