During pregnancy your blood volume increases and yet you can be anemic. This is because the production of red blood cells is not in pace with plasma that is also being produced. Anemia is usually most common in the later part of pregnancy


What causes this


• Anemia is most often caused by iron deficiency



• You can also develop anemia when you lack in vitamin B12 and folic acid



• Blood loss can also be a cause



• Inherited blood disorders namely sickle-cell anemia or thalassemia can trigger it



• Your pregnancies are closely spaced i.e. you got pregnant barely 3-4 months after having your previous baby



• Your heavy periods prior to pregnancy increases your chances of developing anemia



• You have problems with iron absorption despite eating iron rich foods therefore increasing your chances with anemia



• Your pregnancy is not smooth-sailing hence your eating habits are affected



Symptoms


The most common and obvious symptom is fatigue. But since tiredness one of the main features of pregnancy, it is hard to tell that the fatigue you are feeling is caused by anemia. With that, you can say anemia is symptom-free. Only a blood test is able to confirm which you will have in your initial checkup and another one will be between weeks 24 and 28. You are most likely anemic if you notice these signs in addition to tiredness:


• Feeling faint and weak



• Shortness of breath



• Pale skin



• Dizzy spells



• Blurred vision



• Heart palpitations



• In the more severe situations craving for ice and nonfood substances (pica) develops



To combat this, your doctor will prescribe iron supplements and a diet with iron rich foods. Usually the side effects are constipation and upset stomach but if you don't take iron seriously, you will have to deal with weakness and possibly blood transfusion during delivery.