IRON IS IMPORTANT WHILE PREGNANT

Tired? Short of breath? And somewhere around week 20 of your pregnancy? You probably need more iron.

Iron is important as it carries oxygen around your body. When you lack iron, which happens when the amount of blood in your body increases, you tend to feel tired and generally out of sorts It will also take less to leave you out of breath.

You get iron from almost all foods, but particularly from meat and green leafy vegetables. And even though your body is better at absorbing iron from food, than a supplement, it can be hard to get enough iron from food during pregnancy. Talk to your LMC if you think you might need a supplement.

Remember this when taking an iron supplement:

• The tannins in tea block iron absorption, so don’t take your iron supplement with your cuppa.
• Your body is better at absorbing iron from a supplement if you take it with vitamin C, for example, a glass of orange juice.

Iron supplements may make you constipated, so ensure you drink lots of water and eat plenty of fruit and whole grains. If you react adversely to iron supplements, talk to your LMC.