All kinds of preparation and planning goes into having a baby, yet want-to-be moms often don’t consider one of the most important things to plan for, which is her health before she even gets pregnant and in particular the role that iron plays pre-pregnancy. This is the first article in my 3-part series, Iron & Pregnancy. Let’s get started!
My name is Kelly and I am iron deficient. My iron levels were never great after the birth of my first child. The blood loss was massive, the doctors pondered my need for a blood transfusion and prescribed me ferrous sulfate to help out. It brought my levels up enough, but I had low iron levels from then on; never low enough to cause alarm, but enough (I would think) to play havoc with my energy levels.
In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8th), I thought it was fitting to make today’s post all about the ladies. Did you know that simply being female puts you at a higher risk for developing iron deficiency?
It is estimated that 20% of women of childbearing age are iron deficient and 50% of pregnant women develop iron deficiency. Each life stage can bring about different causes (or types) of the condition, which include:
Let’s have a look at the risk that each stage of life brings with it and why…