Pregnancy places extra demands on women's bodies, including their bones. Fortunately, most women don't experience bone problems during pregnancy, and if they do, the problem often is corrected easily. Nevertheless, taking care of your bones is especially important during pregnancy, for the good health of both the mother and her baby.
Pregnancy and Bone Health
During pregnancy, the baby growing in its mother's womb needs plenty of calcium to develop its skeleton, especially during the last three months of pregnancy. If the mother doesn't get enough calcium, her baby draws what it needs from the mother's bones.
Fortunately, pregnancy appears to help protect most women's calcium reserves in several ways:
- Pregnant women absorb calcium from food and supplements better than women who are not pregnant, especially during the last half of pregnancy, when the baby is growing quickly and has the greatest need for calcium.
- During pregnancy, women produce more estrogen, a hormone that protects bones.
- Any bone mass lost during pregnancy is typically restored within several months after the baby's delivery or several months after breastfeeding is stopped.
Osteoporosis. In some cases, women develop osteoporosis during pregnancy, although this problem is rare. Osteoporosis is bone loss that is serious enough to result in fragile bones and increased risk of fracture. In some cases, women develop osteoporosis during pregnancy, although this problem is rare.
Some studies suggest that pregnancy may be good for bone health overall. Some evidence suggests that the more times a woman has been pregnant (for at least 28 weeks), the greater her bone density and the lower her risk of fracture.
Teen mothers at risk. Teenage mothers may be at especially high risk for bone loss during pregnancy and for osteoporosis later in life. Unlike older women, teenage mothers are still building much of their own total bone mass. The unborn baby's need to develop its skeleton may compete with the young mother's need for calcium to build her own bones, compromising her ability to achieve optimal bone mass that will help protect her from osteoporosis later in life. To minimize any bone loss, pregnant teens should be especially careful to get enough calcium during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Keeping Bones Healthy during Pregnancy and Beyond
Taking care of your bones is important throughout life, including before, during, and after pregnancy and breastfeeding. A balanced diet with adequate calcium, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle are good for mothers and their babies.
Calcium. Although this mineral is important throughout your lifetime, your body's demand for calcium is greater during pregnancy and breastfeeding because both you and your baby need it. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. For pregnant teens, the recommended intake is 1,300 mg of calcium a day.
These are good sources of calcium:
- Low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream
- Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collard greens and bok choy
- Canned sardines and salmon with bones
- Tofu
- Almonds
- Corn tortillas
- Foods fortified with calcium, such as orange juice, cereals and breads
In addition, your doctor probably will prescribe a vitamin and mineral supplement to take during pregnancy and breastfeeding to ensure that you get enough of this important mineral.
Exercise. Like muscles, bones respond to exercise by becoming stronger. Regular exercise — especially weight-bearing exercise that forces you to work against gravity — helps build and maintain strong bones. Examples of weight-bearing exercise include walking, climbing stairs, dancing and weight training.
Before you begin or resume an exercise program, talk to your doctor about your plans.
Healthy lifestyle. Smoking is bad for your baby, bad for your bones, and bad for your heart and lungs. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. Your doctor can suggest resources to help you.
Alcohol also is bad for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies, and excess alcohol is bad for bones. Be sure to follow your doctor's orders to avoid alcohol during this important time.
Information in this article was taken from the National Institutes of Health's Osteoporosis and Related Bones Diseases Resource Center.
