Many girls in the first months of pregnancy do not suspect that the cause of their illness is iron deficiency anemia. Her symptoms are weakness, pallor skin, fast fatiguability. They arise due to the fact that during this period the mother’s body also provides blood to the fetus.
Low levels of iron protein indicate anemia. Its minimum value of 110 g/l is the starting point during pregnancy and during the first months after the birth of the baby. After some time it stabilizes. The norm for women after childbirth is 120 g/l.
The main culprit of the disease is a blood protein combined with iron. It takes part in gas exchange, since these molecules exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen and distribute it to all tissues. A decrease in the level of this microelement is called anemia. It is also popularly called anemia.
During anemia, hypoxia occurs, that is, oxygen starvation. This provokes a disruption of all body activities.
It comes in two types:
- chronic;
- spicy.
The acute form most often occurs during or after birth process. The woman in labor has a hard time bearing it because the body does not have time to adapt.
The chronic form of this pathology occurs due to a gradual decrease in the number of red blood cells. This type of anemia occurs in representatives of the fairer sex, who suffered from this pathology even before bearing a child. Their body gets used to being constantly in a state of oxygen starvation and therefore tolerates everything much easier. We will discuss further how to increase hemoglobin after giving birth to a nursing mother.
Norms at position and during lactation
Representatives of the fairer sex require more iron than men. This is due to monthly bleeding. With the onset of pregnancy, the hemoglobin norm in women increases, because during this period the body must provide nutritional components to the developing fetus.
After the birth of a child, the need for an iron-containing element does not decrease, since the lactation period begins. And only when the baby begins to eat on his own, the mother’s responsibility to provide the child with useful substances is removed.
Pregnant women should increase its level as intrauterine development baby Low levels have a bad effect on fetal growth. But a high level of this protein can cause complications. Thus, its level should normally correspond to the trimester:
- In the first trimester from 114 to 134 g/l.
- In the second trimester from 112 to 128 g/l.
- In the third - from 111 to 129 g/l.
A pregnant woman's iron level is determined from blood tests.
Reasons for the decline
Before treating anemia, the cause of its occurrence must be found. By eliminating factors that negatively affect the body, you can find out how to quickly increase hemoglobin after childbirth. Without finding out why hemoglobin is low, no medications will help.
In pregnant women, as well as in women giving birth, the reasons of this disease may be the following:
- If there are several fetuses in the womb.
- Filling the needs of the placenta and umbilical cord.
- Excessive bleeding during the birth process.
- An increase in blood plasma, resulting in a decrease in the number of circulating red blood cells.
- Haemorrhoids.
- A lot of calcium, which prevents iron from being absorbed.
- Complications of chronic pathologies.
Since any open bleeding can result in low hemoglobin in mothers after childbirth, there can be many causes. It is possible to find out the specific source of the disease only after a complete examination.
Deficiency Symptoms
After labor activity Iron deficiency is very acute. Symptoms low level of this microelement are as follows:
- headaches and dizziness;
- hard to concentrate on one subject;
- weakness and apathy;
- drowsiness;
- decreased performance.
An urgent visit to the doctor is necessary for a nursing mother if she experiences vomiting, nausea and fainting states. This should not be attributed to overwork or anemia; pathologies with identical symptoms may have worsened.
Ways to Boost Iron Levels
How can a nursing mother increase hemoglobin after childbirth, since she cannot take medications and needs to adhere to a diet during lactation? There is no need to panic, as deficiency can be eliminated with proper dietary adjustments.
Treatment for breastfeeding includes the use of the following products:
- buckwheat and wheat groats;
- dried mushrooms;
- eggs;
- apples preferably homemade;
- beet;
- asparagus;
- currant;
- oatmeal porridge;
- sauerkraut.
This list can be continued for a long time, but in other products the amount of iron is slightly less. A new product is introduced into the diet gradually. Be sure to watch the reaction child's body(with GW) for innovation. If a child has an allergy or intestinal problems, the product is removed from the diet.
Medications
Nowadays, many children suffer from food allergies. And it happens that it is difficult to raise low hemoglobin with food after childbirth. In this case, the doctor can tell you how to increase hemoglobin after childbirth by prescribing general analysis blood. The doctor will prescribe iron supplements for correct dosage so as not to harm either mother or baby. A woman will need to adhere to the correctly calculated norm of this microelement.
Medicines containing iron:
- Ferrum Lek.
- Actifferin.
- Sorbifer Durules.
- Fenyuls and so on.
Taking these medications helps to effectively increase iron levels in women. postpartum period. The drugs are mainly prescribed for moderate (70-90 mg/l) and severe (69 ml/g and below) forms of anemia.
