MM Anaemia
Pregnancy
anaemia your questions answered
During pregnancy you’ll regularly have your iron levels tested to check that you aren’t anaemic. But what exactly is anaemia?
What is anaemia exactly? Anaemia is a condition where there’s a reduction in the quality or quantity of red blood cells in your body, and this can result in a deficiency in the blood’s ability to carry oxygen around the body, leading to tiredness.
Why is anaemia particularly
common in pregnancy? When you’re pregnant, both your placenta and your baby need iron and so, naturally, your body has to work harder than ever to ensure adequate levels for all of you. That’s because, while there’s 40 per cent more blood flowing through your body during pregnancy, the number of red blood cells produced isn’t proportionate, which means that the iron in your blood is basically ‘diluted’ and can result in anaemia.
Why is iron so important? Iron helps our blood and muscles to deliver oxygen - and therefore energy - to every cell in our body, removing carbon dioxide from the cells as it goes. It's basically a mineral that our body needs in order to stay healthy. Most of our iron store is found inside haemoglobin, the pigment in red blood cells, and it is the haemoglobin, which transports oxygen to all of the tissues and organs in our body.
10 Modernmum
Who is most at risk of anaemia? Well, for a start, women, who have a diet that’s low in iron, are likely to become anaemic. You’re also more likely to have iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy if your body’s iron supplies have already been depleted. For example, if you’ve had two or more pregnancies close together, or if you had heavy periods before you became pregnant, then you’re more likely to be at risk.
What are the symptoms that I
should be looking for? Unfortunately, anaemia is often asymptomatic – that means there are no symptoms – so you may not even be aware that you have become anaemic! Fatigue and breathlessness are the most common signs, but these can also be symptoms that are experienced by many pregnant women, who aren’t anaemic. Other symptoms can include headaches, tinnitus, palpitations, pale eyelids and tongue.
Can anaemia lead to any
complications in my pregnancy? Unfortunately yes. Anaemia can not only weaken your immune system and make infections more likely, but can also increase the risk of low birth weight for your baby.
The good news is that, during your pregnancy, you’ll undergo several blood tests and so, if you are deficient in iron, it should be detected early on and treated.
How is it treated? Your GP may prescribe iron supplements or you can simply buy them over the counter at the pharmacy. The recommended daily allowance for iron is 30mg per day, so, by eating at least three servings of iron-rich foods (lean red meat, cereals, dark green leafy veg, pulses, wholemeal bread and eggs) a day, you should get the relevant amount. If you find that you aren’t getting enough of the right type of iron-rich foods, then the supplements will help to ensure you reach the optimal levels.
Are there downsides to the
supplements? A lot of pregnant women take iron supplements because they think their bodies need more iron during pregnancy, but it’s a good idea to have your iron levels checked by your GP before taking any supplements. That’s because too much iron can also be unhealthy and can create side effects, such as gastrointestinal problems like constipation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. It can also damage the lining of your stomach.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68