| Taking care of your bones is important throughout life, including before, during, and after pregnancy and breastfeeding. A balanced diet with adequate calcium, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle are good for mothers and their babies. Although calcium mineral is important throughout your lifetime, your body抯 demand for it is greater during pregnancy and breastfeeding, because both you and your baby need it. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume 1,000 mg (milligrams) of calcium each day. For pregnant teens, the recommended intake is even higher: 1,300 mg a day. Good sources of calcium include: low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream; dark green, leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collard greens, and canned sardines and salmon with bones; tofu, almonds, corn tortillas foods fortified with calcium, such as orange juice, cereals, and breads. In addition, your doctor will probably prescribe a vitamin and mineral supplement to take during your pregnancy and while breastfeeding to ensure that you get enough this important mineral. Like muscles, bones respond to exercise by becoming stronger. Regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise that forces you to work against gravity, helps build and maintain strong bones. Examples of weight-bearing exercise include walking, stair climbing, dancing, and weight lifting. Being active and exercising during pregnancy can benefit your health in other ways, too. Smoking is bad for your baby, bad for your bones, and bad for your heart and lungs. Talk to your doctor about quitting. He or she can suggest resources to help you. Alcohol is also bad for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies, and excess alcohol is bad for bones. So, be sure to follow your doctor抯 orders to avoid alcohol during this important time. |
Women's Health