Should pregnant women take blood booster tablets? & bull; hello healthy

During pregnancy, the daily nutritional needs of pregnant women have increased. One of the nutrients that have increased and are needed by pregnant women is iron. Pregnant women are advised to meet their iron needs during pregnancy by taking blood-boosting tablets or pills. Actually, what is the function of blood booster tablets (TTD) or iron tablets for pregnant women and are there any side effects?

Why do pregnant women need extra blood tablets?

Almost all the nutritional needs of pregnant women have increased than before they were pregnant.

This increase is related to changes in the mother's body as well as to meet the nutritional needs of the baby in the womb.

Various nutrients whose needs increase during pregnancy include vitamins for pregnant women, calcium for pregnant women, DHA for pregnant women, to vitamin B complex for pregnant women.

In addition, pregnant women also need more iron mineral intake than before carrying the fetus.

Iron is a nutrient that is needed by pregnant women. Even before becoming pregnant, a woman is recommended to meet her daily iron needs.

That is why pregnant women are encouraged to take blood-boosting drugs in the form of tablets or pills to optimize daily iron intake.

The various functions or benefits of blood-added tablets or iron tablets during pregnancy are as follows:

1. Increase the blood supply in the body

Not only does the need for nutrients increase during pregnancy, but also the supply of blood in the mother's body. This is because your total blood volume naturally doubles during pregnancy.

This increase is 50% or more than your usual blood count.

The benefit if pregnant women take blood booster tablets is that they support the body to produce more blood for both mother and baby.

2. Increase the production of hemoglobin

Iron is also useful for producing hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all cells in the body.

The more iron the mother has, the more blood supply and hemoglobin to be circulated throughout the body of the mother and developing baby.

Taking blood booster tablets helps the mother's body produce more hemoglobin during pregnancy.

On the other hand, mothers also need extra blood tablets to meet their iron needs to support the growth of the baby and the placenta in the uterus, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

3. Provides other benefits during pregnancy

Taking blood booster tablets (TTD) aka iron tablets for pregnant women can not only help prevent anemia.

Adequate iron intake during pregnancy also prevents the mother from bleeding during labor and dying during childbirth due to bleeding.

In fact, mothers who take blood booster tablets also help optimize nutritional intake for the developing fetus in the womb.

How much iron is needed during pregnancy?

Quoting from the Ministry of Health, Directorate of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment, mothers need iron intake of around 800 milligrams (mg) during pregnancy.

The need for iron is given as much as 300 mg for the baby in the womb and the remaining 500 grams for the mother to produce hemoglobin during pregnancy.

If there is an excess of iron intake, it can be excreted or excreted through the intestines, skin and urine.

So, the iron requirement is the total required for pregnant women for approximately 9 months of pregnancy, both from food intake and blood supplement tablets.

Meanwhile, the daily need for iron according to the nutritional adequacy ratio (RDA) is different in each trimester of pregnancy. which is about 18 mg in the 1st trimester and 27 mg in the 2-3th trimester of pregnancy.

In order for iron needs for pregnant women to be properly fulfilled, it is important to increase iron intake from daily food sources as well as blood-added drugs in the form of pills or tablets.

What are the consequences if pregnant women do not take blood booster tablets?

As mentioned earlier, blood booster tablets for pregnant women help meet daily iron needs that may not be met from food.

Although not always, pregnant women sometimes need a sufficient amount of iron intake due to lack of iron supplies and reserves in the body.

If allowed to continue, lack of iron reserves before and during pregnancy can develop into iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women.

In addition, the risk of iron deficiency anemia is also high in women who are pregnant with twins or their pregnancies are close to previous pregnancies.

Iron deficiency anemia can make pregnant women easily weak and tired. Severe anemia can also cause pregnancy complications.

Take, for example, anemia can make the mother's immune system weak so that she is prone to infectious diseases.

Mothers are also at risk for postpartum depression because they experience anemia which begins by not taking blood booster tablets.

Besides being a risk to the mother, iron deficiency anemia can also pose a risk to the baby.

Iron deficiency anemia is associated with preterm birth and low birth weight.

Even more than that, anemia also increases the risk of dying a baby before and after giving birth.

Severe anemia rarely occurs in pregnant women if they get adequate nutrition and always maintain their diet.

Conversely, when the mother's daily nutritional intake does not meet her needs during pregnancy, this anemia pregnancy complication can cause health problems.

Where can pregnant women get blood booster tablets?

Taking blood booster tablets (TTD) or iron tablets during pregnancy can help prevent anemia.

Even so, you should still increase your iron intake for pregnant women from food sources so that the supply will increase in addition to being assisted by taking blood supplement pills or tablets.

In Indonesia, the government recommends consuming blood added tablets (TTD) or iron tablets for pregnant women of at least 90 tablets or every day during pregnancy.

This of course aims to prevent iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.

Blood added tablets (TTD) for mothers during pregnancy can be obtained free of charge at the health center or purchased independently at the nearest pharmacy.

Are there any side effects from the blood booster tablets?

It is better if you know the dosage of blood booster tablets that pregnant women need to take.

It is even better if you consult your doctor first before taking blood booster tablets or iron tablets.

The doctor will adjust the dose of tablet intake plus blood to the iron intake that you usually get from your daily diet.

Although excess iron can be stored by the body as a reserve, too high a dose of iron tablets can cause problems.

Too high a dose of iron tablets may cause problems with your digestive system, such as constipation or constipation, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.

Moreover, in early pregnancy, excessive nausea and vomiting can lead to hyperemesis gravidarum.

When iron tablets are consumed on an empty stomach there is a risk of damaging the lining of the stomach.

The solution, you can take iron tablets before bed at night so you don't feel too nauseous after consuming them.

If blood booster tablets or iron tablets cause constipation, you can eat more vegetables and fruits (such as spinach which is also a source of iron).

Do not forget, you should drink more water to help overcome difficulty defecating.

Don't worry if your stool looks darker after taking iron tablets because this is normal and harmless.

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