I think it’s pretty obvious from my blog and Instagram that I am passionate about motherhood and pregnancy, and educating women on how to be their best selves while in those different stages of life! I feel fortunate to have succeeded in this space and to have connected with so many of you over the challenges, joys, and phases of motherhood!
Several months ago, I started talking about the importance of taking vitamin supplements to make sure we are getting the nutrients we need. As moms, it is normal to put all of our energy and time and efforts towards our kids (and husband/house/work/etc.) and it’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves. But beyond the mental and emotional tolls of parenting, (read more on my thoughts about that here) the physical toll is one I want to really emphasize today.
Working in a lab for the last four years gave me access to test myself periodically for levels of different electrolytes, proteins, and fats. I discovered a few months ago that I was horribly deficient in vitamin D–side effects of this deficiency include things like fatigue and depression–which is not something a new mom needs to experience. I started taking a vitamin D supplement, and encouraged lots of you to do the same!
Vitamin D and calcium are very closely linked, and today I want to share the calcium supplement I recently started taking and why it’s so important (especially for pregnant women) to make sure they are getting an adequate amount of calcium everyday! Please note that these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 
Let’s start with a little background info on calcium! I think most of us know that calcium is linked to good bone health, but did you know that our bodies need calcium to handle other important tasks too? Calcium helps move muscles, sends messages through the nervous system, releases hormones and enzymes, and circulates blood–and since our bodies can’t make calcium, everything is absorbed from the food we eat and the supplements we take.
From youth through teen years and even into our mid twenties, we store calcium until our bones stop growing and we reach peak bone mass. At this time, we stop increasing calcium stores and instead maintain them. Our bones are always changing over the course of our lifetime, and getting enough calcium is key to making sure our bones support all those changes. After our thirties, our bodies produce less new bone and we experience more bone loss–but proper nutrition can slow bone loss and help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
For pregnant women, it is especially important to make sure we are getting enough calcium every day. Babies in utero need enough calcium to develop healthy teeth, bones, muscles, and heart, and if we aren’t taking in enough calcium our stores will be depleted to make sure baby’s needs are met. This can put our bone health at risk–decreased bone and mineral density can eventually lead to osteoporosis.
Like with vitamin D, the majority of women are calcium deficient. This is a HUGE problem that is doing some serious damage behind the scenes in our bodies. Prenatal vitamins are super important before, during, and after pregnancy, but they usually only provide 20-30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium for women who are pregnant.
So now that we’re all convinced that a calcium supplement is super necessary to maintaining prenatal and postnatal bone health, let me tell you about the supplement I’ve been using! It’s called Viactiv, and one Calcium Soft Chew taken up to twice daily provides most women with the calcium they need daily (1,300 mg total) in addition to vitamins D and K. Viactiv supplements have 30% more calcium, 1/2 the sugar and 1/2 the calories of other calcium gummy supplements (seriously, go read the ingredient label of your multivitamin, it can be shocking!). The milk chocolate flavor is my favorite, but it also comes in caramel and is super easy to grab when I’m on a Target run. 
You can find more info about the importance of calcium and vitamin D intake on their website here , and a list of places to purchase it here.
I’m a science person at heart, and I love learning about the intricacies and functions of the human body. I am passionate about taking care of myself and my kids in a natural and holistic way, and I love sharing those passions with all of you! I encourage you to make sure you take care of your bodies, and give yourselves the nutrition and tools to succeed and be the best mom you can be!
Oh, and who says you can’t take your calcium with a side of cinnamon rolls amirite? 🙂
