Why Do Pregnant Women Need to Take Blood Boosting Tablets?

Medical Video: Importance of Hemoglobin During Pregnancy | Increase Hemoglobin Levels | Your YouTube Mom
Why do pregnant women need blood boosting tablets?
Where do pregnant women get extra iron?
What happens if the mother has iron deficiency anemia while pregnant?
Are there side effects from iron tablets?

Medical Video: Importance of Hemoglobin During Pregnancy | Increase Hemoglobin Levels | Your YouTube Mom

When pregnant, the need for important substances needed by the body certainly increases. This increase is related to changes in the body of the mother, as well as to meet the nutritional needs of the womb.

One nutrient that has increased and is needed by pregnant women is iron. Pregnant women are advised to fulfill their iron needs during pregnancy because if they don't, they can cause problems for the mother and baby.

Why do pregnant women need blood boosting tablets?

Iron is one of the nutrients that are needed by pregnant women. Even before pregnancy, women are recommended to meet their iron requirements. This is due to various reasons, such as:

Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all cells in the body.
Iron is also an important compound in myoglobin, a protein that helps provide oxygen to muscles. In addition, it is also a component to form collagen (protein in bones, cartilage, and other connective tissue), and is needed to form many enzymes.
Iron is needed to help maintain the immune system.

During pregnancy, of course your iron needs increase because the number of blood cells in your body increases during pregnancy. This increase reaches 50% or more of your normal blood count. So you need more iron to form hemoglobin. You also need extra iron for your baby's growth and placenta in the womb, especially in the second and third trimesters.

Many women need more iron because they are pregnant with a lack of iron in the body. Lack of iron reserves before pregnancy can develop into iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy. In addition, the risk of iron deficiency anemia is also high in mothers who are pregnant with twins or have a short pregnancy distance with a previous pregnancy.

Where do pregnant women get extra iron?

To prevent anemia during pregnancy, you can take an iron tablet or a blood-added tablet. Although there are many ways to get iron from food, it's a good idea to also consume the extra iron that you can get from tablets with more blood.

In Indonesia, the government recommends consuming tablets of blood (TTD) / iron tablets for pregnant women as many as 90 tablets or more during pregnancy to prevent iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy. You can get a TTD for free at the puskesmas or you can buy a commercial TTD at the nearest pharmacy.

What happens if the mother has iron deficiency anemia while pregnant?

Iron deficiency anemia can make pregnant women easily weak and tired. Severe anemia can also cause complications during pregnancy. For example, anemia can make the mother's immune system weak, so that the mother is susceptible to infectious diseases.

Apart from being at risk for the mother, iron deficiency anemia can also pose a risk to the baby. Iron deficiency anemia is associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant mortality.

Severe anemia is rare in pregnant women who eat foods with balanced nutrition and always maintain their diet. However, anemia can cause serious health problems in mothers who do not eat foods with balanced nutrition.

Are there side effects from iron tablets?

When you consume iron tablets, you should know the dosage you should consume. It is better if you consult with your doctor first before you consume TTD / iron tablets. Your doctor will adjust your iron tablet intake with the iron intake you normally get from food.

Although excess iron can be stored by the body as a backup, but too high a dose of iron tablets can cause problems. Doses of iron tablets that are too high may cause problems in your digestive system, such as constipation or constipation, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. When iron tablets are consumed when the stomach is empty, they may damage the stomach lining.

You can take an iron tablet before going to bed late so you don't feel nauseous after taking it. If iron tablets cause constipation, you can eat more vegetables and fruits (such as spinach which is also an iron source) and drink more water to help overcome the difficulty of defecating. Also, don't worry if your stool color looks darker after consuming an iron tablet because this is normal and does not cause harm.

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