Babytalk | Preventing anemia is important for you. And your baby

During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases to help with the growth and development of the baby. The blood volume can increase as much as 50 percent. This may cause the concentration of red blood cells to become diluted, lowering the hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin transports oxygen to nourish our body. It is an antioxidant and regulates iron metabolism. A diet rich in iron before you become pregnant helps a woman build up iron in the bone marrow. A diet low in iron can lead to anemia during pregnancy.

Anemia is when there is a low level of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood.

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, make up about 40 to 50 percent of our blood volume. These cells transport oxygen from our lungs to nourish the other cells in our body. They also help rid the body of carbon dioxide.

Red blood cells are produced continuously in the bone marrow of our vertebrae ( the bony segments of our spinal column), ribs sternum, cranial bones, humerus ( long bone of the arms or “funny” bone) and femur ( long bone in our legs).

The average number of red blood cells in our bodies is around 5 million per cubic millimeter (pcm). The total number in an average sized person is 35 trillion. The number varies with the size of the individual, their age, female or male. Our red blood cell count goes down while we are sleeping. It increases with activity, environmental temperature and altitude.

Those 5 million pcm red blood cells are active for around 120 days. We make new cells as old cells are become inactive. On average, we produce 2.4 million per second in order to maintain the right balance of red blood cells.

We get iron from our foods and from supplemental vitamins which contain iron. Foods rich in iron are meats, eggs, whole grain breads leafy green vegetables, dried beans, dried fruits and pasta and cereals made with iron fortified grains.

If you develop anemia and you are advised to take an iron supplement, take the supplement with something rich in vitamin C. Orange juice, tomato juice, strawberries, apple juice or green peppers are all rich in vitamin C. Do not take an iron supplement with milk as the calcium in the milk inhibits the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Anemia can also occur if you do not have enough folic acid or vitamin B12 in your diet. Anemia may also occur if you experience a loss of blood. Some diseases cause anemia. The treatment of anemia depends on the cause of the anemia.

Webster’s dictionary defines blood as vital to life. It is not only vital to your life, but your baby’s as well.

Katie Powers, R.N., is a board-certified lactation consultant and perinatal educator at Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Family BirthPlace. Her column appears every other week in Healthy Living in the Bradenton Herald. Contact her at katie.powers@mmhhs.com.