Re:How much iron do I need during the first trimester?
As soon as the pregnancy takes place, the iron required by the pregnant body increases by fifty percent, from 18 to 27 milligrams per day. You’ll need that amount of iron throughout the pregnancy and an extra 9 milligrams per day when you are nursing. Women under the age of 18 need up to 15 milligrams extra iron daily. If one doesn’t get enough iron, there is iron deficiency anemia which manifests itself as being very tired, out of breath, having pale skin and brittle nails.
Doctors recommend that a pregnant woman get that extra iron in herself via the use of iron supplementation—that diet alone doesn’t provide enough iron. Iron can make some pregnant women nauseated so that they may need to split the dose of the prenatal vitamin or take the vitamin with food. Ideally, however, the iron pill should be taken on an empty stomach as it absorbs better that way. There are three types of iron supplements: ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, and ferrous sulfate. Sometimes a woman will tolerate one iron supplement but not another so experiment with the different types if there is morning sickness.
Remember that calcium can interfere with the absorption of iron so don’t take your calcium supplement as the same time as the iron supplement and don’t drink your iron supplement with milk. Caffeine also prevents the absorption of iron so don’t drink coffee, tea or carbonated beverages with your iron supplement. Vitamin C, on the other hand, helps iron to absorb better so it may be a good idea to take your iron supplement with orange or tomato juice. Iron supplements can cause constipation so make sure you get a lot of fiber in your diet and drink plenty of fluids along with the fiber. Ask your doctor if you think you need to take something stronger for constipation.
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