Anemia

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia? How is it treated?

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?
Iron deficiency anemia occurs when there is not enough iron in the blood. Iron is an important building block for hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen.

In pregnancy, the amount of blood in the body must increase by almost 50% to support the growing baby. As a result, the mother`s body starts to make blood at a faster pace than it is accustomed to. Sometimes the need for iron is greater than the amount stored in the body. The result is iron deficiency anemia. Approximately 20% of pregnant women have anemia.

How Will I Know if I am Anemic?

Most of the time women do not realize that they are anemic. Because anemia is so common, doctors and midwives usually check the blood for anemia during the first prenatal visit. Sometimes they will repeat the test around 28 weeks of pregnancy, or whenever there is a concern that the woman may be anemic.

The most common symptom of anemia is excessive tiredness. If anemia is severe, women may also experince dizziness, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, pale skin or shortness of breath.

How is Anemia Treated?

Anemia that is caused by lack of iron is usually treated with iron tablets. If your doctor or midwife prescribes iron, take it with food to prevent nausea. Avoid taking iron with milk because the calcium prevents it from being used by your body. On the other hand, taking your iron pill with orange juice, grapefruit juice or another source of vitamin C will help the iron absorb easier. If you are borderline anemic or the anemia is not severe enough to require iron supplements, your doctor may ask that you consume a diet that is full of iron-rich foods. (See list below)

Sometimes the iron tablets can make your bowel movements dark-colored or even black. This color is from extra iron that was not absorbed in your body. It is not dangerous. Iron may also cause constipation or diarrhea. Talk with your doctor or midwife if this is a problem for you.

What Can I Do to Prevent Anemia?

The best sources of iron are the foods you eat. By eating foods that are high in iron and vitamin C, you may be able to prevent anemia. Some iron-rich foods are:

• Red meats
• Liver
• Dried beans or tofu
• Dried fruits (raisins, prunes, apricots)
• Leafy green vegetables (broccoli, spinach)
• Iron-enriched bread, pasta, and cereal
• Eggs

Comments: Anemia

Comments 26 to 31 of about 31.
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chotabubba - 336 days ago.
My obs told me today that my glucose tolerance test indicated that my iron levels are low (no wonder I've been feeling so tired and dizzy lately). So she has prescribed me iron supplements and has warned me about the side effects too (I see katie88 has put that down quite nicely...lol). Hope all you mommas out there are doing great!

yummymummy1990 - 349 days ago.
is it possible to be anemic so early on in pregnancy? im 5 weeks and im really thirsty all th time someone advised me its a sign of anemia. please leave messages on my page xxx

kalli - 369 days ago.
Does anyone know if being anemic is why milk products are making me feel so ill? I try to eat a yogurt in the morning, but recently they have been turning my stomach and I have thrown out more than one cup. I found out yesterday that I have anemia & I am to start an iron supplement. I do not want to miss out on my daily calcium, but I can't stand the food with it (exception being fortified OJ).

katie88 - 375 days ago.
Hey ladies!!! Im from week 38 but i wanted to share my experience about being anemic throughout my pregnancy..... I found out i was anemic when i was 26 weeks.. i went in for my glucose testing and they told me that they would give me the results at my next appointment.. well 2 days after i had the testing the dr.'s office called and said my iron levels were really low again so they were gonna be putting me on an iron supplement and to go pick it up from the pharmancy.. well, when i was 15 weeks and i had some blood work my iron levels were quite low but instead of putting me on an iron pill at that time they just gave me a different pre-natal vitman with more iron... anyways, i started taking the iron pills and i was AMAZED at how much better i started feeling... i no longer felt dizzy and tired all the time so i am ALL FOR THE IRON PILL LOL!!! But there are a few nasty lil side effects that my dr. did not warn me of... first of all taking alot of iron can cause you to become VERY constipated... i was getting a double dose of the iron because i was taking the pre-natal with extra iron AND i was taking an iron pill... the solution for constipation is to eat foods with alot more fiber... I started eating alot of salads and eating that Activia yougert and i didnt have any other problems with constipation... another side effect.. and this is a little TMI but it will turn your poop a VERY VERY VERY dark color.. like black... i can remember after i got over that first round of constipation i was finally able to go to the bathroom and when i went to wipe i looked in the toilet and my poop was black and looked just like tar!!!! i paniced and called my dr. and talked to his nurse and she kinda giggled and said 'calm down honey that is completely normal... we didnt explain that to you?' and i was like... um.. NO i havent seen yall again yet.. yall just called and told me to go pick up the iron pill and i havent saw yall since i started taking it! anyways, i hope someone finds this post helpful!

Cherushi Metsumari - 376 days ago.
Wow! I found out I was anemic throught the rest of my pregnancy! No wonder I've been feeling more tired than I read that I should! I've experienced the shortness of breath and dizziness too.

bezzi44 - 384 days ago.
I've been anemic all 3 pregnancies and usually slightly anemic in between. So as soon as I knew I was pregnant this time, I started to take iron supplements. Even by the time they took my blood at 12 weeks, I was still anemic. Just had more work done for my GD test and my numbers have dropped. I have iron added to my pre-nats and they make me sick so I take them at night. Well along with them, I usually drink OJ, take a stool softener and then tums. WRONG! You need to take your iron WITHOUT calcium. So OJ is great if it's not calcium fortified. So they suggested I take a vitamin C along with it and instead of TUMS, which are calcium based, take Mylanta. This should work out much better. I also take the stool softener, rather than a laxative, to help not get constipated from the iron. Thought I'd share!

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