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How to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 14.08.2023
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One of the basic microelements necessary for human life is iron. This microelement is present in proteins (hemoglobin, myoglobin) and various enzymes. Hemoglobin is a complex protein that is part of the red blood cells, with its help, carbon dioxide and oxygen are transported to all organs from the lungs.

As you know, pregnant women must undergo the procedure of delivery of a huge number of tests, and a clinical blood test is no exception. One of the main indicators that the doctor pays attention to when examining and consulting a future mother is the level of hemoglobin in the blood. And the problem of increasing this indicator in a future mother is very urgent, because in this crucial period, the beautiful half of humanity is experiencing an increased need for iron.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Indications

As for any healthy person, the norm of hemoglobin for which 120 - 140 g / l, for pregnant women this indicator should be at a similar level. But during the gestational period very often there is a lack of this indicator (iron-deficiency anemia) due to the fact that the body consumes much more iron. The problem of anemia is more often found in pregnant women living in large cities, where the bad ecology affects, the lack of natural foods rich in vitamins and microelements. If the decrease in hemoglobin occurs before the 16th week of pregnancy, it is worth seriously paying attention to anemia, because its appearance in the mother entails a lack of oxygen in the child.

Reduced hemoglobin in women who are preparing to become a mother can be caused by the physiological characteristics and external factors to which a woman is exposed. Here are some of them:

  • Low blood pressure;
  • Various diseases of internal organs;
  • Stressful situations;
  • Bleeding;
  • Inadequate nutrition;
  • Deficiency in the body of vitamin B12;
  • Lack of appetite;
  • Digestion is disturbed;
  • Frequent catarrhal diseases;
  • There is a tachycardia;
  • A constant feeling of fatigue and drowsiness.

At first glance, it seems that it is very simple to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy - to correct the diet by including foods rich in iron. But not always this is enough and it is necessary to apply cardinal measures, i.e. Use iron-containing drugs, and in some cases, enter parenterally or intramuscularly.

Depending on how much lower the hemoglobin index (the degree of anemia), it is possible to increase it in pregnant women in various ways:

  • Medicamentous therapy (preparations containing iron together with folic acid and vitamin c)
  • Alternative methods
  • Increased use of certain products

trusted-source[11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18]

The treatment protocol

How to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy quickly?

A quick way to raise the level of hemoglobin to women expecting a baby is, of course, intravenous and intramuscular administration of preparations containing iron. Such stringent measures are applied at a very high rate of anemia. Another way to increase hemoglobin in the blood is taking drugs in a tablet form. Medical iron preparations in tablets are divided into ionic and nonionic. In their composition, components that improve the absorption of the basic substance are added. Naturally, this kind of therapy must necessarily be prescribed and controlled by a doctor. We list some drugs that allow you to quickly get rid of the shortage of iron in your body.

  1. Venofer is a preparation that contains iron hydroxide. It is designed to treat patients with anemia. It is injected intravenously. When properly used, the drug is well tolerated. But it is necessary to know that it is strictly prohibited for use in the first trimester of the gestational period and can only be prescribed by the attending physician from the second trimester. This takes into account the risk ratio for the fetus and benefit. With caution is assigned to future mothers suffering from bronchial asthma, impaired liver function.
  2. Ferrum lek - a drug, produced in the form of a solution of injections, chewing tablets, syrup. It is used in such cases:
    • Anemia caused by iron deficiency;
    • Latent iron deficiency;
    • Severe anemia due to significant blood loss;
    • Inadequate absorption of iron in the digestive system;
    • Prevention of iron deficiency in pregnant women;
    • Prevention of iron deficiency in the lactation period.

It should be noted that it is harmful to take the drug serum for people who have an allergic reaction to the drug, an excess of the element "iron" in the body, with anemia of non-iron deficiency, as well as if there are problems with iron absorption in the body, or kidney infections. Also contraindication is 1 trimester of the gestational period.

Treatment of low hemoglobin during pregnancy with medication

Although the absorption of iron-containing products individually for each organism, there is still a restriction - the amount of digestible iron through the gastrointestinal tract is only 2-2.5 milligrams per day. Even if the intake of iron-containing products is very large, iron is still not absorbed in large quantities.

Therefore, in many cases, treatment of reduced hemoglobin with medications containing iron is indicated. In case of proper prescription and combination, iron can be absorbed by the application 15-20 times more.

The list of varieties of iron-containing preparations is quite large, we will dwell on some of the most common ones.

  1. Fenules is a drug that maintains the required level of hemoglobin even with a high consumption of the element of iron, such as in pregnant women. It is available in the form of tablets, drops, capsules. To use this drug, future mothers can during the entire pregnancy, and also after the birth of the baby, during breastfeeding.

The composition of the drug includes such active components: ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (used for better assimilation of iron), as well as vitamins of the group in (for normalization of metabolism).

Take fenules recommend after eating to minimize irritation of the gastric mucosa, and not to stimulate signs of toxicosis.

Side effects can be: general weakness, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, ulcerative esophagitis. Contraindications are increased susceptibility to individual components of the drug, exacerbation of stomach ulcer, hemosiderosis, hemochromatosis.

