Anemia During Pregnancy

Anemia is a condition where the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood is diminished. Oxygen is carried to every cell in your body by a component of the blood called hemoglobin. Your blood will expand to almost twice the normal volume by the 28th week of pregnancy to ensure that enough oxygen is being carried to your baby. Your body’s need for oxygen-rich blood during this time is extraordinary. Hemoglobin takes longer to develop then other components of your blood. Making sure that an adequate amount of hemoglobin is developed can ensure a healthy pregnancy and a quick recovery postpartum.

Your blood is typically tested at the beginning of your pregnancy and then again at 28 weeks to make sure that your hemoglobin count is at least 11 or 12. If you are borderline anemic some of the symptoms you might be having include depression, fatigue, weakness, breathlessness, fainting, dizziness, nausea, inflamed or sore tongue, and headaches. Some of the causes of anemia include inadequate intake of iron in the diet, folic acid and B12 deficiency, caffeine intake, and back-to-back pregnancies. Below is a list of supplements recommended to replenish iron stores in your blood thus raising your hemoglobin and resolving anemia.

• First, make sure you are taking a vitamin that is whole-food based.  The preferred prenatal vitamins we recommend in our practice are Mega Foods Baby and Me, and New Chapter Prenatal Vitamin.  Both are excellent brands that are 100% food and highly bioavailable.
• Mega Foods Blood Builder is an excellent source of iron and the cofactors necessary for maximum absorption.
• Himalayan Goji juice, 4 oz taken 2 times a day
• Yellow Dock tincture, 3 droppers taken 4 times a day
• Floradix liquid iron supplement
• Chlorella tablets, 6 tablets taken 2-3x a day
• Take a Vitamin B6, B12, and Folate supplement. (You can purchase this from us)
• Make sure you take extra Vitamin C with any supplementation, as the extra C is necessary for the iron to absorb into the blood.
• Other herbs that contain iron and are safe during pregnancy are chickweed, burdock, dandelion root and leaves, purslane, nettles, red raspberry leaf and alfalfa. You can take these by tincture or make a tea infusion and drink throughout the day.

Here is a list of foods that will also help build the blood:
Clams, oysters, legumes, tofu, organ meats, especially chicken liver, whole grains, black rice, beans, dark leafy greens, figs, seeds, nuts (especially almonds), eggs, rosehips, blackstrap molasses, and seaweeds such as kombu.
 
Foods that contain higher amounts of Folate are also encouraged:
Asparagus, barley, beef, brewers yeast, brown rice, cheese, chicken, dates, green leafy vegetables, lamb, lentils, legumes, liver, milk, oranges, split peas, root vegetables, salmon, tuna, wheat germ, and whole grains.
 
It would be ideal for you to incorporate these foods into your diet on a regular basis during your pregnancy and afterwards as they are infinitely important for you to not only nutrify your blood but they ensure that you are sustained well into breastfeeding and beyond.