Pregnant and Lactose Intolerant

As you probably can guess, calcium is very important when you've got a bun in the oven because it not only helps keep your bones healthy, it also helps with building your baby's bones. The good news for baby is if your body doesn't have enough calcium, it'll direct the resources to the fetus first. The bad news for you is that leaves you even more calcium deficient at a time when your body is already dealing with potential calcium loss. Preggy women should get 1,200 milligrams of calcium every day. Hard to do if you can't drink milk, but by no means impossible! In fact, a recent study showed that the calcium absorption from milk is 32.1% and the absorption of calcium from kale was even higher at 40.9%!

Here are some great non-dairy sources of calcium:

• Calcium-fortified OJ (make sure you shake the container as the calcium tends to cling to the edges of the box)
• Calcium-fortified Almond milk
• Calcium-fortified Coconut milk and yogurt
• Calcium-fortified soymilk (although, many doctors and experts believe you should not consume too much soy as it messes with your hormones)
• Almonds
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Broccoli
• Figs
• Salmon
• Kale and other dark, leafy greens
• Tofu
• Sardines with bones
• Sesame butter

Check out this page full of pregnancy health information!