Iron

Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, the chemical that carries oxygen in blood cells. Your body makes more haemoglobin during pregnancy, so automatically takes more iron from the food you eat. However, as long as you eat a balanced diet you will probably not need an iron supplement. Iron supplements can cause problems with the absorption of other nutrients from your food. They may also cause sickness or constipation.

Try to include an iron-rich food with every meal. These foods are all good sources of iron, but the ones at the top of the list have the most available iron:

• Beef, lamb, kidney, dark chicken meat
• Sardines
• Fortified breakfast cereals (in the UK)
• Wholemeal bread
• Pulses like red lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, kidney beans
• Leafy vegetables: broccoli, peas, curly kale, spring greens, spring onions, spinach
• Cashew nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Dried fruits like apricots, prunes and figs
• Baked potatoes
• Eggs

To help your body make best use of the iron in your food eat some food rich in vitamin C with every meal, especially if you do not eat meat. Green or red vegetables and most fruit contain vitamin C.

Avoid drinking tea and coffee with meals. Both drinks contain chemicals that reduce the amount of iron you take from your food. Drink them an hour before you eat or two hours afterwards.

Some women may become genuinely short of iron during pregnancy and need treatment to prevent harm to themselves and their babies. If you do not have enough iron, you may not produce healthy haemoglobin and the transport of oxygen around your body may be affected. You may begin to feel tired, breathless, dizzy and miserable. These are some of the signs of anaemia.

Your midwife or doctor will take some blood to check your iron levels at one or more of your antenatal clinic visits. If you are showing signs of anaemia you may be prescribed iron supplements.