Iron Rich Foods --Preventing Iron Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy

Iron rich foods are a part of good pregnancy nutrition. If you are carrying one baby (not twins or more) you need about 3.5mg of iron/day.

Here's a list of some iron rich foods...

*raisins, prunes, and apricots

*blackstrap molasses (My favorite way to do this is by making molasses/ginger snap cookies:)

*liver

*most beans

*broccoli

*kale (it is actually very good sauteed with garlic and onions or Asian seasonings--just make sure to remove the stems and cook long enough or it will be tough and bitter.)

*spinach (most green leafy veggies)

*almonds

*eggs (the yolks)

*whole grain breads

*seaweeds

*herbs such as alfalfa, nettle, dandelion, red raspberry leaf, and yellow dock root (make an infusion and drink throughout the day). I have used Mountain Rose Herbs and have been pleased with their products and their service.

*cast iron cookware--while not a food--cooking with cast iron can help to add some iron to your food.

If you are eating a nutritious diet which contains many of these iron rich foods, you most likely do not need to supplement.

However, if you begin your pregnancy with low iron stores, have iron absorption problems, or have had closely spaced pregnancies, you may need to concentrate on getting more iron through your diet. In some cases you may need to supplement.

Iron deficiency anemia is reduced levels of hemoglobin in the blood. The blood cells cannot transport optimal levels of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body without adequate hemoglobin.

It is important to have enough iron stores during pregnancy as your blood volume increases by 50-60%, and the baby stores iron during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Points to Keep in Mind

*Heme iron is the iron found in meat and is more easily absorbable than non-heme iron found in vegetables.

*You must have Vitamin C present to absorb iron. So it is good to eat your iron rich foods with Vitamin C rich foods.

*Antacids, tannins found in coffee and tea, and a high fiber diet can hinder the body's ability to absorb iron.

Symptoms of Anemia

*apathy

*weakness

*dizziness

*pale skin

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you will want to up your intake of iron rich foods and talk with your health care provider or midwife.

If you have had blood tests done in early pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia will show up as a hemoglobin level below 11 grams/deciliter and a serum ferritin of less than 12 nanograms/milliliter.*

However, it is normal for hemoglobin levels to drop by about 2 grams by the 28th week of pregnancy due to expanding blood volume. This is, in fact, what we want. You don't want low levels to begin with or very low levels as pregnancy progresses.

Anemia can be due to other factors besides your iron intake. Consider your intake of the B vitamins (especially B12 and folic acid), vitamin E, vitamin C, and protein. All of these things will affect the health of your blood hemoglobin levels. Deficiencies in these vitamins and nutrients can cause some of the same symptoms that iron deficiency anemia causes.

*Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year Anne Frye p 198

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