Anemia during Pregnancy : the effects of lack of hemoglobin

It was 3 years back when my sister gave birth to a baby boy. I remember all those little details of her going to the doctor , going into the operation theatre , the doc coming out to tell us that we had been blessed with a baby boy , all the family getting excited to meet of them. Everything around was so happy and cheerful that we did not realize that there maybe a problem lurking too. A few days after the delivery , my sister started getting more and more fatigue , nausea , felt dizzy too often and which was growing at an alarming rate. What we heard through the doctor after her checkup was that she was suffering with Preganancy Anemia , and that was when i really started thinking about it.

Anemia during Pregnancy 

Anemia during pregnancy , as the name clearly suggests that the new mom lacks the red blood cells which are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout our body. This is one of the main reasons why a person may feel dizzy or nauseous post preganancy or during pregnancy. The red bloood cells in our body are the storehouse for a protein known as Hemoglobin which is ultimately responsible to carry oxygen in and out of our body. What excels the hemoglobin count is a good intake of iron , vitamins and minerals which can be obtained through both diet and supplements. 

When a women is carrying a life in her womb , she has to make sure that she is getting enough nutrition both for herself and the baby and this completely depends on her diet. Proper intake of these vitamins and minerals is the solution to tackle with anemia but it is very often that women lack these in their bodies during pregnancy. 

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A closer look at anemia 

As we know that there is a sudden spike in the volume of blood in a woman's body during pregnancy , the lowering of the mineral percentage is very normal. But if this anemia is not looked after properly it might take a severe turn and also affect the baby. Anemia might hamper organ growth and cause weight issues in the baby. A woman might suffer from an Iron - deficiency anemia , a folate - deficiency anemia , or a vitamin - deficiency anemia depending upon what she lacks the most in her body. This condition occurs mostly when the woman does not consume enough iron or has a heavy menstrual flow , or is pregnant with multiple babies.

Symptoms and Causes 

The most common symptoms of anemia during pregnancy include: 

1. fatigue
2. short of breath 
3. dizziness 
4. fast heartbeat 
5. cold 
6. headache and etc

Anemia is usually caused by an improper diet but there maybe chances that a woman might be undergoing heavy blood flow during her menstrual cycle or might be suffering with Thalassemia.

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Cure and treatment 

Anemia can be treated easily by:

1. A doctor may suggest a prenantal vitamin . or an iron or vitamin supplement that may fill out the lack of thses minerals in your body.
2. If the anemia is severe and cannot be taken care of with only supplements and change in diet , Blood transfusion is suggested.
3. Taking enough folic acid , iron and vitamin B12 via a diet is the safest and the easiest option.

There are enough challenges a woman has to face pre , during and post pregnancy , don't let anemia be one. Consult your doctors before you take any further steps in the diagnosis and treatment of such diseases.