When you find out that you are pregnant, what you put into your body suddenly has greater significance – and for good reason. While you might focus on cutting out the potentially harmful things from your diet, you mustn’t forget to add in those things you need more of. You will need to increase your intake of certain nutrients, like iron, to keep you and your baby healthy.

Here we help to answer any questions you may have about why iron is important, how you can recognise the signs of iron deficiency and how you can make sure you get the iron you need throughout your pregnancy and beyond.

Iron is needed for your body to work properly every day. But during pregnancy, your body's needs for iron increase even more.

Iron is essential for a healthy pregnancy. It supports the growth of your baby, helps keeps the placenta healthy and protects you against any blood loss during delivery.

DID YOU KNOW? In the last trimester your baby stores 80% of the iron it needs to continue to grow for the first 6 months of its life.

Signs that you may have low iron levels include feeling listless or washed out, looking pale or feeling breathless. You can check for other signs of iron deficiency using our interactive Symptom Browser.

Your iron levels will usually be checked as part of your standard pregnancy screening tests. But if you feel like you have any of the signs of iron deficiency such as faintness or feeling fatigued, you should discuss these with your doctor or midwife.

Your doctor or midwife will be able to check your iron levels with a simple blood test. If your iron levels are low, you may be diagnosed with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anaemia.

Your doctor will advise you how best to keep your iron levels up. For example, you might be asked to take iron supplements or to modify your diet slightly.

Talking to your doctor Your blood test results explained Food that are rich in iron

No matter how smoothly it goes, there is no avoiding the fact that some blood loss will be involved during your baby’s birth.

Serious blood loss is treated in hospital and is fortunately relatively rare. However being anaemic or iron deficent after birth is common and it is important to be alert to the signs. Being anaemic during the early days at home with your baby can increase your chance of suffering from postnatal depression and can impact upon your ability to care for your baby.

You may think that tiredness is just part of what comes with being pregnant and having a baby. But fatigue is different.

Fatigue is a feeling of both physical and mental exhaustion day after day and is associated with iron deficiency and other conditions.

You should talk to your doctor if you find yourself more than just tired. Our Fatigue Questionnaire, which is based on a clinically-proven scale, may help you explain to your doctor how your fatigue is affecting your life.