Two of the most important nutrients that a woman can get during pregnancy are Folic acid and Iron. Folic acid is known to help reduce the risk of certain kinds of birth defects, those that affect the neural tube such as spina bifida, by as much as fifty percent or more. Iron, as well, plays an important role during pregnancy, although its role is a different one than Folic Acid.

First of all, it is important to understand what it is that iron does for a person. Iron is a key nutrient involved in the blood system. Iron aids in the process of making blood, and is contained in blood. During pregnancy, this is especially important. During pregnancy, a woman’s body needs to make more blood both to help her growing baby and to help her own body to get through pregnancy. If a woman does not have enough iron during pregnancy, it can lead to low iron in the blood or even anemia. Anemia can pose many difficulties both for the woman during pregnancy, as well as for her developing baby.

Most experts suggest that a woman should have 27 milligrams or more of iron on a daily basis during pregnancy. This is roughly twice the amount that is recommended for a woman who is not pregnant. Prenatal vitamins generally contain an amount of iron that is in the 30 to 50 milligram range. If you had low iron prior to becoming pregnant, your health care provider will probably recommend a supplement that contains more iron. A supplement with 60 to 120 milligrams of iron is probably more likely for the woman who had low iron before becoming pregnant.

The down side to taking iron during pregnancy, whether as a separate supplement or as part of a prenatal vitamin, is that it can sometimes exacerbate a woman’s morning sickness. If you tend to experience morning sickness shortly after taking your prenatal vitamin, it is possible that the iron has triggered your morning sickness. If this is the case, you should speak with your health care provider about your prenatal vitamin. Do not stop taking your prenatal vitamin, however, until you do. There are also prenatal vitamins on the market that are designed to reduce the amount of nausea that the iron could trigger, and you might try these instead of a regular prenatal vitamin. Again, you should still speak with your health care provider before switching to another type of prenatal vitamin.

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