Conclusion
Let us repeat what to do after childbirth if the mother is diagnosed with anemia. If you feel unwell after the birth of your baby, contact your doctor. Anemia is a serious pathology, causing complications at of cardio-vascular system, problems with blood pressure and other diseases that will not improve the life of mother and child.
Nursing mothers have reasons iron deficiency anemia varied:
- large loss of blood during childbirth,
- decreased blood levels due to postpartum discharge which can last up to 10 days,
- blood loss associated with the restoration of menstruation,
- frequent infectious and viral diseases,
- liver diseases,
- chemical air pollution and excessive mineralization of drinking water, which leads to poor absorption of the mineral,
- a lack of ascorbic acid and other vitamins also cause iron deficiency,
- reduction in iron intake from prepared foods due to compliance dietary nutrition(restriction in fresh cow's milk, raw fruits),
- high iron consumption associated with breastfeeding,
- another pregnancy that coincides with continued natural feeding,
- early conception, which occurred shortly after childbirth.
Symptoms
During pregnancy, iron deficiency may not be felt, since the compensatory functions of the body are actively working. Gradually female body depleted and after childbirth the symptoms of the pathology become especially obvious. The strengthening of the clinical picture is associated with critical level iron in the blood and tissues of a nursing mother.
Signs of iron deficiency anemia during lactation:
- overwork, general weakness,
- darkening of the eyes, constant ringing in the ears, frequent dizziness and fainting,
- breathing problems, rapid pulse, pain in the heart area,
- restless sleep or lack thereof,
- changes in taste and smell.
Low iron levels in the body can be detected by external symptoms:
- yellowness of the nose, chin and palms,
- formation of cracks on the lips, in some areas of the skin,
- brittleness of hair and nails, their thinning,
- discomfort in the vulva area,
- muscle flabbiness,
- dryness of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, mouth, external genital organs.
Diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in a nursing mother
To determine IDA in nursing mothers, the results are used clinical analysis blood. The main indicators of pathology are the following results:
- serum ferritin not more than 12 mcg/l,
- iron saturation of transferrin - up to 16%,
- total iron-binding capacity of serum - 64.4 µmol/l and below,
- hemoglobin concentration in the blood is less than 100 g/l,
- color index - below 0.85,
- the average diameter of erythrocytes is no more than 6.5 microns.
Complications
With timely diagnosis and adequate treatment The prognosis for iron deficiency anemia during lactation is favorable. However, in some cases a number of complications are possible:
- heart failure,
- high risk of injury associated with frequent fainting,
- skin diseases due to excessive dryness,
- appearance problems (split ends of hair, broken arched legs, chapped lips and flaky skin),
- loss of milk, which in turn can cause (problems with children's digestion, baby's allergies, emotional disorders mothers and babies).
Treatment
What can you do
A young mother should not attribute the appearance of the first signs to general fatigue after pregnancy and childbirth. Of course, caring for a baby takes a lot of energy, but when good health and mom's condition will be good. If symptoms of anemia appear, it is very important to consult a physician and get a blood test.
To restore iron levels, it is important to strictly follow all medical instructions.
To increase the amount of iron, you should include iron-containing foods in your diet. Special preparations and vitamin-mineral complexes also play a major role in treatment. The type of medications, their dosage and course duration can only be prescribed by a therapist. The condition can improve significantly quickly. However for full recovery it is important to complete the therapeutic course, otherwise a relapse of the pathology with a more pronounced clinical picture. Usage folk recipes can lead to a deterioration in the well-being of the mother and her baby. Using Methods traditional medicine It is permissible only with the agreement of a specialist as an auxiliary therapy.
What does a doctor do
Based on the results of a clinical blood test, medical history and appearance The doctor develops a treatment regimen for the patient. Treatment mainly consists of several principles:
- taking medications - the duration of the course and dosage of medications is determined individually,
- following a special diet - increasing the diet of foods high in iron and limiting foods with calcium and phosphorus,
- lifestyle change,
- protection from risk factors.
Prevention
To prevent iron deficiency in the blood of a nursing mother, she should follow a number of simple rules:
- The expectant mother should go full examination even before conception. If IDA or other abnormalities and diseases are detected, you should undergo treatment before pregnancy;
- If pregnancy proceeded with pathological abnormalities, then you should use barrier contraceptives for some time to avoid conception until the body is completely restored;
- Before finishing feeding, you should take medications containing iron and folic acid;
- Follow your daily routine and diet;
- Go for walks every day, get plenty of rest, and stay calm.
If a new mother is diagnosed with anemia, then there is a need to increase hemoglobin levels. The patient feels this pathology with fatigue, headaches, drowsiness, and lethargy.
