Anaemia in early pregnancy *NEW UPDATE PAGE 2*

[Happybunny]

Hello, i am feeling a bit worried today. The doc rang me at home this evening and said that my blood results from the test I had with the midwife yesterday showed I was considerably anaemic.

I am a bit concerned he rang me so quick, I thought tests results took a while to come back. I have been anaemic before, when I miscarried last year. I was a bit confused by him, but he said it may not be the pregnancy causing it and it may have to be investigated.

I am a bit scared and confused. Does this mean I am about to miscarry again? Has anyone else had anaemia diagnosed in the first tri?

 

[Steelgoddess]

No not at all hun!!

Loads of people need iron during preggytime because that bub is nicking all that lovely rich blood of yours to feed off of.

Try not to worry its very common

xx

 

[Urchin]

Aww hun try not to worry.
Make sure you are drinking lots of orange juice, as this helps your body absorb iron. Try and eat lots of greens and steak washed down with a big glass of OJ

 

[Steelgoddess]

Ummm OJ

 

[Squiglet]

Hi Happybunny,

I was anaemic during both my pregnancies. This one during the first trimester. I was given some of the nastiest tasting iron liquid drinks to help build me up.

Usually anaemia is not caused by pregnancy... it's just pregnancy places a great deal of pressure on an already over stretched iron level.. which then drops.

I don't absorb vitamins and minerals because of a bowel condition, so although my iron levels are usually normal but on the low side, being pregnant made them drop.

If you haven't got another appointment with your GP, make one. If you are this anaemic you need a supplement, and your GP will be able to prescribe an appropriate one.

It doesn't mean you will miscarry, but you do need to rest... If your iron levels are low, then you will be tired. And that can cause stress on you and your baby,

 

[Happybunny]

thanks for your replies, I am feeling a bit better now. I don't eat meat so maybe this is why I am aneamic, it just seemed odd that the heamoglobin level was so low, but i suppose it must be that greedy baby draining what little iron I have.

Doc has prescribed some tablets, I am going to go and get them tomorrow. I might make another appointment though, just to get him to explain more thoroughly.

I am so scared of losing this baby, any little set back makes me hysterical, sorry for being such a drama queen

 

[Red_Fairy]

i was anemic with hannah, and wasnt very good at taking the tablets every day. (they made me constipated also - so i didnt like them)

when it came to my giving birth the midwifes went made cos my iron level was "ridiculsly" low and i almost had to have a blood transfusion

Ive been on iron tablets sinse hannah... but tbh, im again not good at taking them (my doctor wont listen to the fact they give me bad bad cramps and constipation)
Ive just found out im pregnant and when i see my doctor again ill try and find out another alterinitive to these tablets. (i dont wanna put myself at risk and the labour + i need all the strengh i can get)

I wouldnt think your baby is at any risk.

 

[lisa&alex]

happy bunny? arnt you taking pregnancy vitamines? i think they can be expensive but they are worth it.. and prevent annemia.. especially as in 1st tri ur prob not eatting ell due to sickness n that...

calcium and vit c help with iron absorbtion.. so milk kewifruits green leafy veg.. all help xx

 

[Happybunny]

This anaemia drama is getting stranger and stranger.

Today the midwife rang and told me I was very anaemic. She asked me how I was feeling and has asked me to come to the clinic tomorrow to check me over and do a retest to make sure there isn't a mistake.

Just after, my doc rang again and said he has been worried about me all day. He says my levels are so low that I need a blood transfusion!!! I told him I didn't feel ill. He was expecting me to be fainting and having extreme breathlessness. I have been fine. Apart from a little tiredness, like all of you ladies, I have been fine and healthy. He agreed that the blood result might be wrong, so he advised me to get the retest done tomorrow.

Just to be sure though, the has doc referred me for an emergency obstretician(sp?) appointment. He said they may scan too!!! Woo hoo!! So I might get to see my little baby as soon as this week!!!

It is all very odd. I have been taking pregnacare supplements since before my BFP and they have 100% of your iron needs and I try to eat foods fortified with iron to make up for not eating meat. I am certain they must be wrong. I walked for miles for charity on Sunday and I am sure I couldn't do that if I was so weak I needed a blood transfusion.

Oh the excitement!!!

