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Exhausted? Short of breath? Pale? It could be typical pregnancy symptoms or it could be iron-deficiency anemia.

Anemia occurs when you don't have enough hemoglobin in your blood to bring oxygen to the cells in your body. Iron helps create hemoglobin. About half of all pregnant women suffer from anemia because your growing baby takes the nutrition it needs from your body — including iron — before you do.

A simple blood test checks for anemia, and if you have it, your doctor or midwife might recommend prenatal vitamins with iron or add an iron supplement. Since iron can cause constipation not every woman tolerates the extra iron well and —...

Exhausted? Short of breath? Pale? It could be typical pregnancy symptoms or it could be iron-deficiency anemia.

Anemia occurs when you don't have enough hemoglobin in your blood to bring oxygen to the cells in your body. Iron helps create hemoglobin. About half of all pregnant women suffer from anemia because your growing baby takes the nutrition it needs from your body — including iron — before you do.

A simple blood test checks for anemia, and if you have it, your doctor or midwife might recommend prenatal vitamins with iron or add an iron supplement. Since iron can cause constipation not every woman tolerates the extra iron well and — depending on your dietary needs — your doctor may put you back on a regular prenatal vitamin.

You should also look for ways to add more iron to your diet. Karen Gurwitz, author "The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook". says that carnivore-moms can dig into a juicy burger or a dark meat drumstick. But vegetarians have lots of choices, too.

"Excellent vegetarian options are dried fruit (which are also high in fiber) and leafy green vegetables," she says.

Safety Note

Liver was once recommended for anemia, but now experts recommend that you avoid it. Though it has plenty of iron, it's also high in vitamin A, which could potentially harm your baby.

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