Anemia is a health condition when your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your organs.

It can be both. It depends on the type of anemia. For example, sickle cell anemia is a condition you are born with. Other types of anemia, such as iron-deficiency anemia, can develop later in life, including during pregnancy.

Anemia can develop at any time, but it is more likely during certain stages of life.

• During heavy periods

• During pregnancy

• While breastfeeding

• After giving birth

During pregnancy, your blood volume increases. For your body to make more blood, you need more vitamins and minerals, like iron. Sometimes your body doesn’t get or absorb enough of them, so it can’t make enough red blood cells to support your body.

Yes, you can have normal iron levels and still have anemia. Low iron is the most common cause of anemia, but not the only one. Symptoms of different types of anemia can be similar. A blood test can identify what causes your anemia.

Yes! There are different types of anemia, each with different causes. Here are some of the most common types:

• Iron-deficiency anemia (by far the most common)

• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia

• Folate deficiency anemia

• A person can have one or more types of anemia.

• Feeling very tired or weak even when you slept well

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

• Having trouble breathing

• Having cold hands and feet

• Craving non-food items (for example, ice, dirt)

If anemia is not treated, there is a small chance your baby might be born too early (preterm birth, which is birth before 37 weeks) or too small. If you have anemia and you lose too much blood during childbirth, you might need a blood transfusion.

Yes and no. Your baby will use some of your iron, but if your iron is low, the baby won't have access to as much as they may need to grow and develop.

Some complications like placenta issues, preterm birth, postpartum hemorrhage might be linked to anemia during pregnancy.

This is possible. If your iron levels are low, your baby's iron levels can be low also. Your baby may also need to take iron to address their iron deficiency. Babies may not absorb iron as well as adults do, so treatment can sometimes be a bit more challenging.

Typically, anemia does not go away without treatment. During childbirth, you lose blood. Your body then needs to produce new blood cells to make up for what was lost. For that it needs iron. It takes time for your iron levels to return to normal.
Things that can help:

• Iron-rich diet

• Taking iron pills

Yes, it can be. It's important to find out what may be causing longer-term anemia (for example, extra blood loss from heavy periods, not enough iron in diet, etc.).

Starting prenatal care early, getting all the recommended blood tests, and taking prenatal vitamins are key steps. Your diet can also help lower the risks of anemia and other health complications. You can increase your iron by eating more leafy greens, beans, red meat, and whole grains. Healthcare providers might also recommend extra iron supplements.

Healthcare providers may tell you to eat more iron- rich foods, take iron pills, or get extra vitamins. If you or your provider feel that taking daily pills and adjusting your diet might not be the best for you, other treatments like iron IV might be right for you.

An iron infusion (intravenous iron) is a treatment where iron is delivered directly into your bloodstream using an IV. It is used to increase iron levels and treat iron-deficiency anemia, instead of oral iron pills.

• When you are not pregnant, you need 18 mg of iron per day.

• When you are pregnant, you need 27 mg per day, which is the amount in many prenatal vitamins.

If you are expecting twins, your provider might recommend you more iron.

Your body absorbs iron in the small intestine, but it only takes in a small amount of what you eat. The absorbed iron is then released into the blood stream, and it gets delivered to and stored in your liver as a protein called ferritin. Ferritin gets released to make new red blood cells as needed.

Yes. Iron from animal products is absorbed easier than from plant sources.

Vitamin C! Vitamin C helps iron absorption and may help decrease common side effects of taking iron supplements such as constipation. Try taking iron pills with a cup of fruit or a glass of orange juice.

It is a heavy pot or pan that is made of cast iron, which is a mixture of iron, carbon, and other metals. Back in the old households, almost everyone had it. Cooking in it can add small amounts of iron to your food and it makes the most delicious meals. It needs special handling.

The time it takes to treat anemia depends on factors like your current iron levels. Improving your blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit level) is the goal. Sometimes the standard amount of iron is not enough, or may need to get IV (intravenous) iron.