  1. Sorbifer durules is a preparation for curing and preventing anemia caused by iron deficiency. Active components of the agent are ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid. Treatment of low hemoglobin with the help of this drug can be carried out throughout the entire pregnancy, as well as in the lactation period. As for other iron-containing preparations, there are a number of side effects when using it. This is nausea, diarrhea, irritation of the mucosa of the alimentary canal, allergic reactions, hypertension, sleep disorders, headaches. If any of these signs appear, the pregnant woman should immediately contact the doctor.
  2. Maltofer and maltofer foul are two varieties of one agent, the first of which contains iron hydroxide polymorphosate, the second is iron polymaltose and folic acid. For use during pregnancy and in the lactation period, only maltofer foul is used. It is produced exclusively in the form of chewable tablets. Representatives of the fair sex who are expecting a child and using a maltopher foul, it is recommended to take the drug not only before the normalization of the hemoglobin index. It is desirable to drink it and until the very birth. About the drug, future and nursing mothers respond very positively, since its even prolonged use does not give such side effects as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, irritation of the mucous organs of digestion.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that, using the listed, as well as other preparations containing iron, it is necessary to take into account the presence of the microelement "iron" in vitamin complexes. When a pregnant woman uses a vitamin complex in parallel with an iron preparation, one must choose one of them - otherwise an overdose of one of the components is possible.

How to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy at home?

There are many iron-containing drugs, clinical trials of which have not been performed on pregnant women. Therefore, most of the future mothers consider it unacceptable and undesirable to take risks. If the decrease in hemoglobin is negligible (mild iron deficiency anemia), it is possible to cope with this deficiency at home. To do this, use iron-containing foods, a variety of decoctions, infusions, known from ancient times for their properties to normalize the amount of iron in the blood.

How to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy by alternative means?

The use of alternative drugs is mainly in nutritional supplements for food: juices, fruit drinks, infusions of medicinal plants, etc. We will give several such examples.

  1. Brew leaves of blackberries and take in the form of tea 3-4 times a day.
  2. Brew dry fruit of a dogrose, reception 3-4 times a day.
  3. Make a useful mixture of dried fruits (dried apricots, dates, raisins), lemon (you can lime), walnuts and honey. Take the listed ingredients in the same proportion, for example 100 grams, grind with a blender or meat grinder and take 1 tablespoon 20-30 minutes before eating.
  4. Make the mors from fresh cranberries, add the same amount of apple juice with a small amount of beet juice. Drink a drink before meals three to four times a day.
  5. Eat one teaspoon of honey every morning on an empty stomach.

How to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy with products

Is it possible to increase hemoglobin with the help of products? That's the main question that almost every future mother puts to herself when she learns about iron deficiency. Let's consider these miracle products, which are used regularly, you can forget about anemia throughout pregnancy. The record holder for iron content are pistachios (100 grams contain 60 mg of iron). To such an unexpected conclusion, modern scientists came. The following items are dried fungi (30-35 mg), sunflower halva (33 mg), pork (18-20 mg), quail eggs (3.7 mg), black caviar (2.5 mg). A large amount of iron is found in beef, seafood, beans and cereals.

The content of iron in vegetables is given below:

  • onion leeks (herbs) - 2,1 mg;
  • radish - 0.8 mg;
  • pumpkin - 0,8 mg;
  • broccoli (cabbage) - 0.73 mg;
  • salad (herbs) - 0,55 mg;
  • rutabak - 0.52 mg;
  • white cabbage - 0.47 mg;
  • cabbage color - 0.42 mg;
  • kohlrabi (cabbage) - 0.4 mg;
  • radish - 0.34 mg;
  • onion - 0.21 mg;
  • Jerusalem artichoke - 3.4 mg;
  • asparagus - 2.14 mg;
  • garlic - 1,7 mg;
  • beets - 0.8 mg;
  • celery (root crop) - 0.7 mg;
  • Potatoes - 0.52 mg.

Separately it is necessary to allocate berries, fruit and juices prepared from them. Using these light products, future mothers not only increase hemoglobin, but also saturate the body with other microelements and vitamins that are necessary in their position. Naturally, seasonal berries and fruits bring the greatest benefit, but it is also possible to use them in frozen form. List of fruits containing the greatest amount of iron compounds:

  • Garnet;
  • Plums;
  • Strawberry;
  • Feijoa;
  • Bilberry;
  • Strawberries;
  • Raspberries;
  • Black currant.

Also, future mothers wishing to bring the level of hemoglobin to the norm should focus on products that do not allow the microelement "iron" to be fully absorbed. Here are some of them: coffee, hard cheese, milk. It is best to exclude them from the diet of a pregnant woman, or to use them separately from iron-containing foods.

To ensure that the hemoglobin level does not decrease, in addition to a special diet, the fair sex should also pay attention to outdoor walks and proper breathing. And in 10-15 days the future mothers will be able to evaluate the results of the work done.

We are confident that in this article you have received exhaustive answers to questions about the increase in hemoglobin in pregnancy.

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