Can you help an iron deficient vegetarian pregnant women?!

Talk to your doctor again and ask exactly how much iron they recommend you get [mg/day]. Since you're already anemic, it will be more than the standard amount the supplements would be for a lot more so you may need to match that with diet? Also since you're only getting the iron from veg sources and it's less absorbable than what you get in meat they'll need to take that into account. Basically you need like twice as much as other people because you're veg and more on top because you're pregnant, the requirement gets higher in later pregnancy too.

When you eat foods that have a lot of iron, eat them right at the same time as a food with lots of vitamin C. Like a spinach salad [iron] with some oranges or red peppers on it [for vit C], enriched cereal with OJ etc. Don't eat iron at the same time as calcium rich foods, or coffee/tea, they block iron absorption.

Some good foods- spinach and other dark leafy greens like swiss chard, kale etc, broccoli and bok choy, soy products like tofu, edamame, etc. Also lentils and most other beans/peas, lima beans, random stuff like blackstrap molasses. Seaweed has a ton but is also frequently contaminated w/heavy metals and other toxins so I wouldn't eat too much of that.
Breakfast cereal is a really easy source because they enrich it, check the boxes and get some that have 100% of iron or close to it. Also some grains have a lot naturally like quinoa.

Just pay careful attention to your diet and how much iron you're getting every day. The doc should be able to give you info on how much you need daily, or talk to a vegetarian nutritionist if you can't get good advice from your doctor.

well Im vegetarian too, meat is yuck, dont start eating it just bc you need iron there are other vegan options for that, like spinich, eat tons of that, its filled with iron, Im also anemic alot, not prego but anemic, soo spinich is the best thing to eat, and perhaps youcould try a suplement yes, anything would help. but eating actual foods with the vitamin in it is your best choice.

foooood

1 cup Spinach has 35% daily value of iron (and tons of other nutrients) without the paraben poisons found in pills and tablets.

Medical experts always tend to blame 1 cause on 1 effect. However in reality there can be 10 or more causes for 1 effect. Your anemia isn't necessarily because of iron. Things like lack of clean oxygen is a bigger cause of anemia but is entirely overlooked by medical professionals because it is non-profiting to their industry.

Iron supplements can have bad side effects, as you know. However, I don't see any other option given that your diet already contains iron rich foods. All I can suggest is that your doctor put you on a reasonable dosage, so you don't have the side effects, but you still get some benefit.

3.5oz of liver has 135% of the daily recommendations for adults. And Iron from meat is heme iron and is easier to absorb. Humans are omnivores.

You've upped your vitamin C. Good job. Add leafy greens, legumes (kidney beans!), and try having molasses. It's high in iron and you can pop a spoonful or two as a supplement.

I think the best answer you can possibly get is to talk to a nutritionist. They specialize in this stuff

?

It is always best to listen to your doctor - they know what they are doing and are looking out for YOUR best interest. It is definitely not good that you are both vegetarian and anemic - that means you are most likely not getting the proper nutrients your body needs to survive, which in this case, is obviously iron and possibly more. Your iron deficiency could possibly affect the health of both your baby and yourself. If you truly believe you are consuming plenty of iron-rich foods already, there is not much more you can do other than taking iron supplements. It is important to listen to your doctor's advice, in order to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

Nutrition & Dietetics Major

No, being anemic is not fairly common in pregnant women. I was never anemic at any point during any of my pregnancies. You're making excuses for yourself.

Why do you even bother going to the doctor? Apparently you're smarter than he is. The fact is, you know what you should do for your health and the baby's. Iron from meat is heme iron and much better absorbed by your body than the non heme iron in veggies. Obviously you're not absorbing the iron that you need. Your breast milk will also be low in iron. If you want to let your "morals" endanger your life and your child's ENTIRE future life, go for it. Nobody can force you to be sensible.

