How much calcium should I get per day during pregnancy?

Calcium is essential for foetal growth. The development of bones, teeth, heart, nerves and muscles depends on calcium. If you don’t include enough calcium in your diet, the foetus will start to leach it from your bones. Doctors recommend getting about 1,000 mg per day (your body can’t absorb much more than 1,000 mg. per day) which you can easily to do by eating four servings of calcium rich foods.
Having a diet with plenty of calcium may help to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. If you are a vegetarian and you think that your diet may be low in calcium, it is a good idea to take a prenatal multivitamin containing calcium.

Calcium can be found in tofu, tortillas, boiled turnip greens, fortified bread and orange juice, sardines and canned salmon. Your prenatal vitamin should contain at least 150 to 200 mg of calcium. Take a calcium supplement if you need more, but make sure to find one with calcium carbonate. Your body absorbs calcium carbonate more readily than other forms of calcium. Read the label to check for a lead free product. Some products sold as natural supplements actually contain lead, which can be harmful to the foetus.