How Does Low Hemoglobin Affect Pregnancy?

It is believed that around 20% of pregnant women worldwide suffer from low hemoglobin, or anemia. This happens when you don’t have enough red blood cells to ferry oxygen to the tissues in your body. A mild condition may leave you feeling exhausted, but it also increases your risk of premature delivery, low birth weight or even maternal mortality. 

Why is hemoglobin so important during pregnancy?

During those nine months, given that your baby needs oxygen, you need higher than usual amounts of oxygen. However, if your hemoglobin is low, it hampers the delivery of oxygen, thus causing problems.

Normally, your hemoglobin count should be between 12 to 16g/dl. However, during pregnancy, this is how your hemoglobin count is likely to fluctuate:

1st trimester: 11.6g/dl to 13.9g/dl

2nd trimester: 9.7g/dl to 14.8g/dl

3rd trimester: 9.5g/dl to 15g/dl

Why does this drop happen? Let’s find out!

Firstly, this is considered to be normal, so don’t panic. When you’re pregnant, your blood volume increases by 50% so that it can deliver the required nutrients to your baby. Hence the concentration of red blood cells decreases and can even drop to as low as 10.5g/dl. Anything lower than that, and you’ll need medical attention. This is why your doctor has most likely prescribed iron supplements.

What are the symptoms of low hemoglobin during pregnancy?

• Exhaustion

• Normal bouts of dizziness

• Pale skin and lips

• Shortness of breath, even when relaxing

• Higher-than-usual heartbeat

• Cold hands and feet

• Brittle nails

If the hemoglobin count drops to lower than 6g/dl, you could even experience angina – a severe pain that begins in the chest and moves to the arms, shoulders, and even your neck. 

What puts you at a higher risk of low hemoglobin during pregnancy?

While a slight drop in hemoglobin levels is considered normal, you will likely suffer from lower-than-normal hemoglobin levels if it was already low before pregnancy. Several reasons can cause this:

• Exceptionally high levels of blood loss during periods

• Low iron content in your diet

• Blood donation before pregnancy

• Pregnancy soon after an earlier delivery

What can you do to increase your hemoglobin levels?

Along with the iron supplements your doctor may prescribe, you can alter your diet to ensure that lost iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin C are replenished. Here’s what you should be eating:

• Green leafy vegetables like palak and methi, dry fruits, and grains like barley, maize millet and sesame seeds.

• Iron-rich fruits like guava, apples, figs and kiwis.

• Vitamin C-rich foods like kiwis, oranges, lime, bell peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes.

• Food like lettuce, turnip, and sprouts are rich in folic acid and vitamin B.

• You should limit coffee, tea, alcohol, milk products, and wheat products since calcium, gluten, and caffeine can stop your body from absorbing iron. 

While low hemoglobin is risky for you and your baby, don’t let the levels go too high as well, as that could pose some significant threats. To enjoy your nine months of pregnancy, eat a well-balanced diet, take care of your body and don’t miss any doctor’s appointments. You’ll soon be getting ready to welcome your bundle of joy.

Author Bio: Prapti Chauhan is a professor of Genetics in Bangalore. She has contributed to several online research papers. However, she passionately develops contents on pregnancy, childbirth, childcare and stem cell banking and umbilical cord lining and more.