The Indispensable – Calcium Intake

Adequate calcium intake is vital – ensure you take enough calcium

Becoming a mother is a life changing experience in any woman’s life. You are now responsible not only for yourself, your husband and family but you also have a major responsibility of growing up your child well. You need to take care of your health first, if you want to take care of the baby. Especially if you are a nursing mother, you need to closely check and monitor your nutritional requirements. You have to eat healthy and nutritious food and your calcium intake assumes priority.

You have to see that the intake of calcium is appropriate to keep you and your baby fit.

Some points worth noting:

• When a mother breast-feeds her child there is a great amount of calcium loss from her body that needs to be filled with taking extra calcium in the diet or through other supplements.
• Calcium medicines or sachets can also be an option on the recommendation of your doctor.
• On an average, there is a loss of 280-400mg of calcium from the body of a nursing mother daily that needs to be recovered. If this calcium is not recovered or is neglected completely, it will cost not only on the mothers health but also the health of the baby who is taking the feed.
• Marriageable age of girls these days has gone up to 28-29 years, in most of the cases that makes their conception possible only after 30 years of age. After 30, there is a natural loss of calcium from the woman’s body, so the ladies who plan their family after 30 need all the more calcium intake for themselves and their babies.
• Continuous loss of calcium from the body can lead to osteoporosis in the long run or may be in your near future.
• It increases the chances of fractures as the bones tend to become brittle. A simple slip of a foot can cost heavily on your health as well as your pocket.
• All pregnant women as well as the nursing mothers, require on an average, 1000 mg of calcium on a daily basis.
• For nursing mothers the growth of their baby and the formation and strength of his bones completely depends on the intake that he is getting from the feed of his mother. So that makes the feeding mothers all the more responsible to check their calcium levels.
• Milk and milk products are the richest source of calcium. It is also found in green vegetables, sea foods, fortified food and other calcium supplements that are available in the market.
• Regular exercises can also help you to keep your bones strong. Walking and exercising gives strength to your bones and muscles.

Always remember only a healthy mother and a healthy woman can look after her family well. So if you are really concerned about your near ones, first be concerned about yourself. If you are fit, then your family remains fit.