Suffering from anemia during pregnancy is more common than we might think. This is because it is a time when the consumption of nutrients increases considerably, which is why you can suffer from problems with hemoglobin, calcium and much more. But let’s see exactly how to prevent anemia problems in pregnancy?
It is that we always hear that when we are pregnant we should eat for two, which is not true; but it is true that we must provide our body with double the nutrients such as iron and calcium, since the tissues and hemoglobin are being formed in the fetus, so the requirements are very high.
This is the main reason why specialists prescribe vitamin B12 and folic acid , to avoid low hemoglobin problems, both in the fetus and in pregnant women. It is that the blood is responsible for carrying oxygen to each organ of our body, which is why when anemia begins, you can feel:
- Excessive fatigue and constant drowsiness.
- Dizziness and headache.
- Chest pain
- Dull appearance of hair and skin.
As you will see, there are symptoms such as dizziness that are very similar to those of pregnancy, so your specialist will surely be aware of your hemoglobin levels, which will tell if they are normal or, on the contrary, you will need extra iron so that your baby and you are healthy.
In addition, there are specific situations in which you are more likely to suffer from low hemoglobin or anemia.
Factors that Increase the Possibility of Anemia During Pregnancy
The first thing you should keep in mind is that there are women who generally have low hemoglobin levels , either because we are not careful with our diet or because we suffer from long periods. Given these factors, it is difficult to maintain high hemoglobin levels. What’s more:
- If you have had a recent pregnancy , whether it has come to term or not.
- You have a multiple pregnancy, this is totally logical. Also, imagine if expecting a baby is going to have high iron requirements. How much are you going to need if there are two or three? This is just one of the reasons why prenatal care is so important.
- Frequent vomiting , if you eat and vomit the nutrients do not reach your body, that is why you can try options such as eating ice, while the doctor prescribes a product that allows you to relieve vomiting, without affecting your pregnancy.
Also, if you have always suffered from anemia or low hemoglobin levels, you should be especially careful with foods rich in iron . You can say that it is not what causes you, but there are many options; There are also food supplements, which will help you raise hemoglobin quickly.
Consequences of anemia during pregnancy
95% of anemia during pregnancy is due to low iron levels, which is why it is necessary to increase the intake of this trace element, since it can have consequences such as:
- Increased risk of infections such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections . The worst part is that the baby can be born with, for example, a kidney infection.
- Baby with low height and weight, one of the most frequent problems faced by a baby whose mother has anemia, in addition to running the risk of being born prematurely.
- Pulmonary infarction, this is because not enough oxygen reaches the lungs, since the blood is responsible for transporting it.
- Gestational hypertension , which usually appears after the twentieth week of the gestation process. The problem is that when it is caused by hemoglobin problems, it can cause preeclampsia, low birth weight or premature babies, as well as develop postpartum hypertension.
- Heart failure , because between weeks 20 and 34, your cardiac output will increase between 30% and 50%, that means that your heart muscle will need more blood, since it will pump it more frequently. If this blood does not carry enough oxygen, its work will increase, causing heart failure.
- Deficiencies in cognitive development, a baby who has not had an adequate development, can present problems that can be reversed if anemia is detected and treated in time. In addition, for the mother, it represents an increased risk of postpartum depression.
As you will see, the so-called iron deficiency or gestational anemia can cause a series of problems in both the mother and the baby, which is why timely treatment is necessary.
Food and food supplements against gestational anemia
The iron contained in spinach, broccoli, meat, fish, shellfish, cereals such as quinoa and legumes such as lentils, will become an important part of your diet. You may not tolerate or like all of them, but it is necessary to take what you like the most and include them in your daily diet, in this way you can improve your health and that of your little one.