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Every mom wants to do the absolute best for her baby, but some have trouble getting enough calcium, and unfortunately lactose intolerance is very common. Some women are able to have lactose free milk or dairy products, some are unable to have any diary at all.
If you’re unable to have any dairy, look for some of the new yummy calcium fortified juices. I like the combination of orange and tangerine juice myself. Many apple juices are also available with additional calcium.
Some green leafy vegetables are also a good source, for example: Cooked spinach or broccoli; these have the added benefit of also being a good source of iron. And don’t forget that sardines and almonds have calcium and can add some variety to your diet.
If none of these sound appealing or you can’t get 3 servings of these each day, then consider taking a calcium supplement 2 – 3 times/day. Many women take Tums or other antacids for their heartburn, which are perfectly safe and contain between 300 -500 mg of calcium. Here’s a list of foods and the amount of calcium in each.
Food | Serving Size | Mg of Calcium |
| Milk | 1 cup | 302 |
| Plain Yogurt | 1 cup | 450 |
| Cooked Spinach | 1/2 cup | 122 |
| Broccoli | 1/2 cup | 47 |
| Sardines | 2 | 90 |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 70 |
Barb Dehn, RN, MS, NP is a nationally recognized women's health expert and nurse practitioner, conference speaker, and national Media regular. In 2004 she founded Blue Orchid Press, an innovative publishing company that provides Health Guides for Women. To date, over 3 million guides have been distributed to women across the country in partnerships with pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, and she was given National Inspiration in Women’s Health Award from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners for her work on the guides, making her an award-winning author as well. Barb is an expert at connecting with women both through their health care providers and direct to consumer. Barb is married and has a 12 year old son.