Why Are Iron Supplements Given to a Mother After Delivery? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Why Are Iron Supplements Given to a Mother After Delivery?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

Full Bio →

Written by

UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about your brand. Let us do the heavy lifting.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident fitness software decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. Our partners do not influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: The Editorial Team at Exercise.com is dedicated to providing fair, unbiased information about the fitness industry. We update our site regularly and all content is reviewed by credentialed fitness experts.

Get the Basics...
  • It has been found that iron deficiency is very common among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
  •  Iron supplements help to restore the iron losses that occur during delivery.
  • Do not take an iron supplement unless you have been instructed to do so by your doctor.

Iron supplements are very important for mothers because they help fight anemia.

A mother needs energy, food, and diet high in nutrients to breastfeed her child.

If you are having serum ferritin then you may require iron supplements to prevent iron deficiency during pregnancy and after pregnancy.

An iron supplement is vital for new mothers as it prevents them from becoming iron deficient. It has been found that iron deficiency is very common among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

Iron is important because it helps to carry oxygen in the blood for both mother and child.

If you are a nursing mother you should also include 30-50mg of iron in your diet. Apart from consuming iron supplements, you should eat iron-rich food like beans, chickpeas, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and green vegetables.

For a post-natal exercise routine that can be done from the comfort of your own home, go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, goal trackers, and more!

What Is the Importance of Iron Supplements for New Mothers?

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, deficiency of iron among pregnant women and new mothers may cause anemia, low energy levels, poor quality of milk and decreased milk volume. Needless to say, iron plays a vital role in breastfeeding mothers.

Anemia caused by an iron deficiency can lower the functioning of the maternal immune system. The deficiency can affect breastfeeding mothers with clogged milk ducts, thrush, and protracted tissue repair for sore nipples. Anemia also affects milk quality and milk volume in the breast. This is why iron supplements are important for a mother’s health.

Additionally, iron supplements help to restore the iron losses that occur during delivery. This nutritive supplement also fulfills the demand of infant requirements for iron through breast milk.

Aside from supplements, iron can be found in food as well. Green leafy vegetables are a great source of iron. You should also include bananas, broccoli, plums, egg yolks, purple grapes, whole grains, parsley, apricots, apples, and okra in your regular diet.

A regular intake of 30mg of iron is helpful in preventing pregnant women and new mothers from anemia. Breastfeeding mothers should consult their doctors because high doses of iron supplements may result in unwanted side effects.

Get More Out of Your Exercises. Go PRO!

Sign Up

Will Intake of Iron Supplements Have Any Side Effects After Pregnancy?

Iron supplements are given to breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women who have low blood iron levels in their body.

If you are a new mother and suffering from anemia you can take iron pills or other supplements after consulting your doctor. Regular intake of iron supplements generally causes gastrointestinal side effects among breastfeeding mothers.

Other side effects of iron supplements are nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, dark-colored stools, and other stomach problems. It is essential that you take proper care when you consume iron supplements.

High dosage or overdose of iron supplements may cause serious side effects among new mothers and pregnant women. The most common are tarry stools, bluish lips, fingernails, and palms of hands, and green diarrhea.

Other symptoms of an overdose of iron supplements are drowsiness, convulsions, pale clammy skin, shallow and rapid breathing, and unusual tiredness. If you are also suffering from any of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult your doctor.

The most common side effects of consuming iron supplements are backache, chills, fainting, numbness, rapid heartbeat, metallic taste, redness at the injection site, and swelling of mouth and throat.

According to WebMD, breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women should not take iron supplements unless it is recommended by a doctor.

What Is the Iron Supplement Dosage After Pregnancy?

Loss of blood during childbirth can lead to iron deficiency among women. So it is very important for new mothers to increase the intake of iron-rich food. You can eat iron-rich food like spinach, cereals, beans, fruits, and leafy vegetables.

Do not take an iron supplement unless you have been instructed to do so by your doctor. He or she will provide you with a specific dosage requirement based on the current levels of iron in your body.

Once you have been given the all-clear to resume exercise, sign up for an Exercise.com PRO Plan for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, goal and nutrition trackers, and more!

Learn more about Exercise.com Fitness Business Management Software.

Schedule your demo today.