Sometimes there may even be fainting. What is hemoglobin? It is a protein that binds carbon dioxide and oxygen in red blood cells. It is thanks to hemoglobin that oxygen is transported from the lungs throughout the body. And when this protein is low, there is not enough oxygen. How can you increase the level of this substance in a woman’s blood?
A number of factors can provoke a decrease in the component in question. This could be childbirth with complications, poor nutrition, exacerbation of diseases chronic course. However main reason- This is the loss of blood during the birth of a baby. During childbirth, a woman can lose approximately 250-300 ml of blood.
You also need to take into account the fact that when carrying a baby, women’s blood volume increases due to the fact that the amount of plasma increases. As a result, the blood becomes thin and there are fewer red blood cells. after childbirth the situation worsens even more.
Approximately 3 out of 10 women have a hidden ferum deficiency after giving birth. With obvious anemia, a woman may often feel dizzy, may lose consciousness, constantly want to sleep, attention deteriorates, shortness of breath may occur, and her mouth may be dry. Normal indicator the component in question in the blood is not less than 120 g per liter.
Increased hemoglobin level
Usually, in the presence of the pathology in question, patients after childbirth are recommended products that contain iron. Therapy medications may last six months. Such remedies should be washed down with sour juices, as they facilitate the absorption of iron in the body. You need to know that products containing iron purchased at pharmacies can cause constipation.
You should not use calcium supplements with iron at the same time.
Along with the diet, doctors prescribe that the expectant mother should consume vitamin B12, as well as foods that contain it.
Relatively folk options therapy, then juice made from beets and carrots can increase the desired indicator. Products must be taken in equal quantities. You should drink the prepared drink in the morning before feeding your baby.
The initial dose should be 50 ml, and it is important to see how the child reacts to such a product. After all, it is known that red foods can provoke the development of allergic reaction. So what is beneficial for a woman can be harmful for the baby. If the child is not allergic to this juice, then you can continue to use it.
It is important to take into account the fact that beets lower blood pressure. The diet should be aimed at including foods with iron in the menu.
An excellent option is . It is recommended to eat it daily with your choice of butter - butter or vegetable. If you are a dairy lover, you can cook porridge with milk. Millet also contains large amounts of iron. It can be used to prepare soups and porridges.
Ferum is also present in veal, low-fat pork, liver, and tongue. It is important that meat is present on the pregnant woman’s menu every day; meat dishes can be alternated. In order for the iron present in food to be absorbed by the body to the maximum, you should minimize the consumption of foods that are saturated with fat.
If fat enters the body in large quantities, it impairs the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells. It is also important to know that iron is poorly absorbed when consumed with black tea. Therefore, women are recommended to drink green.
Unfortunately, pomegranates, which contain a lot of the necessary element, as well as dried apricots, are prohibited for mothers who are breastfeeding. Dessert can be replaced with hematogen; of course, you don’t need to eat a lot, two pieces will be enough.
In addition to food, proper rest can increase hemoglobin levels; a woman also needs to take regular walks; it is important to provide food in small portions, but often.
They talk about the need to increase it when a mother is diagnosed with anemia. The woman feels it with headaches, drowsiness, and lethargy. Even fainting occurs. Hemoglobin is a protein that binds oxygen and carbon dioxide in red blood cells. Thanks to this protein, oxygen is transferred from the lungs to all the cells and tissues of our body. And when hemoglobin is low, oxygen starvation occurs. So, how to properly increase the amount of hemoglobin in the blood of a new mother?
About anemia after childbirth
The level of an important protein in the blood decreases for a number of reasons. These include poor nutrition and difficult childbirth, multiple pregnancies and exacerbation of chronic diseases. But still, the main reason that new mothers suffer from anemia is blood loss during childbirth. This is approximately 200-300 ml.
It is also worth considering that during pregnancy, women experience increased total blood due to an increase in plasma volume. As a result, the blood thins out and there are fewer red blood cells (erythrocytes). The situation persists and even worsens after childbirth. By the way, a third of women suffer from hidden flaw gland. With obvious anemia, mommy may lose consciousness and suffer from dizziness. She is constantly sleepy, has difficulty concentrating, may have a feeling of dry mouth, shortness of breath, perversion of taste, tachycardia.
A hemoglobin content in the blood of at least 120 g/l is considered normal.
About increasing hemoglobin levels
As a rule, for anemia, women after childbirth are prescribed iron supplements. Treatment with medications can last 4-6 months. It is recommended to take such medications with sour juices - this will make it easier for the iron to enter the body and be absorbed. By the way, pharmaceutical iron-containing preparations contribute to constipation. Therefore, this property should be taken into account by women prone to this disorder.
You need to know that you cannot take iron supplements and calcium at the same time. These are mutually exclusive means. But many mothers, observing the deterioration of the condition of their hair, teeth, and nails, take calcium-containing medications.