 

[Babylicious]

 

[Ginnymarie]

Hey Michelle

this all sounds very dramatic and worrying but im sure they have made a mistake. My friend lost losts of blood and needed a tranfusion and she could not walk for 5 steps let alone miles and she was white and very dizzy not to mention feeling sick as well.

pm me on msm if you want a chat, i know how you feel about worrying...i read kidney inf if left untreated could cause m/c which freaked me out, any set back does put you hysterical, you may get a scan tho which would be reassuring, i dont know why they dont do them as regulary as up here in scotland.
take care and remember me and my mum are here for you as well as all the girls on the forum.
xx

 

[happy-chick]

Does sound like a mix up, let us know how u go on hun

 

[Josephine_Beth]

The pregacasre has iron in but not enough to stop you being anemic. I am anemic, have been since I was 13 yrs old!

Eat lots of green veg, fish, red meat and take supplements to.

The doctor who called you, is he a GP? or a gyn/obs? If a GP, I can understand the worry but if it was as bad as they say, you would be in hospital now, rather than online. If you miscarried before, maybe they are trying to be more careful and watchful over you.

Don't panic, you're blood is just low on iron, nothing major at all, you may become tired more than usual, well, that's a given cus you are pregnant but you will be tired. Neeing to rest more and may find that you crave for certain foods, this again, can be mixed with the pregnancy lol

All in all, you will be fine, as long as you follow the basic steps and keep your diet balanced, also, try not to add salt to food and if needs be, try not to each sauces etc that have added salts in.

 

[Bagpuss17]

Did the doc say what your levels are?

The others have given you good advice regarding food and drinking OJ to help absorb iron at mealtimes.

I lost a lot of blood after giving birth, my levels dropped to 7.2. When they're that low you know about it. I was white as a sheet, all the colour had drained from my face and lips. I couldn't walk any further than a few steps as I was so breathless and weak. I had to go and see my son in the neo natal unit in a wheel chair, it was that bad for me I just couldn't walk very far at all.

I had to have a blood transfusion in the end.

It must a positive sign if you're not feeling too bad physically but as the pregnancy progresses it will place more of drain on your iron levels so make sure you do eat an iron enriched diet all the way through.

Hope everything is OK for you.

 

[Squiglet]

See... I don't ever feel that ill when I am anemic.. Yer, I feel a bit breathless and if I do a lot of running around I feel a little bit light headed, but I always put that down to low bp... I'm mainly just tired. I think you get used to it.

I don't ever go out in the sun, so am as white as a sheet anyway...but the way I can tell if I am particularly anemic is to press my nails down, till the pink bits go white. If they stay white, or take a long time to go pink again, then you have anemia. Also, if you pull the bottom lids of your eyes down, if they are very pale or yellowish, then that's a sign of anemia too.

What you can also do, is get some of those diet drinks... They have all the vitamins and minerals you need in a meal, but in liquid form, also eat food of course and drink lots of orange juice, especially if you are taking iron supplements because as rachelandjarvis said it will make you constipated. If you make the drink up with soya milk, it makes it easy to digest for your body and you absorb the nutrients better. Just a way to get as much iron and nutrients into your body as possible.

Fingers crossed though that you get everything sorted out... Having to go to hospitals for a transfusion is a pain in the bottom.

 

[fifi211]

Hope everything is ok HB. Let us know how you get on today

 

[muppetmummy]

Hope everythings ok, I wonder if the test is wrong

 

[Happybunny]

hiya, been to see the mw today and she took another blood sample. I should get the results later today. She said that my results were 4.6(?) and that they were very shocked. She agreed that I seemed fit and healthy so it must be an anomaly...just waiting to find out.

I got a bit tearful on the way back to work this morning, I think just a mix of hormones and wanting everything to be ok.

 

[Josephine_Beth]

6.5 is the safe level, under is viewed very bad, you level is low but high enough to recover and most probably caused by the pregnancy. If you go down lower, they will panic, basically my levels were 3.5 pre-pregnancy but due to a massive diet change, not missing meals and eating alot more than usual, my levels went up to 5.5, so I am just under.

I have listed below the main causes to Anemia;

Diet - uncommon except in children
Failure to absorb
Increased utilization (for example pregnancy, adolescent growth)
Atransferrinemia
Failure to utilize (for example lead poisoning, chronic diseases)
Blood loss.

Don't panic hun, it's a good sign that you arn't in the hospital, even if they take you in, it's only to build up your levels, it shouldn't effect the baby unless your levels majorly drop.

 

[Red_Fairy]

i was just under 8 when i gave birth and they told me it was very likely id need a blood transfusion. - I was lucky and didnt in the end..I was very weak and very very VERY pale.

How could anyone survive on 5.5????????