Iron in the Vegan Diet
by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
Help yourself and others.
Topics in this article:
Summary
Heme vs. Non-heme Iron
Iron Status in Vegans
Table 1: Iron Content of Selected Vegan Foods
Table 2: Comparison of Iron Sources
Table 3: Sample Menus Providing Generous Amounts of Iron
References
Summary
Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, even better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C along with foods containing iron. Vegetarians do not have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than do meat eaters.
Heme vs. Non-heme Iron
Iron is an essential nutrient because it is a central part of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Iron deficiency anemia is a worldwide health problem that is especially common in young women and in children.
Iron is found in food in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, which makes up 40 percent of the iron in meat, poultry, and fish, is well absorbed. Non-heme iron, 60 percent of the iron in animal tissue and all the iron in plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts) is less well absorbed. Vegan diets only contain non-heme iron. Because of this, iron recommendations are higher for vegetarians (including vegans) than for non-vegetarians. The RDA for iron is 14 milligrams per day for vegetarian men and for women after menopause, and 33 milligrams per day for women prior to menopause 1.
Iron Status in Vegans Some might expect that since the vegan diet contains a form of iron that is not that well absorbed, vegans might be prone to developing iron deficiency anemia. However, surveys of vegans 2,3 have found that iron deficiency anemia is no more common among vegetarians than among the general population although vegans tend to have lower iron stores 3.
The reason for the satisfactory iron status of many vegans may be that commonly eaten foods are high in iron, as Table 1 shows. In fact, if the amount of iron in these foods is expressed as milligrams of iron per 100 calories, many foods eaten by vegans are superior to animal-derived foods. This concept is illustrated in Table 2. For example, you would have to eat more than 1700 calories of sirloin steak to get the same amount of iron as found in 100 calories of spinach.
Another reason for the satisfactory iron status of vegans is that vegan diets are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Adding a vitamin C source to a meal increases non-heme iron absorption up to six-fold which makes the absorption of non-heme iron as good or better than that of heme iron 4.
Fortunately, many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, such as beans and tomato sauce or stir-fried tofu and broccoli, also result in generous levels of iron absorption.
It is easy to obtain iron on a vegan diet. Table 3 shows several menus that would meet the RDA for iron. Both calcium and tannins (found in tea and coffee) reduce iron absorption. Tea, coffee, and calcium supplements should be used several hours before a meal that is high in iron 5.
Table 1: Iron Content of Selected Vegan Foods
Food
Amount
Iron (mg)

Table 2: Comparison of Iron Sources
Food
Iron
(mg/100 calories)

Spinach, cooked 15.7
Collard greens, cooked 3.1
Lentils, cooked 2.9
Broccoli, cooked 1.9
Hamburger, lean, broiled 1.2
Chickpeas, cooked 1.1
Sirloin steak, choice, broiled 0.9
Chicken, breast roasted, no skin 0.6
Pork chop, pan fried 0.4
Flounder, baked 0.3
Milk, skim 0.1
Note that the top iron sources are vegan.

Table 3: Sample Menus Providing
Generous Amounts of Iron

Iron (mg)
Breakfast:
1 serving Oatmeal Plus (p. 23) 3.8
Lunch:
1 serving Tempeh/Rice Pocket Sandwich (p. 94) 4.7
15 Dried Apricots 1.4
Dinner:
1 serving Black-Eyed Peas and Collards (p. 76) 2.1
1 serving Corn Bread (p. 21) 2.6
1 slice Watermelon 1.4
TOTAL 16.0

--------------------------------------…

Breakfast:
Cereal with 8 ounce of Soy Milk 1.5
Lunch:
1 serving Creamy Lentil Soup (p. 49) 6.0
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds 1.2
1/2 cup Raisins 1.6
Dinner:
1 serving Spicy Sautéed Tofu with Peas (p. 103) 14.0
1 cup Bulgur 1.7
1 cup Spinach 6.4
sprinkled with
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1.0
TOTAL 33.4
Additional foods should be added to these menus to provide adequate calories and to meet requirements for nutrients besides iron.

Hey naomi the other thing about cookies is shiny metal cookie sheets cause that horrible cooking thing too.

vegetarian resource guide from searching google.

Iron is available in whole or enriched breads or cereals, legumes, nuts and seeds, some dried fruits, and dark green, leafy vegetables. Foods rich in calcium are also high in iron.
There are also inhibitors and enhancers of iron absorption. Tannic acid in tea isn't good for iron absorption and can cause iron deficiency in some cases. I think chamomile tea and citrus fruit teas are exceptions to this though. If you drink tea, it's best to drink it between meals to lessen the inhibitory effects of tannins in tea. Certain spices, coffee, cocoa, phytates in whole grains, and calcium in dairy products can decrease the availability of dietary iron.
Enhancers of iron absorption from plant sources include vitamin C. So eating foods with vitamin C and foods with iron in the same meal can enhance the absorption of iron.
These meals are rich in vitamin C and in iron:
-Black bean soup with sourdough roll; a mixed green salad with tomatoes, green peppers, and onions; slice of cantaloupe
-Bowl of cooked oatmeal with fresh strawberry slices and soymilk
-Pasta tossed with steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green peppers, and onions, with marinara (tomato) sauce or garlic and olive oil
-Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole-wheat bread, with orange quarters
-Tempeh sloppy joe, with a slide of coleslaw
-Vegetarian chili over brown rice with steamed broccoli or Brussels sprouts
-Veggie burger with tomato and lettuce and a side of home fries
Here's a list of foods with iron:
-Broccoli
-Brussels sprouts
-Cabbage
-Cantaloupe
-Cauliflower
-Green peppers
-Onions
-Oranges
-Tomatoes
-Strawberries