Pregnancy roughly doubles your body’s demand for iron. You need it to make the extra blood that supplies your baby and placenta, and to keep your own energy up. When iron runs short, you can develop iron-deficiency anaemia, which is linked to tiredness, a higher chance of preterm birth, low birth weight, and more bleeding at delivery.1

Because iron-deficiency anaemia is common here, all pregnant women in Sri Lanka are offered iron supplementation as a routine part of antenatal care.

How much iron you’ll take

The dose is matched to you — to your haemoglobin level and to the particular preparation you’re given. As a general guide:

  • Routine supplementation starts at about 60 mg of elemental iron a day.
  • If you have iron-deficiency anaemia, the dose is increased — up to about 120 mg a day.
  • Many women already take a combined pregnancy multivitamin containing around 30 mg of iron. If you’re on one of these, you usually continue with it, and your doctor adjusts from there.

Iron is taken daily. Your doctor will pick the strength and preparation that suit you, so don’t worry if your tablet doesn’t match a friend’s — the right dose depends on your blood results.

Getting the most from your iron

  • Take it with vitamin C — a glass of orange juice or a vitamin-C-rich food helps absorption.
  • Keep tea and coffee away from your tablet — they contain compounds that block iron uptake.
  • Separate iron from calcium — leave at least two hours between them. See our calcium in pregnancy guide.

Iron-rich foods

  • Red meat, liver, fish and poultry (rich, easily absorbed “haem” iron)
  • Dhal, beans, chickpeas and other pulses
  • Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kangkung
  • Fortified cereals

Pairing plant-based iron with a vitamin-C food (a squeeze of lime, some tomato) helps your body take it up.

If tablets upset your stomach

Iron can sometimes cause nausea, constipation or dark stools — the dark colour is harmless. If your tablets bother you, tell your doctor rather than stopping them. Taking iron with food, changing the preparation, or adjusting the timing usually settles things.

The bottom line

Iron protects you from anaemia and gives your baby what they need to grow and develop. At Sugabi Clinic, iron is a routine part of antenatal care — usually starting around 60 mg a day and increased if you’re found to be anaemic. Combined with an iron-rich diet and a few simple absorption habits, it keeps you well through pregnancy and delivery.

Always follow the dose and preparation your own doctor gives you.

References

  1. World Health Organization. WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience. Geneva: WHO; 2016. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549912
  2. National Health Service. Iron — vitamins and minerals [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron/
  3. National Health Service. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/pregnancy-vitamins-and-supplements/
  4. Pavord S, Daru J, Prasannan N, Robinson S, Stanworth S, Girling J; British Society for Haematology. UK guidelines on the management of iron deficiency in pregnancy. Br J Haematol. 2020;188(6):819–830.