We all know that health and nutrition in pregnancy is paramount to a healthy baby and mom. If we are not taking care of ourselves in pregnancy, then we are not taking care of our baby either. Last week I learned that my iron was low for the first time ever, besides when I had a lot of blood loss after my miscarriages. Low iron is the cause of tiredness, weakness and even dizziness, but these may be experienced without having low iron (or anemia). What expectant mama isn’t tired?
Your iron requirements go up significantly when you’re pregnant. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases until you have almost 50 percent more than usual. And you need more iron to make more hemoglobin for all that additional blood. You also need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta.
There are different ways to get your iron levels back up. You can either do it through food sources, which will take more time. There are iron supplements that are available, but many, if not most are constipating. Thanks to a couple of individuals in my life, I was introduced to Floradix. Floradix is a liquid iron supplement, with a combination of herbs. This liquid form makes it highly absorbable allowing our body to assimilate it faster, thus increasing our iron levels faster too.
Floradix is available online at www.Floradix.com, www.vitaminshoppe.com and also at wholefoods. It comes in two different sizes 8.5 Fl oz. and 17 Fl oz. It is actually cheaper to buy it in the 17 oz. bottle at $34.79 at the Vitamin Shoppe, which is 16 cents cheaper than Floradix.com.
Editor’s Note: As always, please consult your physician before changing your current supplements or trying new ones. This post is meant to be educational and informational and must not be construed as medical advice.
Resources:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=FL-1011
http://www.babycenter.com/0_iron-deficiency-anemia-in-pregnancy_3073.bc
