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.
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