How many milligrams of iron should pregnant women take every day

Iron is very important for both normal women and pregnant women. If iron deficiency occurs during pregnancy and is not supplemented in time, it is easy to cause anemia. If pregnant women are iron deficient, it will cause the baby to have developmental delays or premature birth. Therefore, if iron deficiency occurs during pregnancy, it must be supplemented in time. However, although iron supplementation is important, iron cannot be supplemented excessively. How many milligrams of iron should pregnant women supplement every day?

How much iron should pregnant women take per day?

Pregnant women need to supplement 15 mg of iron a day, and about 1000 mg of iron during the entire pregnancy period (15%-20% more than non-pregnant women), of which the fetus needs 400-500 mg of iron, the placenta needs 60-100 mg of iron, the uterus needs 40-50 mg of iron, increased maternal hemoglobin requires 400-500 mg of iron, and blood loss during delivery requires 100-200 mg of iron. Iron supplementation is very important for pregnant women.

Early pregnancy: From the sixth week of pregnancy, the amount of plasma in the pregnant woman's blood increases more than the red blood cells, causing the blood to be diluted and prone to "physiological anemia". During this stage, 15 mg of iron needs to be supplemented every day. It is recommended to supplement iron through diet. You can eat more fish, lean meat, liver, eggs, dried shrimps and other animal foods as well as fresh vegetables.

Mid-pregnancy: From the 13th to the 28th week, pregnant women need to supplement 25 mg of iron every day. It is recommended that expectant mothers eat more meat, liver and other foods rich in hemoglobin and iron, and supplement vitamin C to increase iron absorption.

Late pregnancy: From the 29th to the 40th week, pregnant women need to supplement 35 mg of iron every day. Because pregnant women need to prepare iron for blood loss during childbirth and breastfeeding during this period, the fetus's liver will also store iron at a rate of 5 mg per day until it reaches 300-400 mg of iron at birth. It is recommended that in addition to eating more iron-rich foods, expectant mothers should also take iron supplements under the guidance of a doctor to supplement iron.

Note: Because each pregnant woman has a different physique, the amount of iron supplementation is also different, but most pregnant women follow this standard. Some pregnant women have poor absorption or are more deficient, so they need to increase the amount of supplementation appropriately. Conversely, pregnant women with good absorption or no iron deficiency can reduce the amount appropriately. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women to go to the hospital for a check-up and consult a doctor about the dosage of iron supplements.

What to eat for pregnant women

1. Eat more iron-rich foods

Before and just after pregnancy, you should start to pay attention to eating more iron-rich foods such as lean meat, poultry, animal liver and blood (duck blood, pig blood), eggs, etc. Soy products contain more iron and have a higher absorption rate in the intestines, so you should be careful about your intake. Eat more pasta as your staple food. Pasta contains more iron than rice and is better absorbed by the intestines than rice.

2. Eat more foods that help iron absorption

Fruits and vegetables can not only supplement iron, but the vitamin C they contain can also promote the absorption of iron in the intestines. Therefore, while eating iron-rich foods, it is best to eat more fruits and vegetables, which also have a good iron supplement effect. It is best for expectant mothers to eat eggs and meat at the same time to improve the utilization of iron in eggs. Or you can eat eggs and tomatoes at the same time, the vitamin C in tomatoes can increase the absorption rate of iron.

3. Use iron cookware to cook more meals

When cooking, try to use iron pots and iron shovels. These traditional cooking utensils will produce some small iron filings when cooking food, which will dissolve in the food to form soluble iron salts, making it easier for the intestines to absorb iron.

4. Eat more foods rich in folic acid

Start taking folic acid supplements 3 months before pregnancy and continue until 3 months after pregnancy. Pay attention to eating foods rich in folic acid, such as liver, kidney, green leafy vegetables, fish, eggs, grains, soy products, nuts, etc. Also, when cooking, be careful not to use too high a temperature or cook for too long.