Hemoglobin during pregnancy: normal, low and high

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Thanks to hemoglobin, oxygen from the lungs is distributed throughout the body. This is a protein found in human blood, which must be at a certain level. The hemoglobin indicator during pregnancy is very important, so a woman should be under the close supervision of a doctor and take tests regularly.

What is hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a constituent of red blood cells. Its main function is to ensure the movement of oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin delivers oxygen to the tissues, taking carbon dioxide from them and directing it to the respiratory organs.

Hemoglobin is a complex protein, and thanks to the iron atoms that make up its composition, the blood has a red color. Its level in the human body plays an important role in the diagnosis of he alth.

Is hemoglobin important during pregnancy?

The hemoglobin index in the blood of a pregnant woman plays an important role for the he alth of the future mother and child. During the period of gestation, the general condition of the body can be unstable and, in addition to joy, bringextra experiences.

The hemoglobin index during pregnancy can change, so it is very important to take regular tests and undergo he alth diagnostics from your doctor. A decrease or increase in the level of protein in the blood may not affect the condition of the woman and the fetus, but only if changes are detected in a timely manner.

Norma

There is a widespread belief that the norm of hemoglobin during pregnancy should be at the upper level. This understanding is vague and does not allow you to see the necessary picture of he alth.

In the course of medical research, experts calculated the necessary indicators for a woman during pregnancy, in which the unborn child is not subjected to oxygen starvation.

What is normal hemoglobin during pregnancy? Below are the important numbers:

• Normal level is 110-140 g/l, which does not depend on whether a woman is pregnant or not.
• Reduced level - less than 110 g/l.
• Elevated - above 140 g/l.

Deviations from the norm of hemoglobin in women during pregnancy affects the state of he alth, causing all sorts of ailments and unpleasant consequences.

Low hemoglobin during pregnancy

In medical language, a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood is called anemia or anemia. There are three degrees of manifestation of this syndrome:

1. Light, the level of complex protein is in the range of 110-90 g/L.
2. Average, hemoglobin is inrange 90-70 g/l.
3. Severe, dropping below 70 g/L.

Statistics records that almost half of women during pregnancy suffer from a lack of hemoglobin in the blood, which leads to oxygen starvation of the fetus. This is extremely dangerous. Interestingly, the expectant mother may not feel any discomfort, but the baby will behave restlessly, especially at night.

Why does hemoglobin drop

The following factors can lead to a decrease in hemoglobin during pregnancy:

1. During the period of gestation, the volume of circulating blood in a woman's body increases. For this reason, the protein simply does not have time to be produced naturally. If the expectant mother has twins or triplets, then this phenomenon is most likely inevitable.
2. Irrational nutrition can cause a lack of useful folic acid, vitamin B 12 and copper in a woman's body. This phenomenon prevents the absorption of iron and leads to a drop in hemoglobin levels. Lack of protein in the food consumed is a clear cause of deviation from the norm.

These factors can easily be eliminated in time if the expectant mother listens to the doctor's recommendations.

In addition, it is customary to single out reasons of a different nature:

• High level of toxicosis.
• Hormonal failure in the body.
• Diseases of the liver, kidney or cardiovascular system.
• Exhaustion of the nervous system.
• Dysbacteriosis.
• Previous birth was less than three years ago.

The period of pregnancy is the most exciting inevery woman's life. The desire to protect the he alth of the unborn baby is completely natural. An important role will be played not only by the doctor's recommendations, but also by attentiveness to one's own feelings.

Symptoms of anemia in a pregnant woman

A drop in hemoglobin levels during pregnancy can be detected on its own, without waiting for the next examination. The most obvious symptoms are:

• Frequent dizziness, which may be accompanied by the appearance of dark "bugs" in the eyes.
• Regular headaches, possible fainting spells and insomnia.
• General weakness of the body, sweating and a symptom of ringing in the ears.
• General pallor of the skin, increased dark circles under the eyes.
• Increased heartbeat.
• Lack of oxygen.
• Indigestion, lack of appetite.
• Desire to eat chalk.
• Increased hair loss and brittle nails.

If these signs appear with enviable frequency, it is best to consult a doctor without waiting for a scheduled appointment. A thorough examination will allow the specialist to gently adjust the hemoglobin level and prevent the development of complications.

Effects of increased severity of anemia

Hemoglobin during pregnancy plays an important role not only for the mother, but also for the fetus. If a severe form of anemia is allowed, this can lead to the development of undesirable consequences.

Possible consequences:

• Development of late toxicosis.
• Premature discharge of water,early birth.
• Increased weakness during childbirth.
• Superficial hemorrhages.
• Hypoxia of the child inside the womb.
• Death of an infant on the first day of life.

Decreased hemoglobin is not a sentence, there is no point in panicking. The gynecologist will pay attention to the change in the woman's condition in time and will be able to adjust her nutrition as necessary.

