A client at 28-weeks gestation whose hemoglobin level is 10.7 g/dL (107 g/L) and hematocrit is 32% (0.32 volume fraction), tells the nurse that she eats plenty of green vegetables. When the client asks the nurse how the low level value might affect her pregnancy, which information should the nurse provide?

Choice A reason: Iron supplements address deficiency anemia, but her levels reflect dilution from plasma expansion, not necessarily deficiency; green vegetables suggest adequate intake already. Choice B reason: Plasma volume rises in pregnancy, diluting hemoglobin and hematocrit, causing physiologic anemia; her values are near normal (11 g/dL), not severely impacting pregnancy yet. Choice C reason: Protein aids red cell production indirectly, but her low levels stem from hemodilution, not protein lack; vegetables provide iron, not protein, for hemoglobin synthesis. Choice D reason: Not all women have anemia at 28 weeks; physiologic dilution is common, but her levels are borderline, not universal, and don’t indicate pathological anemia necessarily.