As for traditional medicine, carrot and beet juice taken in equal proportions will help increase hemoglobin in the blood. It should be consumed in the morning, immediately before feeding the baby. You need to start with 50 ml and monitor the baby’s reaction, because all red foods can cause allergies in the baby. So the benefit for the mother can turn into a risk for the child. It should be taken into account that red beets have the property of lowering blood pressure.
A diet for anemia is the inclusion of iron-containing foods in the diet. And the most useful thing for a new mother is buckwheat. It is advisable to consume it every day, little by little, seasoned with a small amount of vegetable or butter. You can cook it in milk. The second place in terms of iron content among cereals is millet. You can also cook porridge and soups from it, so that the menu of a nursing mother is more varied.
Good and safe sources of iron are beef, veal, lean pork, tongue and liver. It is also advisable to include meat products in the menu daily and alternate for variety. In order for iron from foods to be better absorbed by a woman’s body, it is necessary to limit the amount of fat in the diet. If there are a lot of them, then this has a detrimental effect on the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. We must give preference to fats plant origin or milk. It is also worth considering that black tea interferes with the absorption of iron in the body. Therefore, it is better for young mothers to replace it with green.
Unfortunately, iron-rich pomegranates, red caviar, walnuts, and dried apricots are risky for lactating women to consume. But two squares of hematogen will become very useful if you eat them as a dessert after the main meal.
In addition to foods, walking on a walk will help increase hemoglobin in a woman’s blood. fresh air, good sleep and rest, frequent and small meals.
Many women during
pregnancy and after the birth of a baby feel unwell and
deterioration of health associated with a decrease in hemoglobin levels in the blood. Low hemoglobin after childbirth,
diagnosed with laboratory research blood, may be due
for a number of reasons.
« I'm low
hemoglobin after childbirth"- women who are in the process of
delivery lost a significant amount of blood. With a similar problem
New mothers who suffer from diseases also face
circulatory system, certain infectious diseases and cardiac
insufficiency. If you do not pay the required attention during pregnancy
concentration of hemoglobin in the blood and not taking proper measures in a timely manner,
then it is quite natural to detect insufficient indicators of this substance and after
childbirth
Recognize low hemoglobin such characteristic ones will help
signs of iron deficiency, such as chronic fatigue, lethargy, decreased
emotional tone. Less commonly, decreased appetite, shortness of breath,
muscle hypotonia, disorder digestive system, tachycardia. If
hemoglobin concentration remains low for a long period
time, then the listed symptoms may include brittle nails
and hair, dry skin, stomatitis, weakening immune system And How
consequence of frequent colds.
Low hemoglobin
after childbirth, why no matter how it arises, it demands from the new mother
immediate response measures necessary to avoid a number of negative consequences for
health consequences. Yes, adjust
the level of hemoglobin in the blood can be achieved using special iron supplements
medications or foods rich in iron. But given the fact that
It is strongly not recommended for women to use medications during lactation
to solve the problem, it is best to review your diet, enriching
its following products:
Cereals: peas, beans, buckwheat;
Meat: boiled chicken breast, tongue, heart, kidneys;
Vegetables: onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, beets,
pumpkin;
Greens: watercress, turnip tops (young), spinach,
parsley;
Fruits: apple, pomegranate, quince, persimmon, plums, peaches;
Berries: cranberries, black currants, blueberries, strawberries.
Other products: dried fruits, walnuts, bitters
chocolate, black and red caviar, hematogen.
Effectively raising hemoglobin after childbirth will also help
special recipes, of which there are a huge number:
Grind raw buckwheat and walnuts using
200 grams of each component. Add to the resulting dry mixture
a little honey (it is highly not recommended for nursing mothers to indulge in this product,
since it can cause the baby to develop allergies). Use the drug
daily 1 tbsp. spoon;
Combine dried apricots, raisins and nuts in equal quantities, chop
and add natural honey. Eating several tbsp daily. spoons of this mixture
a new mother can not only increase hemoglobin, but also enrich
the body has a mass of useful elements;
Combine freshly squeezed apple, carrot and beetroot
juice, taken 100 ml;
In the evening, rinse raw buckwheat (100 g) and pour it
low-fat kefir (200 ml). In the morning, eat ready-made milk porridge for breakfast;
Take 100 ml of high-quality dry red wine and
evaporate in a water bath for 5-7 minutes. 2 tbsp. l. dry nettle
pour boiling water and let it brew. Combine wine with broth, add melted
oil (1 tbsp), drink the resulting medicinal drink warm.
Having set a goal to increase the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood,
a woman needs to know that the maximum absorption of iron contained in
products, can be achieved while simultaneously introducing vitamin C into the body
(for example, drink buckwheat porridge orange juice).
