Do I need iron supplements during late pregnancy?

Most women will experience anemia during pregnancy. Anemia during pregnancy requires timely iron supplementation. In the late pregnancy, if there is still a deficiency, you must continue to supplement iron. This is better for the development of the baby in the belly. However, if there is no deficiency, you don’t need to supplement it in the late pregnancy. It usually needs to be decided based on your physical condition.

Do pregnant women need iron supplements?

Iron is one of the main raw materials for the human body to produce red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy can not only cause pregnant women to experience palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue, but can also lead to fetal intrauterine hypoxia, slow growth and development, intellectual development disorders after birth, and susceptibility to nutritional iron deficiency anemia within 6 months after birth. Pregnant women need to prepare sufficient iron reserves for themselves and their fetuses' hematopoiesis in the uterus and after delivery. Therefore, special attention should be paid to iron supplementation during pregnancy.

In early pregnancy, you should consume at least 15 to 20 mg of iron per day; in late pregnancy, you should consume 20 to 30 mg of iron per day. Foods rich in iron include lean meat, pork liver, eggs, kelp, green vegetables (celery, rapeseed, amaranth, etc.), dried apricots, cherries, etc.

Generally speaking, pregnant women take iron supplements, mainly ferrous sulfate, and usually choose combination tablets, two tablets at a time, three times a day. If you choose iron tablets alone, you only need to supplement 200-400 mg each time, and do not overdose. At the same time, it is best to take two tablets of vitamin C orally every day to promote iron absorption. However, iron supplements have a certain degree of irritation to the stomach and intestines, so it is best to take them after a meal and not on an empty stomach.

How to supplement iodine for pregnant women

Pregnant mothers need to supplement iodine appropriately during pregnancy. Iodine deficiency poses a serious threat to the growth and development of the next generation, especially brain development. The differentiation and development of the brain during the embryonic period is the basis for its subsequent development, so the impact of iodine deficiency in pregnant women on the fetus has received widespread attention. During pregnancy, women's metabolism speeds up and their own iodine demand increases. At the same time, they also need to supply iodine to the baby in their womb to meet the baby's iodine needs during growth and development.

Newborns are more sensitive to iodine deficiency than their mothers. The weight and other indicators of newborns born to iodine-deficient pregnant women are significantly lower than those of newborns born to healthy women of the same age. Therefore, a considerable number of expectant mothers are in an "iodine-deficient state" after pregnancy, and it is particularly important to supply sufficient iodine during pregnancy.

How do pregnant women supplement iodine? Dietary supplements are the best way to supplement iodine. The foods richest in iodine are seafood, such as kelp, seaweed, mussels, sea cucumber, scallops, lobster, and marine fish. When eating, you should pay attention to the cooking method to avoid iodine deficiency, and the intake of iodized salt is another important way to supplement iodine.