Calcium is essential for bone and teeth development for the mother and baby. Just like growing children need calcium for strong bones and teeth, so do growing babies. Calcium is also vital for muscle, heart and nerve development.
If calcium intake is not sufficient to meet the needs of your growing baby, particularly in the third trimester, calcium from the mothers bones is used, resulting in calcium depletion.
Milk is one of the best sources of calcium, and the most recommended to meet the increased calcium requirement during pregnancy. Other food sources of calcium include fish, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds. MamaCare, a milk based supplement, contains 400mg of calcium per serve.