ANEMIA is a condition when your blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells, which means it gets difficult for your blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to different parts of your body. During pregnancy, if you get anemic, it not only affects you but also affect your baby. As your body goes through a lots of changes during pregnancy, this may cause anemia in some women. Actually your body produces more blood when you are expecting for the growth of your developing baby. But if you lack iron, folate or other nutrients, then it can cause anemia. Mild anemia is normal during pregnancy and makes you feel tired and exhausted. But if it goes severe or left untreated than it may invite many other complications during pregnancy.
SYMPTOMS OF ANEMIA
If you have mild anemia, you may hardly feel any symptoms. But if it becomes severe, then these symptoms persist which are as follows:
- Too much fatigue
- Pale skin
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Cold feet and hands
Most of the time, some of these symptoms get misunderstood by the symptoms of pregnancy, as they are quite similar. But a blood test for anemia helps to diagnose anemia. Blood tests for anemia basically include:
Hemoglobin Test: It actually measures the amount of hemoglobin (protein in your red blood cells) i.e. if your hemoglobin is less that means you have low red blood cells and are anemic.
Hematocrit Test: It helps to measure the volume percentage of red blood cells in your blood.
If you’re diagnosed with anemia then your doctor figures out the cause of anemia and then prescribes you the supplements for that particular deficiency (in most of the cases).
WHAT CAUSES ANEMIA?
Nutritional deficiency is the main cause of anemia especially during pregnancy. There are different kinds of anemia, but the most common are due to deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. Now the cause depends upon the kind of anemia you are diagnosed with.
Iron-deficiency Anemia:
Deficiency of iron is one of the main causes of anemia during pregnancy. As your blood volume increases during pregnancy for the development of your baby, so it needs more iron to make more red blood cells (protein in hemoglobin), which helps to carry oxygen in different parts of your body (including your baby). But if your body lacks the stores of iron before or during pregnancy, it can cause iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy. Due to this, your body needs good nutrition during or even before pregnancy to build up these stores, which then helps to prevent you from iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
Folate-deficiency Anemia:
Folic acid also plays a very important role during pregnancy. Folic acid is one of the types of vitamin B, which works with iron for the development of your baby. Again your body needs extra folic acid during pregnancy for the development of your baby. A deficiency of folate can cause neural tube defect, brain problems, or other birth defects in your developing baby during pregnancy. It can also cause iron-deficiency anemia as well. So it is always suggested having folic acid supplement during or before pregnancy with folic-acid rich foods to prevent folate deficiency during pregnancy.
Vitamin B12 deficiency Anemia:
Women who are vegetarian or vegan are at high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 also plays a very important role in pregnancy. During pregnancy, your body needs B12 vitamin for the healthy formation of red blood cells. A deficiency of B12 can also cause birth defects in your baby, preterm labor, or other complications. Mostly, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency come together. So better to have a diet rich in vitamin B12 or add supplement during pregnancy.
WHO IS AT MORE RISK OF ANEMIA DURING PREGNANCY?
Every woman who is pregnant but doesn’t take care of their nutrition (especially iron and folic acid) is at more risk of anemia. Apart from that, you are at high risk of anemia if you:
- are expecting more than one baby
- are a vegetarian or vegan
- have experienced heavy periods before getting pregnant
- get pregnant very close to your previous pregnancy
- experience too much vomiting (as a sign of early pregnancy symptom)
- have any history of anemia.
HOW TO PREVENT ANEMIA DURING PREGNANCY?
If you experience severe anemia during pregnancy, it can also affect the development of your baby. Sometimes it may also affect the growth of your baby, may cause preterm birth and low birth weight. So it’s better to take care of little things in the early phase of pregnancy to prevent anemia.
First of all, the solution of all the pregnancy-related issues including anemia is to have a well-balanced and nutritious diet (the most important thing during pregnancy is to take care of your diet and nutrition). It can easily be prevented by taking your essential nutrients through your diet or through supplements. Let’s look at the following ways which may help you to prevent anemia during pregnancy:
- Do take your prenatal vitamins and supplements properly during pregnancy (it’s even better to start taking prenatal supplements when you start planning for a baby) as prescribed by your doctor
- Add foods which are rich in iron in your diet like dark green and leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu, beef, chicken or fish.
- Add foods which are rich in folate like fortified cereals, peas, chickpeas, broccoli, etc.
- Add foods which are rich in vitamin B12 like fish, eggs, meat, dairy products, fortified foods, etc.
- Also add foods rich in vitamin C (which actually help your body absorb more iron) like tomatoes, bell pepper, citrus fruits, strawberries, etc.