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Motivational interviewing
Motivational interviewing can be a tool used by practitioners to actively engage their
clients to take charge of their own health. To make the change, the client needs to recognize their
own interest in committing to make the change. To being interested in making the change it is
important for the client to be fully informed about topic of change. In this case it is pregnancy
related anemia. It is important for woman who are at risk or may develop anemia to understand
what anemia is, what causes it and the effect it can have on their health and the health of their
baby. If they have a full understanding of the condition they have and its implications,
motivational interviewing will be more effective because when considering to make lifestyle
changes to manage their condition, they will have a why behind the change and what their doing
it for.
It is important as practitioners to utilize motivational interviewing when counseling
women with anemia because they ultimately have control over their bodies, conditional and their
health. It is important to have these women proactively making lifestyle changes life diet, to
increase their iron stores, because without iron, hemoglobin and ultimately oxygen flow to their
tissues and to the life their growing is impacted. This can have serious implications for their
health, their babies health and the course of their pregnancy. Motivational interviewing is
significant to flourishing because instead of telling clients what they need to do, you are trying to
motivate them to take control of their own health and make them feel like they are in charge.
Human in general are more likely to make a change is they are in control versus someone else
trying to change them or tell them what to do. By utilizing motivational interviewing, we can

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empower women to take control of their health and improve the longevity and health of their
pregnancy.
Nutrition
Nutrition is an essential component that affects anemia. Many different types of anemia
are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Iron is one of the most common nutrients that lack in an
individuals diet that puts them at risk for developing anemia. Pregnant women are especially
susceptible to developing anemia because most women enter pregnancy with already depleted
iron stores. When they become pregnant, their bodies demand for iron increases even more and
when they do not have enough stored in the body, they develop anemia. Promoting the
importance an iron rich diet and supplementation can decrease the risk of pregnant women
developing anemia or help treat them if they have already developed it. Most women do not
know all of the sources of iron they can get from their diet. Providing education on iron-rich food
sources is important for a women to increase her iron intake by the foods she chooses to eat.
Increasing her iron stores through consuming iron-rich foods can help decrease the
impact of the symptoms she may be experiencing related to the anemia. By addressing the diet
deficiency a woman can flourish the rest of her pregnancy is her day to day life is not impacted
by the symptoms and concerns she may have about her health and the health of her baby. Stress
can have a negative impact on pregnancy and should be prevented. Simple diet changes can
leading to a flourishing pregnancy not plagued by anemia!
Self-care
Self-care is an important component when suffering from anemia during pregnancy. With
some simple self-care measure, the condition it self can be treated. Self-care when suffering from

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anemia during pregnancy involves ensuring one is consuming iron rich-foods, listening to their
body and giving it the rest it needs and keeping stress levels at bay. As a newly pregnant woman,
among the several changes the body is going through, it is important to address the needs your
body is telling you. If one is not taking care of themselves, it has an impact on that of their soon
to be baby and others around them. If a pregnant woman is stressed, worn out and unhappy, most
likely others around her will start to feel the stress and start to worry. Anemia can have a
significant impact on pregnant womans ability to do day to day tasks. The fatigue alone can be
daunting. It is important to listen to ones body and not over do it. There is always tomorrow.
Ever heard the saying happy wife, happy life? The same goes for being pregnant,
taking care of oneself increases ones life satisfaction, the health of their baby and others in their
life. To truly flourish in pregnancy, one needs to take care of themselves because soon they will
be taking care of someone else!
CAM
Many pregnant women use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) during pregnancy.
CAM is a wide range of modalities that includes home remedies, herbal supplements,
chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, and more. Some CAM is safe during pregnancy and is
widely used by pregnant patients to help with the symptoms of pregnancy. Iron deficient anemia
occurs when the body does not have enough of mineral iron. Iron is used to make hemoglobin,
the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen to tissues. Without iron and hemoglobin, the
tissues are deprived from oxygen and the patient begins to have symptoms of excessive fatigue
and weakness, shortness of breath, pale skin, etc. There are many remedies to help increase the
amount of iron in the body and remedies that increase the utilization of iron in the body.

