Milk is a vital dietary source of calcium and other nutrients. If calcium intake is not adequate during pregnancy, the fetal body absorbs calcium from maternal bones to meet the requirements, thus it is vital to get adequate calcium for the health of both the mother and baby.
Milk is a reliable source for obtaining proteins; a cup of low fat milk offers 8.22 g of proteins. This extra supply of proteins is utilized for building uterus, remodeling breast and baby’s tissues. Protein deficiency can cause several health problems in a baby including low birth weight. Vitamin D supplied by milk is helpful in preventing low birth weight and neonatal rickets in pregnancy along with other issues.
Research and Studies
According to the conclusion of a CMAJ research, pregnant mothers drinking less than one cup of milk each day delivers smaller babies as compared to pregnant mothers who consume more than one cup of milk per day. The research stated that every cup of milk elevates the birth weight of a baby by 41 g. Another preliminary research stated that pregnant mother consume more milk per day are at lesser risk of giving birth to babies with multiple sclerosis.
Which Milk Is Good During Pregnancy?
Drinking milk during pregnancy can benefit pregnant women a lot. Then, you may wonder what kind of milk you can drink during pregnancy. Here we severs some you can take:
1. Is Whole Milk Necessary?
No it is not necessary to drink whole milk especially in pregnancy; a female can continue her consumption of low fat or non-fat milk. The saturated fat in whole milk is unhealthy for an expecting mommy. To decrease the quantity of saturated fat, add skim milk to your diet. During pregnancy it is good to consume adequate amounts of calcium by drinking 8 oz. non-fat milk daily or consume it from other calcium loaded foods like cheese, yogurt, almonds and fortified orange juice.
2. Is Raw Milk Safe?
Drinking unpasteurized or raw milk or consuming anything prepared from raw milk is not safe during pregnancy. In pasteurization process, microbes that contribute to several diseases are generally destroyed when heated on high temperature. Consumption of raw milk (which is not pasteurized and carries microbes) increases the risk of several diseases. Listeriosis is an infection caused by microbes. Relatively it is rare but according to estimation, in US yearly 1600 people get affected with this. Pregnant woman are more prone to it and this infection is deadly for babies. USDA, CDC and FDA recommend every pregnant woman not to eat foods prepared from unpasteurized milk.
3. Tips and Precautions
What to eat or drink: consume yogurt in afternoon snack. Drink milk in cereal bowl. Consume a cup of skim milk at dinner. Include low fat cheese in salads.
What to avoid: Mould-ripened cheeses like camembert and brie, blue-veined soft cheeses like Roquefort should be avoided during pregnancy. Do not use unpasteurized cheeses obtained from goats or sheep’s milk, as it may contain bacteria – listeria. Avoid using unpasteurized milk during pregnancy as it can cause food poisoning.
How much: consume 3 cups per day, apart from weight, height, stage of pregnancy and physical level of activity
4. Comparison of Different Kinds of Milk During Pregnancy
Which milk is good during pregnancy? This answer to this question depends. Here we list different kinds of milk for pregnant women to drink. By comparison, choose the one that suitable for you.
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