How many months should you take iron supplements during pregnancy?

When a person is pregnant, the baby's development will consume a large part of the mother's nutrition. At this time, the mother needs to rely on food, medicine, etc. to supplement it. Iron plays an important role in the normal synthesis of blood. Iron deficiency may cause anemia symptoms in the baby and the mother and affect the baby's development. However, there is also a limit on the amount of iron supplementation. For how many months does a mother need to supplement iron? Let’s find out.

1. When should pregnant women supplement iron?

1. Pregnant women need iron supplements because your demand for iron increases greatly during pregnancy, and you need iron supplements to supply the developing baby and placenta, especially in the second and third trimesters. However, the specific time to supplement depends on the individual's iron deficiency. During your prenatal checkup, if the doctor says you are deficient, you can supplement it in appropriate amounts.

2. It is recommended to eat more healthy foods rich in iron. Red meat is your best choice for iron, and poultry, other meats, and shellfish are also good sources of iron. Non-meat foods rich in iron include beans, tofu, raisins, dates, prunes, figs, apricots, potatoes (with skin), cauliflower, beets, leafy green vegetables, whole-wheat bread, brown sugar, etc.

3. If the iron intake from food still cannot meet your needs, glycine chelated ferrous iron is absorbed by the human body through amino acid channels. It will not irritate the stomach and intestines to cause nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. It is very safe. The obstetrics and gynecology hospital prescribed it to me and it worked well.

4. Pregnant women also need to plan the time of iron supplementation according to the development of the fetus. However, if only iron supplementation is taken during pregnancy, it will not play a vital role in the development of the fetus. Therefore, you must eat more fruits that are rich in trace elements, which can greatly meet the nutritional needs of the fetus's development.

2. How many months does it take for pregnant women to start taking calcium and iron supplements?

Pregnant mothers can start taking calcium supplements after three months of pregnancy, because the fetus's bones begin to grow and the amount of calcium needed increases. Pregnant women can supplement calcium by eating more foods high in calcium and vitamin D, such as milk, soy products, and green vegetables. They can also get more sun exposure. The most effective method is to take calcium supplements.