Tips to Manage Lactose Intolerance In Pregnancy

Lactose intolerance or lactase deficiency is the inability to digest lactose or the type of sugar found in milk due to a lack of the enzyme lactase, either as a result of a congenital malformation or a damage to the small intestine following viral or bacterial infection. 

In either case, lactose intolerance causes unpleasant symptoms varying between abdominal pain, bloating, spasms and flatulence, after drinking milk or eating other dairy product.

During the period of pregnancy that is full of endless uncomfortable symptoms and health problems, lactose intolerance may get worse and become more annoying than ever. 

So, what is your right way to deal with this condition without depriving your body from calcium mostly present in dairy products and highly necessary to your fetus’s growth and safety? Find below some simple and useful tips:          

• Abstain, either totally or partially, from dairy products, depending on the severity of your condition.
• Try to have milk or any other dairy along with solid foods to help alleviate your symptoms.
• Opt for lactose-free milk to help your digestive system breakdown and digest milk molecules, and thus get its need of vitamins, calcium and other minerals.
• Eat yogurt and other fermented food containing lactose partially broken down by probiotics present therein.
• Enrich your daily diet with calcium sources other than dairies, such as broccoli, okra, cabbage, salmon, tuna, almond, calcium-fortified cereals as well as calcium-fortified soy products, including soy milk, tofu and soybeans. This, in addition to high sources of vitamin D to promote calcium absorption in the gut. 
• Ask your doctor about the possibility of taking lactase enzyme supplements to help your body digest lactose and reduce your symptoms.

In addition to the foregoing, don’t forget to check food labels and make sure that what you buy does not contain any ingredient or component that may trigger the symptoms of lactose intolerance. 

Read More: What Not To Eat During Pregnancy