Getting ready for baby can definitely be a challenge for expectant moms, and the months leading up to the arrival of a little guy or gal can make the anticipation that much greater. Doing everything that you can to stay healthy can ensure that your tot has plenty of strength after the delivery, and can help get your relationship off to a wonderful start.
From eating right to taking a variety of nutritional supplements, pregnant women have lots of things to juggle during each trimester, and that’s not including newborn preparation! But with the release of a recent study conducted in the U.S. and the U.K., more women are learning about the benefits of iron supplements, specifically for their little guys or gals.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Imperial College, London, examined the findings from more than 90 previous studies on the benefits of prenatal iron and anemia, and they determined that increased consumption of iron helped reduce the likelihood of anemia and boosted a mom-to-be’s average hemoglobin levels.
“Our findings suggest that use of iron in women during pregnancy may be used as a preventive strategy to improve maternal hemoglobin status and birth weight,” wrote the study’s authors.
Vitamin supplements can give moms a steady increase in iron throughout each great week of a pregnancy, but that’s not the only way ladies can boost their iron intake.
Anything with red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy greens like spinach or dried prunes, and raisins can be excellent ways to enhance the body’s iron levels – not to mention feel great for the remainder of pregnancy!