In response to Jenny's post about the iron deficient mom...While co-teaching a childbirth class one of the participants asked the other CE about anemia in pregnancy.  The other CE told the mom that blackstrap molasses contains a colloidal form of iron that is more readily absorbed by pregnant women.  Along with increasing her iron supplement per MD order this mom began using blackstrap molasses at breakfast every day on either a biscuit or oatmeal.  Her hemoglobin improved from about 8 to almost 11 at birth.  I'm sure that increasing the supplement helped, but the molasses certainly didn't hurt.  If you suggest this to mom, make sure that she understands to use blackstrap molasses, regular doesn't have the same effect.  Here in the south, blackstrap molasses isn't easily located but health food stores usually carry it.  Just a suggestion.  By the way I don't know of any reason that BF would be contraindicated if this is just severe anemia.  Make sure that nothing else is going on with mom that she may not have shared with you yet.

Amy Stallings RNC, IBCLC

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