Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : October 29, 2017 1:28 AM IST
During pregnancy, you will get a lot of diet advice and one of them is to at least have one glass of milk every day. Not only will your family force you to drink milk but even doctors and nutritionists advice the same. If you are not so fond of milk, it might be difficult for you to adjust to the taste and develop the habit at this time. If you are lactose intolerant then it might be even tough as you might face digestive issues like diarrhoea, nausea, etc. Read to know if you need to drink milk during pregnancy.
However, there is no denying that milk is healthy and can go a long way in imparting nutrition to both mother and baby. But if you have to drink milk during pregnancy better switch to low-fat milk from whole milk. This is one healthy switch you will be making during your pregnancy for sure. There are various reasons for this but the most important one is that you can limit saturated fat intake by having skim milk or low-fat milk over whole milk. Here are eight other healthy beverages that pregnant women should have.
There are studies that point that milk and protein intake during pregnancy actually promotes fetal growth and helps in the development of the skeletal structure of the baby [1]. But if you are consuming whole milk, don t forget with all the calcium and protein you are also taking in fats which might not always do good to you and your baby. If you are overweight then this extra fat intake can lead to gestational issues if you are not able to burn off those extra calories you consume.
While milk is a good source of calcium and protein but some studies have also indicated that consumption of milk can lead to an increased birth weight of the fetus which can lead to various kinds of diseases in the future. The study also suggests that we need to re-evaluate the importance of milk consumption during pregnancy [2]. However, the verdict on whether you should have milk or not during pregnancy is still non-conclusive. So, if you still want to have a glass of milk and believe that it is going to do your baby good, switch to the low-fat version or talk to the doctor or nutritionist to make an informed decision.
References:
[1] Borazjani, F., Angali, K. A., & Kulkarni, S. S. (2013). Milk and protein intake by pregnant women affects growth of foetus. Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 31(4), 435.
[2] Melnik, B. C., John, S. M., & Schmitz, G. (2015). Milk consumption during pregnancy increases birth weight, a risk factor for the development of diseases of civilization. Journal of translational medicine, 13(1), 13.
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