Pregnant women should supplement iron as soon as possible!

When you become a "pregnant mother", you will need iron supplements every day to provide enough nutrients for your baby and prevent the risk of going through labor. The sooner you take iron supplements, the healthier you will be and avoid unpleasant symptoms of anemia!

When it comes to pregnancy nutrition, the list of things you should not eat can be endless, making it impossible for you to remember. However, equally important is the list of things that pregnant women should eat to ensure nutrition for the baby. In particular, pregnant women need additional iron as soon as possible.

Our bodies don't naturally produce iron. This is a mineral that can only be absorbed through diet, vitamins or iron supplements.

The role of iron for mother and baby

Pregnancy can increase your blood supply by up to 50%, which increases the demand for iron. The body uses iron to make red blood cells. The increase in blood supply means you will need more red blood cells and more iron to make blood cells.

When you don't get enough iron in your body, you can develop anemia. This is one of the most common problems that every mum has. Anemia during pregnancy can put mothers and babies at high risk of premature birth and low birth weight.

The role of iron for the mother and baby is to prevent anemia and the risks of giving birth.

According to WHO recommendations, pregnant women should get 30mg of iron and 0.4mg of folic acid daily. This is the right dose to help prevent anemia and sepsis in the mother, while avoiding premature birth and low birth weight in the baby.

when pregnant women should supplement iron

In fact, women should take iron supplements regularly and not necessarily wait until they become pregnant mothers. If you are about to become pregnant, you will need this nutritional supplement to avoid anemia.

You can recognize the following signs of anemia: asthenia, headaches with dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, pale skin ... These are warning signs of pregnancy. more iron supplements.

To prevent pregnancy anemia, you should go to the health examination to know the status of yourself. When anemia test is available, your doctor will recommend an appropriate iron supplement through diet and supplements.

Immediately after learning that she is pregnant, pregnant women should take iron supplements as soon as possible according to the doctor's orders to ensure nutrition for their babies.

how to supplement iron for pregnant women

You can get iron from daily foods, prenatal vitamins and iron supplements.

Daily food
Most pregnant women can get enough iron and folic acid during pregnancy by building a healthy diet. You should supplement your body with iron from the following foods:

Fish
Egg
Cereals
Poultry
Lean red meat
Nuts
Kinds of bean
Dark green vegetables
Fruits like bananas and melon

The best source of animal iron is absorption. If your iron comes from plant sources, supplement with vitamin C like tomato or orange juice for better absorption.

Prenatal vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are special vitamins for women who are pregnant or about to have a baby. Although manufactured from many different brands, prenatal vitamins have at least the following common ingredients:

• Calcium: Pregnant women and adults need at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Each prenatal vitamin pill usually contains about 200–300 mg of calcium.

• Folic acid: Pregnant women who get enough folic acid during pregnancy will help reduce the risk of neural tube defects for babies. Pregnant women and women who are about to become pregnant should get 0.6mg of folic acid daily.

• Iron: Iron is an essential nutrient for the body to produce red blood cells in the body. Pregnant women need about 27-30 mg of iron per day, so it is imperative to get iron from food and vitamins before giving birth.

In addition to the above components, prenatal vitamins can also contain many other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E ...

Iron supplements
If you have anemia test, your doctor may recommend iron supplements in addition to prenatal vitamins. Pregnant women need about 27 mg of iron / day, but depending on the iron supplement, the dosage will change. You should talk to your doctor about the appropriate dose of iron supplements.

When using iron supplements, you should note the following:

• Avoid eating calcium rich foods while taking iron supplements.

• Foods and beverages like coffee or tea, dairy products and egg yolks can also prevent your body from absorbing iron.

• Antacids (antacids) can also interfere with iron absorption. You should take iron supplements 2 hours before taking antacids or 4 hours after taking antacids.

Iron deficiency anemia not only directly affects the health of the pregnant mother but also can cause malnutrition at birth. Therefore, you should pay attention to iron supplements from different sources to ensure nutrition for both mother and child. Always remember to take iron supplements on time every day to have a healthy pregnancy, pregnant mother!