Anaemia

[Hellokitty]

I just got my 28 week blood results from the hospital and I am a teeny bit anaemic (I am on 11.1 where the minimum is 12.1).

I rang the GP but they haven't yet received my test results (lol) and said they would call me later if I needed any Iron supplements.

I just wondered if anyone else was taking iron tablets and if so do you know how low your HB was?

Cheers. x

 

[Katarina]

I'm taking a supplement called 'Pregaday' It's an Iron and Folic Acid blend pescribed by my doctor.
My hb levels were 109 which they said was borderline

 

[Flame]

I am supposed to take them as my Blood was 10 at 14 weeks but i forget to take them and havent taken them for a while. I am trying to eat more Beef and green veggies and stuff now though and dont feel as ill as i did then so hopefully i am managing it on my own.

 

[maybebaby]

I was given some on Thursday, my HB level was 10.3. The midwife said they usually don't worry about supplements above 10.5, but it might vary between areas.

 

[Dinski]

Hi sweetie, I am on iron tablets prescribed by midwife (pregaday) since last week. My HB had dropped to 9.5 which is very low and I had started to have visual distortions and headaches so took myself into hospital only to be told I should have been told much earlier and put on tablets much earlier. I'm feeling a lot better now and eating loads of iron rich foods to help push it up quicker (it took my sister 2 months to get her iron levels back to normal ). Foods like spinach, figs, dates, red meat etc are rich in iron and yummy to boot.

 

[lmarszall]

Hi All,

My midwife but me on iron tablets at my last check up at 23 weeks. I have a history of anaemia and was feeling tired. As they wern't doing my bloods till my next apt (27 weeks) she said she'd put me on it as a precaution.

But i am terrible at taking them as they make me feel bad. Does this happen to anyone else on iron?

They are making me feel really bloated and (ahem) constipated

But i also am feeling exhausted, i don't know which is worse???

Lau
xx

(Joining you guys in 3rd on Wednesday!)

xxxx

 

[tuck]

I was put on Iron supplements, calcium and magnesium right from the start, seems to be the norm here as every pregnant person I speak to has the same regardless of levels!!!!! but like Imarszall the iron makes me very bloated, constipated some days and very 'runny' others and, sorry ladies, but a horrible black tarry like texture . I tend to take this every other day now plus was told to eat lots of red meat.

 

[Hellokitty]

Ok thanks everyone.

I've not heard from the GP yet so maybe they will see how it goes for now. I am going to try and pack in lots of iron rich foods too.

Pretty sure they are taking my blood again in a few weeks so it'll be interesting to see if food can help much.

I wasn't expecting it, although looking back I've not had alot of red meat and certainly no green veg , I thought if any of the tests came back dodgy it'd be my glucose levels.

 

[oldermum]

Same here test came back at 11 which MW said was borderline.

Been scanning websites this morning and it's normal for levels to drop due to your blood thining out and by the amount of extra blood your body has made.

I want a home-birth so been reading up and some women drop a lot lower and still have home-births regardless.

There is an alternative to iron tablets,natural in liquid form that doesnt 'bung' you up

liquid chlorophyll:-
http://users.colfax.com/baby/mwjrnl.htm

or :-try Floradix (a herbal iron supplement available from health-food stores):-

Floradix is a nutritious food supplement, which provides organic iron, extracts of carefully selected herbs, delicious fruits, vitamins, specially cultured yeast and ocean kelp. In addition, it contains extractw of wheat germ and rose hips.
Iron is an essential dietary factor. Floradix has absorbable iron in the form of a yeast extract food supplement. In addition, it contains B vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic acid and vitamin B12 in a readily available and absorbable form. Floradix offers nutrients required for growth and maintaining fitness and health.
Floradix is especially suitable for women (including expectant and nursing mothers), men, growing chidren and persons whose diet is lacking in natural iron and vitamins.


Up your vitamin c and don't drink tea with meals.

 

[Hellokitty]

Cool, thanks Oldermum!

I had a sachet of some iron supplement in my Emma's Diary freebie bag. I can't remember what it was called though! Tasted a bit like drinking blood! (not that i do that often!)

 

[Redshoes]

Hello Hellokitty,

I was on iron supplements, ferrous sulphate, which my midwife put me on over 2 months ago, anyways I had a blood test with the GP who didn't understand why I was on iron supplements, as she said they were only prescribed for ladies under 11, and I was 13, but I do know they caused me problems with constipation, bloatedness etc So, if you saw my GP you wouldn't be put on them as minimum is 11 here I do know iron is important during the middle stage of pregnancy, but you can get plenty iron from foods, and also drink lots of orange juice as vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron, whereas caffeine etc can stop the process.

Hope your GP's got back to you, best wishes

 

[Hellokitty]

Thanks Redshoes, my GP hasn't called so i assume that means they don't need me to take any supplements.

I am trying to up my iron intake via food, hopefully that will help, thanks for the OJ advice!

 

[Redshoes]

I hope the no news is good news too Hellokitty, and if it's playing on your mind, ring your surgery and the receptionist should be able to tell you the results over the phone if they have them back, they do at mine anyways, the receptionists are usually more informed hehe

Very best wishes

 

[cloud9]

I had a sachet of some iron supplement in my Emma's Diary freebie bag. I can't remember what it was called though!

its called spa tone...i kept mine incase my iron levels drop.

One of the ladies at aquanatal was told to eat dark chocolate in her last pregnancy when she was anemic

 

[Hellokitty]

Spa tone...Yep thats the stuff, what a weird name for an iron supplement!

Redshoes I think I will call the GP just to be sure.

Dark chocolate I can cope with!