Iron Deficiency Anemia 101 - Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactating Women

Anemia
Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood.

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?

"Iron Deficiency Anemia (also called IDA) is a condition where a person has inadequate amounts of iron to meet body demands. It is a decrease in the amount of red cells in the blood caused by having too little iron. Iron deficiency anemia is usually caused by a diet insufficient in iron or from blood loss. Blood loss can be acute as in hemorrhage or trauma or long term as in heavy menstruation.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men are iron deficient."
Quote from Mamas Health

Are you at risk?

According to Health Scout
"High-risk groups include:

-Women of child-bearing age who have blood loss through menstruation
-Pregnant or lactating women who have an increased requirement for iron
-Infants, children, and adolescents in rapid growth phases
-People with a poor dietary intake of iron"

Does blood loss cause anemia?

"When you lose blood, you lose iron. If you don’t have enough iron stored in your body to make up for the iron loss, you’ll develop iron-deficiency anemia.

In women, low iron levels may be due to blood loss from long or heavy menstrual periods or bleeding fibroids in the uterus. Blood loss that occurs during childbirth is another cause for low iron levels in women."
Quote from National Heart Lung and Blood Institute


High iron foods?

"Your body needs iron to produce hemoglobin. Iron found in meats is more easily absorbed into your blood than the iron found in vegetables and other foods. To treat your anemia, your doctor may recommend eating more meat – especially red meat such as beef and liver – as well as chicken, turkey, pork, fish, and shellfish."
Quote from The Internet Encyclopedia of Science

The placenta for nutrition?

Over and over you will find research journals state that:

"Transitional metals, especially iron, (are) particularly abundant in the placenta"

Here are a few to get you started:
The Journal of Nutrition
Sage Journals Online
Mitochondria Research


Review:

Your body needs more iron during pregnancy.
Your body needs more iron after blood loss and/or childbirth.
Your body has supplied you with an extremely iron-rich organ.
You should reintroduce this needed iron back into your body.
Increasing your intake of iron will help prevent anemia.
Your own placenta pills are your own natural iron supplement.

Let's get technical- Postpartum Blues, Depression, Psychosis, or PTS

On the Fruit of the Womb Website and Blog we often refer to terms that may need a bit more clarity. Below, we have attached a few of many resources to help explain the complicated topic of Postpartum Illnesses.

Baby blues aka Postpartum Blues or Maternity Blues- Latest statistics show that 80% of mothers will experience Postpartum Blues. According to An Introduction to Postpartum Illness
by Laurence Kruckman and Susan Smith (see below for the reference link). These symptoms include but are not limited to:

BABY BLUES
Physical Symptoms:
Lack of Sleep
No Energy
Food Cravings or Loss of Appetite
Feeling Tired Even after Sleeping

Mental States:
Anxiety and Excessive Worry
Confusion
Great Concern over Physical Changes
Confusion and Nervousness
Feeling, “I’m not myself; this isn’t me”
Lack of Confidence
Sadness
Feeling Overwhelmed

Behavioral Reactions:
Crying more than Usual
Hyperactivity or Excitability
Oversensitivity
Feelings Hurt Easily
Irritability
Lack of Feeling for the Baby

Click here to see Wikipedia's simple definition

PostPartum Depression (PPD)- Is a more severe form of "Baby Blues" with prevalence rates among women 5-25%. There are many resources for moms experiencing Postpartum Depression. However, it still is "unclear" as to what causes PPD.


{This is an awarness poster being given out by the Postpartum Support International}

Postpartum Psychosis- Is the most serious of the three Postpartum Illnesses. Postpartum Psychosis is a relatively rare disorder occurring on an average of 1 per 1000 births.

Most recently, there has been discussion of adding a 4th Postpartum Illness titled Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTS). More information on this overlooked aspect can be read about in the Center for Women's Mental Health article here.
Click here to read An Introduction to Postpartum Illness in which the author discusses the differences between Baby Blues, PPD and Postpartum Psychosis.

At Fruit of the Womb we encourage all women to take preventative measures for their personal health. With these illnesses being as common as they are, every woman is potentially at risk. Placenta Encapsulation is 100% natural made perfectly for you and baby, by your own body. We encourage women to research what is right for them and to explore the many benefits of placentophagy.