Iron demands of pregnancy 💫
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I rarely see female patients in practice who have optimal iron levels - no they’re not in the anemic range yet, but there’s a big difference between “normal” iron levels and “optimal” iron levels, especially heading into pregnancy - a VERY iron expensive time to be a woman 🌹
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Throughout pregnancy, mommas iron demands are going to double to accommodate the increasing number of red blood cells she’s making to oxygenate baby, give nutrients so baby can build their own RBCs eventually, as well as to build a healthy placenta. Iron is required early on in pregnancy, but as you can see in photo #2 of this post, the iron demands ramp right up in the early/mid second trimester. So even if your iron was okay during those initial blood tests, this is a nutrient you want to stay on top of throughout pregnancy ✨
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Maintaining adequate iron throughout pregnancy is also important for your health heading into the post-partum time frame. Hormones will have dropped, and overall momma is left quite deplete, so iron is a crucial nutrient to stay on top of during the 4th trimester 🌟
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Please chat with your health care provider about adequate dosing for you - this is one you want to be specific about what form of iron you are consuming and that you are on an appropriate dose 👩🏼⚕️
#natmedperinatalcare
#natmedperinatalweek
#healthypregnancy
Naturopathic Care & Pregnancy 👩🏼⚕️
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In BC during pregnancy your primary care provider during pregnancy is either a Midwife, family doctor or OBGYN 🌸 .
So where does an ND fit into this situation? 🤔 I provide adjunctive care to my patients throughout their pregnancy, answering questions on nutrition, specific nutrients requirements, sleep support, morning sickness, musculoskeletal pains, balancing blood sugar, keeping blood pressure under control - the list goes on 💫
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I like to see my patients EARLY in pregnancy (I’m talking, you just peed on a stick and got the positive, come in let’s chat) so we can ensure good foundations early on ✨
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The frequency of how often I see patients after that is case-by-case. If things are ticking along well, you’re managing a balanced diet and compliant with key supplements and no health concerns have come up - carry on as is. Otherwise I’m seeing prenatal patients roughly 1-2 x / trimester depending on what’s going on (again, blood sugar control, blood pressure changes, mood changes, ensuring proper nutrition, sleep support etc) 🌟
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I’m here to support you through a safe and healthy pregnancy, as well as answer any questions or provide further insight into anything that comes up along the way!
#natmedperinatalcare
#healthypregnancy
#naturopathicmedicine
#princegeorgebc
Beautiful image by @duvet_days
Here’s a a photo from sunnier and warmer times where my vitamin D levels were probably a lot better then they are now 🌞
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Living in Northern BC, days in the winter are super short so our sun exposure is minimal 🌚. Sunlight is essential to convert 7-dehydrocholesterol into cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3)➡️ which then gets converted by the liver ➡️ and then the kidney into its biochemically active form🤓
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If we’re not getting enough sunlight to synthesize Vitamin D3, we can gain some through diet - however more times than not, diet isn’t enough to maintain adequate Vitamin D levels. This is where supplementation of Vitamin D3 comes in👩🏼⚕️
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We need Vitamin D for calcium regulation + bone health, but also for proper immune function, insulin regulation, steroid hormone activity, regulation of blood lipids, inflammation. 🙌🏼
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Research is showing that there are thousands of Vitamin D receptors throughout our genome, controlling our gene expression and impact multiple biological processes = THIS IS SUCH 👏AN 👏IMPORTANT👏VITAMIN👏
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Come in and chat with me is your curious to know your vitamin D levels, and appropriate dosing for supplementation 👩🏼⚕️
