Lactose Intolerant

Hi,

I am on my 24th week of pregnancy and I never drink milk. I am lactose intolerant and I take calcium supplement every day. Would this have a negative effect on my baby? Would Calcium supplement suffice for not drinking milk?

Thanks
Charline

Hi Charline,

When you are pregnant you need enough Calcium to help with the baby's development (for example, for building the baby's bones). Therefore, I would check with your doctor that the amount of Calcium you are taking as a supplement is sufficient now that you are pregnant. I believe you should be getting 1,000 mg of Calcium a day.

There are also other ways to make sure you have enough Calcium, without drinking milk. Many non-dairy foods contain plenty of Calcium including: baked beans, spinach, oatmeal, broccoli, cabbage and almonds. You can also drink Calcium-fortified drinks such as soy and orange juice. Another good tip is to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D as Calcium can only be used by the body if you have enough Vitamin D in your body. You can get Vitamin D through being in the sun as well as food like eggs.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

LJ

Thank you!