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Bootstrap molasses is made from boiling sugar syrup. It is rich in iron as well as other
vitamins and minerals. Bootstrap molasses can be added to many recipes as a sweetener or taken
alone to increase iron in the body. Cooking in cast-iron can also add iron to the diet and increase
the amount of iron in the body. Yellow dock and Dandelion can be bought in tea and pill form.
They are rich in iron and raise iron levels in the body. Gentian is a supplement that aids in the
absorption of iron and vitamins B12. Nettle is a tea that also increases iron absorption by the
body. Chlorophyll is a supplement that helps the body build red blood cells.
Many women use CAM to help with anemia. These are all remedies that have been tested
and are safe to use during pregnancy. Whether they are increasing the amount of iron in the body,
aiding in the absorption of iron, or supporting the formation of red blood cells; they are all
remedies that can help ward off anemia and increase the overall wellbeing of the pregnant
patient.
Sleep
Anemia is a blood disorder characterized by a decrease in the capability of red blood cells
to carry oxygen. Some of the main symptoms are fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. Getting
adequate sleep is very important to cope with the symptoms of anemia. Fatigue is also a
symptom of pregnancy and when the pregnant patient is anemic, the fatigue and weakness are
doubled. Disrupted sleep is another symptom of pregnancy. The health and quality of life
drastically goes down when a patient is getting less sleep and has fatigue stemming from two
different processes in the body. There are many techniques that can improve the amount and
quality of sleep during pregnancy.

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Many pregnant women are stressed. Getting rid of stress can allow women to relax at
night and get adequate rest. Women can reduce stress with prayer, meditation, yoga, and other
mindful activities. Some women may be overwhelmed with issues in their lives and need to talk
to a professional about how to cope and reduce their amounts of stress.
Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is vital during pregnancy. However, timing
is crucial. Drinking the majority of water in the morning and afternoon and then restricting the
amount of fluid in the later afternoon can help prevent frequent trips to the bathroom during the
night. Caffeine should be limited during pregnancy due to the adverse health effects on the fetus,
but also because it can keep the woman up at night which increases fatigue. Antacids may be
used to prevent heartburn throughout the night.
Exercising regularly can lead to a healthy pattern of sleep. During pregnancy it is
important to not overexert the body and to take it easy. Taking naps during the day helps to
prevent being overtired and irritable at bedtime, which can lead to an inability to go to sleep.
These are ways pregnant women can get adequate amounts of sleep at night and battle the
fatigue that accompanies anemia and pregnancy.
Exercise
Anemia in blood disorder caused by a decrease in the ability of red blood cells to carry
oxygen to the tissues of the body. Some symptoms of anemia are fatigue, dizziness, weakness
and shortness of breath. Exercise is vital to improve the health of woman and baby during
pregnancy because exercise helps ease many pregnancy related symptoms including fatigue,

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glycemic control, and maintain healthy weight gain. These outcomes can help patients cope with
anemia symptoms during pregnancy.
While exercise is beneficial during pregnancy, women should be cautious and listen to
their bodies for cues if their workout is too strenuous. When working out, a pregnant woman
should be able to speak a full sentence during the most difficult portion of exercise without
breaking to catch her breath. This is a good measure to ensure that the baby is getting enough
oxygen and nutrients, and also that mother and baby are getting the benefits from exercise.
Once a woman begins to show, her center of gravity is shifted forward making it difficult
to balance. For this reason, it is important for women to keep one foot on the ground at all times
during exercise. This decreases the risk of falls and injuries and aids in the continuation of
exercise throughout the entire pregnancy. Also, a pregnancy support belt should be worn in order
to secure the belly and ligaments, reducing the risk for injury.
It is important for pregnant women to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water before
working out will help prevent dizziness and ensure that the tissues are well hydrated and will not
overheat. Increasing iron in your diet or prescribed iron supplements can help raise your iron
levels and increase your ability to exercise without excess fatigue.
Exercise is important for health during pregnancy. Exercise should be routine during a
pregnancy with anemia because it helps with the overall symptoms of fatigue and weakness.

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References
Binkley, H. M., Binkley, J. L., & Wise, S. L. (2015). Land-based exercise during pregnancy.
International Journal of Childbirth Education. 30(3), 37-51p.
Cao, C., Obrien, K.O. (2013). Pregnancy and iron homeostasis: an update. Nutrition Reviews;
71(1), 35-51.
Center for Evidence-Based Practices (CEBP) at Case Western Reserve University. (n.d.).
Retrieved December 8, 2015, from https://www.centerforebp.case.edu/practices/mi
Comerford Freda, M. (2004). Issues in Patient Education. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478283_4
Falvo, D. (2004). Effective patient education: A guide to increased compliance (3rd ed.).
Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett.
Krafft, A., Murray-Kolb, L., & Milman, N. (n.d.). Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Pregnancy.
Journal of Pregnancy, 1-1.
Pallivalappila, A., Stewart, D., Shetty, A., Pande, B., Singh, R., & Mclay, J. Ss. (2014).
Complementary and alternative medicine use during early pregnancy. European Journal of
Obstetrics And Gynecology, 181251-255. Doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.08.017