Iron is an important mineral throughout life, but especially during pregnancy, since it helps the unborn baby get oxygen and mom to stay healthy. Prenatal vitamins can help expecting moms get their daily dose of iron, as can other foods in their diet.
Iron Content
According to Baby Center, most prenatal vitamins contain between 27 and 60 mg of iron. The Cleveland Clinic reports that most pregnant women need 30 mg of iron per day, but some, including those with iron-deficiency anemia, need more. At the beginning of pregnancy, most obstetricians do blood tests for anemia and will prescribe vitamins or supplements with extra iron if needed.
Why Do Pregnant Women Need More Iron?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, iron is an important part of hemoglobin, the substance in your blood that carries oxygen to your organs, tissues and baby. It also carries oxygen in muscles, helping them to function correctly, and increases the body's resistance to stress and disease. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reports that expecting women need more iron to support the growth of the baby and to produce extra blood.
Benefits of Iron During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman's body has to produce more blood, so the iron stores in her body can get low, making her feel tired, weak, irritable and even depressed. Most women don't consume enough iron from their diet, so it's especially important to get more from a prenatal supplement.
Other Tips
The ACOG recommends taking your iron supplement or prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach or with a glass of orange juice to help your body absorb the iron better. Vitamin C helps your body to use iron. Caffeine can inhibit the absorption of iron so don't consume caffeine within three hours of taking your supplement. The extra iron in prenatal vitamins causes some women to become constipated. To avoid this, the Mayo Clinic recommends drinking plenty of water, eating more fiber, getting moderate exercise each day, or asking your doctor about using a stool softener. According to the Cleveland Clinic, breastfeeding moms also need 30 mg of iron per day.
Other Sources of Iron
Although most prenatal vitamins fulfill an expecting woman's daily requirement for iron, including iron-rich foods in your diet is also recommended. Meat and seafood are the best sources of iron, because the body absorbs iron best from animal sources, according to the Cleveland Clinic. You can also find iron in legumes, enriched breads and cereals, spinach, broccoli, molasses, berries, oranges, peanut butter and many other foods.
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