Ways to increase hemoglobin

Thoughts about how to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy visit any woman who has been diagnosed with the development of anemia. Doctors will approach this issue based on the individual characteristics of the body, the overall course of pregnancy and the degree of decline in an important indicator.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the diet. Lack of protein in food directly affects the level of hemoglobin.

Foods that increase hemoglobin during pregnancy:

• Meat (beef).
• Liver.
• Fish (marine).
• Kefir.
• Cottage cheese.
• Cheese.
• Eggs.
• Nuts.
• Buckwheat honey.

During pregnancy, it is very important to follow a balanced diet. Adding these foods to the diet will help hemoglobin stay at the proper level. In addition, it is useful to drink freshly squeezed juices, eat enough vegetables and fruits.

If the selection of a diet does not give the desired result, then modern medicine has a number of drugs, enzymes that will allow you to establish a stablebody work. Most often, drug assistance is prescribed in combination with proper nutrition.

Reduced hemoglobin is also a consequence of lack of iron. Therefore, it is worth diversifying the daily diet with apples, strawberries, beets, walnuts. In the absence of allergic reactions, these products will be useful during pregnancy and with stable hemoglobin levels.

If the main goal of rehabilitation therapy is to increase iron levels, then it is worth reducing the intake of calcium, but increasing the intake of vitamin C.

Increased hemoglobin during pregnancy

Increased hemoglobin levels are less commonly seen as a he alth problem or threat. A slight increase of 10-20 g / l in the early stages of gestation is considered normal. During this period, the body is rebuilt, is influenced by hormonal changes. Hemoglobin will return to normal for some time, the baby will take the excess on himself.

Increased hemoglobin during pregnancy and even in its absence is observed in people living in high mountainous areas. In this case, the main role is played by the adaptation of the organism to the conditions of life. Often there is a hereditary manifestation of deviation from the norm. Such reasons do not cause concern among doctors, do not threaten the he alth of the mother and unborn child.

Pathological increase in hemoglobin in the blood

In medical practice, an increase in hemoglobin level is paid attention to if the indicator does not return to normal for a long time. With this development of events, additionalexaminations. This is necessary to exclude diseases that can affect the hemoglobin index upwards.

Diseases that can cause red blood cells to grow:

• Disorders in the cardiovascular system.
• Diseases of the liver or kidneys.
• Incorrect functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Smoking also increases the level of a complex protein in the blood, but I would like to believe that the expectant mother does not risk it.

High hemoglobin during pregnancy provokes blood clotting, which is dangerous for both the he alth of the mother and the unborn child.

Symptoms of high hemoglobin

Any changes in the body are accompanied by signals that should draw a woman's attention to her he alth, especially during the period of bearing a baby.

The main symptoms of an increase in hemoglobin are:

• Increased daytime fatigue and sleepiness.
• Sudden deterioration of vision.
• Gastric disorders.
• Disturbances in the genitourinary system.
• General unhe althy pale appearance.

Again, it is worth mentioning that such symptoms can be temporary, and we can only talk about the natural restructuring and adaptation of the body. If they do not go away, they regularly disturb the expectant mother, then the doctor is the only correct way out of the situation.

Passing a full examination will save you from complications, and help return your indicators to a balanced state.

Complicationselevated hemoglobin

An unnatural increase in hemoglobin can lead to complex consequences:

• Clot formation (blood becomes viscous).
• Hypoxia of the fetus in the womb, due to the density of the blood, oxygen does not reach the baby in the proper amount.
• Lack of oxygen leads to slower development of the child and the risk of early death.

To reduce hemoglobin, a special diet is most often prescribed, it is strongly recommended to drink as much liquid as possible. Walking in the fresh air, regular physical activity (in a mild form) will be useful.

Despite the terrible consequences, drug therapy for elevated hemoglobin is prescribed only in severe cases. Most often, a woman's body copes on its own, it only takes a little change in lifestyle.

Summing up

Being in a stressful situation, which is inevitable with the news of a deviation from the norm of important indicators, a woman seeks to find out as much information as possible. He wants to understand in what terms, which method is the most effective, how not to harm himself and the child.

There are plenty of reviews of hemoglobin during pregnancy, both about its decrease and increase. The positive result of following the diet is obvious. Given the competent prescription of the doctor, adhering to all the rules, the woman protects herself and the baby.

The level of hemoglobin in the blood returns to normal in a fairly short time. Meetcases when hemoglobin is outside the normal range throughout pregnancy, without affecting the he alth of the fetus. This can be caused by the characteristics of the female body, individual heredity.

Women's opinions agree on one thing - a balanced diet filled with important vitamins and minerals will allow the body to work properly and not endanger the baby and mother. Any diet is developed together with the attending physician.