Thanks to hemoglobin, oxygen from the lungs is distributed throughout the body. This is a protein contained in the blood of a person, which must be at a certain level. The hemoglobin indicator during pregnancy is very important, so a woman should be under the watchful eye of a doctor and regularly take tests.
What is hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is a component of red blood cells in the blood. Its main function is to ensure the movement of oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin delivers oxygen to tissues, taking carbon dioxide from them and directing it to the respiratory organs.
Hemoglobin is a complex protein, and thanks to the iron atoms that make up its structure, the blood has a red color. Its level in the human body plays an important role in the diagnosis of health.
Is hemoglobin important in pregnancy?
The hemoglobin in the blood of a pregnant woman plays an important role for the health of the expectant mother and child. During the period of gestation, the general condition of the body can be unstable and, in addition to joy, bring additional experiences.
The hemoglobin indicator during pregnancy can change, therefore it is very important to regularly take tests and undergo a health diagnosis at the attending physician. Lowering or increasing the level of protein in the blood may not affect the condition of the woman and the fetus, but only with the timely detection of changes.
Norm
There is a widespread belief that the rate of hemoglobin during pregnancy should be at the upper level. This understanding is vague and does not allow you to see the necessary picture of health.
In the course of medical research, specialists calculated the necessary indicators for a woman during pregnancy, in which the unborn child is not exposed to oxygen starvation.
What hemoglobin is considered normal during pregnancy? The following are important numbers:
- The normal level is 110-140 g / l, which does not depend on whether a woman is pregnant or not.
- The lowered level is less than 110 g / l.
- Increased level - above 140 g / l.
Deviations from the norm of hemoglobin in women during pregnancy affect the state of health, causing various kinds of ailments and unpleasant consequences.
Low hemoglobin during pregnancy
In medical language, a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood is called anemia or anemia. There are three degrees of manifestation of this syndrome:
- Easy, the level of complex protein is in the range of 110-90 g / l.
- The average hemoglobin is in the range of 90-70 g / l.
- Severe, the indicator drops below 70 g / l.
Statistics record that almost half of women during pregnancy suffer from a lack of hemoglobin in the blood, which leads to fetal oxygen starvation. This is extremely dangerous. It is interesting that the expectant mother may not feel any discomfort, but the baby will behave uneasily, especially at night.
Why hemoglobin falls
The following factors can lead to a decrease in hemoglobin during pregnancy:
- During the period of gestation, the volume of circulating blood in the woman’s body increases. For this reason, the protein simply does not have time to be produced naturally. If the future mother will have twins or triplets, then such a phenomenon is most likely inevitable.
- Poor nutrition can cause a woman’s lack of healthy folic acid, vitamin B 12, and copper. This phenomenon prevents the absorption of iron and leads to a drop in hemoglobin levels. Lack of protein in food intake is a clear cause of abnormalities.
These factors can easily be eliminated in time if the expectant mother listens to the doctor's recommendations.
In addition, it is customary to highlight reasons of a different nature:
- High levels of toxicosis.
- Hormonal failure in the body.
- Diseases of the liver, kidneys, or cardiovascular system.
- Depletion of the nervous system.
- Dysbacteriosis
- Previous births were less than three years ago.
The period of pregnancy is the most exciting in the life of every woman. The desire to protect the health of the future baby is completely natural. An important role will be played not only by the doctor’s recommendations, but also by attentiveness to one’s own feelings.
Symptoms of Anemia in a Pregnant Woman
A drop in hemoglobin during pregnancy can be detected independently, without waiting for the next examination. The most obvious symptoms are:
- Frequent dizziness, which may be accompanied by the appearance of dark "bugs" in the eyes.
- Regular headaches, fainting, and insomnia are possible.
- General weakness of the body, the appearance of sweat and a symptom of tinnitus.
- General pallor of the skin, an increase in dark circles under the eyes.
- Palpitations.
- Lack of oxygen.
- Digestion, lack of appetite.
- The desire to eat chalk.
- Increased hair loss and brittle nails.
If these signs appear with enviable frequency, it is best to consult a doctor without waiting for a scheduled appointment. A thorough examination will allow the specialist to gently adjust the hemoglobin level and prevent the development of complications.
The effects of increased severity of anemia
Hemoglobin during pregnancy plays an important role not only for the mother, but also for the fetus. If a severe form of anemia is allowed, then this can lead to the development of undesirable consequences.
Possible consequences:
- The development of late toxicosis.
- Premature discharge of waters, early childbirth.
- Increased weakness during childbirth.
- Superficial hemorrhages.
- Hypoxia of the baby inside the womb.
- The death of a baby in the first day of life.
Reduced hemoglobin is not a sentence; there is no point in panic. The gynecologist will pay attention in time to the change in the condition of the woman and will be able to adjust her nutrition as necessary.
