7. Anemia
Anemia is a common medical problem in
pregnant and nonpregnant women. Women who are anemic don’t have enough
hemoglobin in their blood. Hemoglobin, the iron-containing pigment of
red blood cells, is important because it carries oxygen to all the
body’s cells.
If you suffer from anemia, you won’t feel
well during pregnancy. You’ll tire more easily. You may become dizzy.
If you’re anemic during labor, you may need a blood transfusion after
baby is born. Pregnancy anemia increases the risk of preterm delivery,
growth restriction in the baby (IUGR) and low birthweight.
Anemia is a serious but preventable
condition during pregnancy. If you’re anemic, your healthcare provider
can prescribe a course of treatment to deal with the problem.
Time-Saving, Energy-Saving Tip
Having pets is an enjoyable experience
for a family; however, cleaning up unwanted animal hair can be
time-consuming. Try this quick tip to help clear your furniture of the
hair left by Spot or Tabby. Put on a clean pair of rubber gloves—those
with texturing on the palms work best. Dampen the palms, and rub over
furniture and clothes. Pet hair comes off quickly and easily.
Iron-Deficiency Anemia
When you’re pregnant, your baby uses some of the iron stored in your body. Iron-deficiency anemia
is caused or aggravated by the fetus’s demands on your iron stores.
Your body makes red blood cells but not enough of them, and you become
iron deficient. Several factors can cause iron-deficiency anemia:
•bleeding during pregnancy
•multiple fetuses
•recent surgery on your stomach or small bowel
•frequent antacid use
•poor nutrition
Iron-deficiency anemia is easy to
control; most prenatal vitamins contain iron. If you can’t take a
prenatal vitamin, you may be given iron supplements. Eating foods high
in iron, such as beef, turkey, liver, spinach, cooked beans, tofu,
wheat germ, rice, and seeds and nuts, may also help.
8. Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory
disease that causes small airways in the lungs to narrow. It’s
characterized by attacks of labored breathing, wheezing, shortness of
breath, coughing and chest constriction. The most common causes of
asthma attacks include allergens, exercise, strong odors and cold air.
Asthma is 40% more common in women than in men; about 8% of all
pregnant women have asthma. The condition is one of the most common
medical problems pregnant women face.
Most women with asthma can have safe
pregnancies. If you have asthma, you may be able to use the medication
you usually use, but discuss the matter with your healthcare provider
before pregnancy or as soon as you have confirmed you are pregnant.
Many asthma sufferers have heartburn;
heartburn may cause asthma symptoms to worsen. Upper-respiratory
infections caused by the flu may also trigger an attack.
Many women feel better and have fewer
problems with asthma if they increase their fluid intake during
pregnancy. Try it—you should increase your fluid intake during
pregnancy anyway.
Some women with asthma appear to get
better during pregnancy, while others remain about the same. However,
if you have severe asthma attacks when you aren’t pregnant, you may
also have severe attacks during pregnancy.
Studies show that if your asthma is under
control throughout pregnancy, your pregnancy outcome can be as positive
as a woman who doesn’t have asthma. Controlling your asthma may help
lower your risk of developing some pregnancy problems. We also know
asthma symptoms often improve during the last month of pregnancy due to
hormonal changes.
Treating asthma is important so baby can
get the oxygen it needs to grow and to develop. During pregnancy, your
oxygen consumption increases by about 25%. Untreated asthma can put you
and baby at risk. If you have severe, uncontrolled asthma, baby may be
deprived of oxygen during your asthma attacks. If you’re not getting
enough air, neither is baby.
Research shows it’s
better for you to take asthma medicine during pregnancy than to risk
asthma attacks and their complications. Most asthma medicine appears to
be safe during pregnancy. Terbutaline, and steroids, such as
hydrocortisone or methylprednisolone, aminophylline, theophyline,
metaproterenol (Alupent) and albuterol (Ventolin) can be used during
pregnancy. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before using
your usual prescription medication.
Studies show inhaled steroids do not seem
to affect baby’s growth. Inhalers work directly on the lungs, so very
little medicine enters your bloodstream. However, don’t use Primatene
Mist during pregnancy.
If your asthma is severe, you may be
given an anti-inflammatory nasal spray, such as cromolyn sodium
(Nasalcrom) or an inhaled steroid, such as beclomethasone (Vanceril).
Discuss the situation at one of your early prenatal visits.
It’s important to have a flu shot to
reduce the risk of getting severe respiratory illness during pregnancy,
which could make asthma attacks worse. Avoid cigarette smoke. Don’t
smoke, and keep away from others who do.
See your allergist regularly during
pregnancy for a lung-function test. This helps determine whether your
medication dosage needs to be adjusted. He or she may also suggest you
monitor your breathing with a peak-flow meter to find out how open your
airways are.
Asthma shouldn’t be a deterrent to learning breathing techniques to use during labor. Talk to your healthcare provider about it.
