It is essential for you and your little one to follow a balanced and healthy diet during pregnancy. You will have to pay a bit extra attention to your intake of iron and calcium when you have a growing baby.
What Are the Benefits of Iron and Calcium During Pregnancy?
Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin — the substance that helps to carry oxygen to your organs and tissues in your red blood cells. Your body generates more blood when you are pregnant to supply your baby with oxygen, which is why you will have to double your intake of iron. You can develop a hyper-iron deficiency anaemia that does not only make you feel tired or, in severe cases, can increase the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression if you are not getting enough iron or are already deficient in iron.
Calcium helps your teeth and bones stay healthy, and it also helps your baby grow good teeth and bones. Calcium also keeps the circulatory, nervous, and muscular systems in good working order.
During pregnancy, how much iron and calcium do I require?
You need 27 milligrams of iron a day while pregnant. Women under the age of 19 need 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day, while those aged 19 and up require 1,000 milligrams.
Foods High in Calcium and Iron for Pregnancy
Poultry, pork, and lean red meat are good sources of iron, but fortified breakfast cereals, beans, peas, and some vegetables, such as spinach, are also good sources.
Calcium is most easily absorbed from dairy products, but it can also be found in non-dairy foods like kale, sardines, and broccoli. Calcium-fortified juices and cereals are also available.
Proper guidance by a gynaecologist will let you know more about the diet intake requirements.
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