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Anemia During Pregnancy
Anemia during pregnancy is most commonly caused by an iron
deficiency. Being tested for anemia early in your pregnancy is a
good idea, but may not be enough, since anemia may still develop
as your pregnancy progresses.
Although anemia is caused by an iron deficiency in your body,
you will not need to worry too much about your baby, since he
will be sure to get as much iron from you as he needs. Your baby
will only be in danger of suffering from anemia if the situation
is completely ignored.
How will I be able to tell if I am anemic?
Anemia should be easily identifiable in the blood tests that you
take frequently throughout your pregnancy. The baby will start
drawing on your iron reserves much more heavily around week 20,
so you may develop anemia later in your pregnancy.
Common symptoms of anemia during pregnancy include:
* Feeling exhausted or weak
* Pale or light skin
* Fainting spells
* Palpitations
* Breathlessness
Who is most at risk?
Pregnant women who have poor nutrition, due to nausea and
vomiting or simply bad habits, are more at risk of developing
anemia. Also,
women who are carrying multiple fetuses may be at
a higher risk, as two babies will deplete iron stores twice as
much. Women who have two or more pregnancies relatively close
together may be at risk for similar reasons.
How much iron should I be getting?
The recommended daily allowance of iron is around 15mg for women
trying to conceive. Pregnant women will need to consume about
twice that much each day. Your healthcare provider may advise
you to start taking an iron supplement, although these are known
to cause constipation, nausea, and vomiting. It may be wise to
simply try and include many iron rich foods such as spinach,
dried fruits, or liver in your diet.
Keep in mind that your choice of beverages and other foods will
affect your rate of iron absorption. Consuming foods rich in
vitamin C along with the iron rich foods will facilitate
absorption, while consuming caffeine will hinder it.
About the author:
Susan Tanner is a wife and mother of three. She is also the
editor of pregnancy-guide.net. Pregnancy-Guide is an online
community for mothers to find support and valuable information.
Please visit Pregnancy-Guide at http://www.pregnancy-guide.net
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