Ways to increase hemoglobin
Thoughts on how to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy, visit any woman who was diagnosed with the development of anemia. Doctors will approach this issue based on the individual characteristics of the body, the general course of pregnancy and the degree of decline of an important indicator.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the diet. A lack of protein in food directly affects hemoglobin levels.
Products that increase hemoglobin during pregnancy:
- Meat (beef).
- Liver.
- Fish (marine).
- Kefir.
- Cottage cheese.
- Cheese.
- The eggs.
- Nuts.
- Buckwheat honey.
During pregnancy, it is very important to monitor a balanced diet. Adding the listed products to the diet will help hemoglobin to remain at the proper level. In addition, it is useful to drink freshly squeezed juices, eat a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits.
If the selection of a diet does not give the necessary result, then modern medicine has a number of drugs, enzymes that will help establish a stable body. Most often, drug care is prescribed in conjunction with proper nutrition.
Reduced hemoglobin is also a consequence of iron deficiency. Therefore, it is worth diversifying the daily diet with apples, strawberries, beets, walnuts. In the absence of allergic reactions, these products will be useful during pregnancy and with a stable level of hemoglobin.
If the main goal of rehabilitation therapy is to increase iron levels, then it is worthwhile to reduce calcium intake, but increase vitamin C intake.
Increased hemoglobin during pregnancy
Increased hemoglobin levels are less commonly seen as a health problem or threat. A slight increase of 10-20 g / l in the early stages of gestation is considered normal. During this period, the body is rebuilt, is affected by hormonal changes. Hemoglobin will return to normal for some time, the baby will take the excess on itself.
Increased hemoglobin during pregnancy and even in its absence is observed in people living in high mountain regions. In this case, the main role is played by the adaptation of the organism to living conditions. Often there is a hereditary manifestation of a deviation from the norm. Such reasons do not cause anxiety among doctors, do not threaten the health of the mother and the unborn child.
Pathological increase in hemoglobin in the blood
In medical practice, attention is drawn to increasing hemoglobin levels if the indicator does not return to normal for a long time. With this development of events, additional examinations are carried out. This is necessary to exclude diseases that can affect the hemoglobin upward.
Diseases that can cause red blood cell growth:
- Malfunctions in the cardiovascular system.
- Diseases of the liver or kidneys.
- Incorrect gastrointestinal tract function.
Smoking also increases the level of complex protein in the blood, but I want to believe that the expectant mother does not risk it.
High hemoglobin during pregnancy provokes thickening of the blood, which is dangerous both for the health of the mother and for the unborn baby.
Symptoms of High Hemoglobin
Any changes in the body are accompanied by signals that should attract the attention of women to their health, especially during the period of gestation.
The main symptoms of hemoglobin growth are:
- Increased feeling of tiredness and drowsiness in the daytime.
- Sudden vision impairment.
- Gastric Disorders.
- Disorders in the genitourinary system.
- General unhealthy pale appearance.
Again, it is worth mentioning that such symptoms can be temporary, and talk only about the natural restructuring and adaptation of the body. If they do not pass, they regularly disturb the expectant mother, then the doctor is the only right way out of the situation.
Passing a full examination will save from complications, and will help return indicators to a balanced state.
Complications with increased hemoglobin
An unnatural increase in hemoglobin can lead to complex consequences:
- Blood clots (blood becomes viscous).
- Hypoxia of the fetus in the womb, due to the density of blood, oxygen does not reach the baby in the proper amount.
- Lack of oxygen leads to a slowdown in the development of the child and the risk of death in the early stages.
To reduce hemoglobin, a special diet is most often prescribed, it is strongly recommended to use as much fluid as possible. Walking in the fresh air, regular physical activity (in a light form) will be useful.
Despite the dire consequences, drug therapy with increased hemoglobin is prescribed only in severe cases. More often than not, a woman’s body can cope on her own; it’s worth only changing the lifestyle a little.
Summarizing
Being in a stressful position, which is inevitable with the news of a deviation from the norm of important indicators, a woman seeks to learn as much information as possible. He wants to understand in what time frame, which method is the most effective, how not to harm himself and the child.
There are plenty of reviews about hemoglobin during pregnancy, both about its decrease and increase. The positive result of dieting is obvious. Given the competent prescription of a doctor, adhering to all the rules, a woman protects herself and the baby.
The level of hemoglobin in the blood returns to normal in a fairly short time. There are cases when hemoglobin throughout the pregnancy is outside the normal range, without affecting the health of the fetus. This can be caused by the characteristics of the female body, individual heredity.
The opinions of women agree on one thing - a balanced diet, filled with important vitamins and minerals, will allow the body to work correctly, and not endanger the baby and mother. Any diet is developed in conjunction with the attending physician.