Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health

Short Description
Some studies suggest that pregnancy may be good for bone health overall. … Teen pregnancy and bone health: Teenage mothers may be at especially high …

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Content
Pregnancy, Breastfeeding,
and Bone Health
Both pregnancy and breastfeeding cause changes and place
extra demands on a woman’s body. Some of these may have
an affect on her bones. The good news is that most women
do not experience bone problems during pregnancy and
breastfeeding. And if their bones are affected during these
times, the problem is often easily corrected. Nevertheless,
taking care of one’s bone health is especially important
during pregnancy and when breastfeeding - 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. This need is
especially great during the last 3 months of the pregnancy.
If the mother does not get enough calcium, her baby will
draw what it needs from its mother’s bones. So, it is
disconcerting to realize that most women of child-bearing
years are not in the habit of getting enough calcium.
Fortunately (unless a mother is still a teenager), pregnancy
appears to help protect a woman’s calcium reserves in
several ways:
?Pregnant women absorb calcium better from food and
supplements than women who are not pregnant. This…