Dairy products are important to you during your pregnancy as they contain calcium and also vitamin D which aids in calcium absorption. Calcium helps keep your bones healthy, and your baby needs it to develop strong bones and teeth. During pregnancy you need at least 1200 mg-1500 mg of calcium a day. That is equivalent to 3-4 glasses of skim milk. Calcium also helps prevent high blood pressure and may lower your risk of pre-eclampsia.



In addition your body stores calcium in the latter part of pregnancy to draw on if you breastfeed. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and ice cream are good sources of calcium. Other foods include broccoli, bok-choy, spinach, salmon, sardines, chickpeas, sesame seeds, almonds, cooked dried beans, and tofu. Some foods are now calcium fortified such as orange juice, breads, cereals and grains. Check with at your grocer. If you plan to keep your calorie intake in check, choose low fat dairy products. Some choices include skim milk, low fat yoghurt and cheese and ice cream. Calcium content remains unaffected in low fat dairy products. You can increase the amount of calcium in your diet in other ways. Add powdered nonfat milk to soups. Make fruit shakes with fresh fruit and milk. Cook rice and oats in skim or low-fat milk. Some foods interfere with calcium absorption such as tea, coffee. For the lactose intolerant, you can still get your calcium from other sources outlined above. Some dairy products you may choose and their serving sizes outlined below:

Cottage cheese (Paneer) ¾cup Hard cheese 1 oz Custard or pudding 1 cup Milk 8 oz Natural cheese 1½ oz Yoghurt 1 cup