How can I be sure I'm getting enough calcium if I'm pregnant and lactose intolerant?

If you are someone who is lactose intolerant (that is, someone who has difficulty digesting the sugar in milk), you may have difficulty getting enough calcium in your diet. Here are some tips on maximizing your intake of calcium-rich foods:

• Get your calcium from other sources, such as tofu (specifically, calcium-fortified soy milk), calcium-fortified bread or juice, dark-green leafy vegetables, sardines and salmon.
• Drink milk at mealtimes rather than on its own.
• Try lactose-reduced cottage cheese and yogurt.
• Experiment with smaller portion sizes (such as one-half cup of milk rather than a full glass).
• Choose low-fat cheeses (because a large percentage of the lactose is removed during processing) and hard cheeses such as Swiss and cheddar (because they are naturally lower in lactose).
• Eat yogurt that contains acidophilus or active cultures (because these active cultures can actually help you to digest lactose).
• Drink lactose-reduced milk or add over-the-counter enzyme drops (for example, Lactaid) to your milk to help break down the lactose. You may also opt to take a Lactaid pill with dairy foods.