Supplementing calcium is not something to consider only after pregnancy. In fact, pre-pregnancy calcium supplementation is crucial for ensuring the health of both the mother and the baby during pregnancy. Calcium is an essential component in building the baby’s bones, and during pregnancy, a large amount of calcium from the mother’s body is transferred to the fetus, meaning that expectant mothers need more calcium than usual. Therefore, experts recommend that the best timing for calcium supplementation should start before conception to ensure an adequate calcium reserve.
Having good nutritional status before pregnancy is beneficial for the growth of the fetus and the health of the mother. Sufficient calcium reserves can reduce conditions like night frights, leg cramps, delayed teething in babies, while promoting healthy development of their teeth and bones. For pregnant women, it also helps alleviate common pregnancy symptoms like leg cramps and back pain.
As for when to start pre-pregnancy calcium supplementation, although there is no definitive answer, considering the common insufficient calcium intake among the Chinese population, experts tend to recommend starting it when planning pregnancy. In terms of timing, nighttime is the ideal period for calcium absorption, as the body undergoes accelerated cell renewal during the night, making calcium absorption more efficient at that time. However, it’s advisable to complete calcium supplementation a few hours before bed to avoid affecting digestion or causing discomfort.
When it comes to choosing calcium-rich foods, recipes like pork bone kelp soup, fresh lily stuffed mung beans, and milk onion soup are recommended. Pork bones in the pork bone kelp soup are rich in calcium, and when cooked with kelp, not only is it delicious but it also effectively supplements calcium. Fresh lily stuffed mung beans combine the nutrition of mung beans with the sweetness of fresh lily, helping stimulate the appetite and regulate stress. Milk onion soup utilizes the sweetness of onion, the calcium-rich milk, and the healthy fats of olive oil, providing the body with more antioxidants and energy.
With these recipes and calcium supplementation strategies, you can effectively enhance your body’s calcium reserves before pregnancy and lay a solid foundation for a healthy pregnancy.
