Am I getting enough Iron this Pregnancy?
Lets talk pregnancy nutrients for a second.
There are a multitude of nutrients that become extra important during pregnancy based on their roles in the mother’s and fetus’ tissue, but few are as commonly deficient worldwide as iron.
I started my first pregnancy unknowingly anemic. Adequate iron intake during pregnancy ensures that both the mother and the developing fetus have the essential nutrients they need for optimal health and development. The body has an increased need for iron during pregnancy because the maternal blood volume expands significantly to support the growing fetus.
Feeling tired, weak, short of breath?
It could be just regular pregnancy stuff. Or you could have iron-deficiency anemia. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Without enough, both the mother and the developing fetus have a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body leading to a lack of oxygen being delivered to vital organs. Hence, the fatigue.
When left untreated, this could also increase the risk for preterm labor and low-birth weight for bebe. Our goal is long, safe, healthy pregnancies and babes, so we want to make sure to intake enough iron to decrease these risks as much as possible, obviously!
Thank goodness our bodies are SO SMART.
During pregnancy, iron absorption actually changes and increases in order to make up the difference. Unfortunately, especially during the first trimester, even this change isn’t enough to help some of us with our pregnancy cravings and aversions. Aversions to foods that contain iron or only being able to eat foods that inhibit iron absorption can be the main culprit for sensitive pregnant bellies. Calcium in milks, polyphenols in coffee or tea, phytate in bread or cereals, and oxalic acid in some vegetables all inhibit absorption of iron, exasperating the problem. Foods that are rich in iron include red meat, poultry, fish, spinach, beans, and fortified cereals. Not a lot of those sounding appealing in the first trimester? I get it. Iron supplements are available for those who have a severe enough deficiency and are unable to tolerate foods to boost your numbers. However, overuse or non-indicated consumption of these supplements might increase oxidative stress in Mama’s body which could put everyone at risk with preeclampsia, inflammatory diseases or cardiovascular risk.
So what the heck should we be doing to help ourselves?
If possible, the best option is to try and build iron stores during the preconception time period through a variety of food source intakes. Limit eating iron rich foods along side the foods that stop its absorption (calcium is usually the biggest culprit!) Just give your body some time between eating your steak and drinking a 16 oz glass of whole milk, would ya?
