Low blood level / Folic acid / anemia - Help!

[TJUK]

Hi all,

Have been searching the internet and hope to have found a helpful forum here.

My baby is just over 3 weeks old and after birth they took blood and decided that his blood level was slightly low (not overly, but just a little lower than normal). I am A+ and my other half is O-. They ended up giving us folic acid and we have been doing it ever since daily. We went back for another blood test and after a lot of hassle and me calling the hospital and them telling me that it looks normal in terms of hemoglobin levels, we went for another appointment at the doctors who have now told us that the levels have dropped further. They mentioned anemia, but i really dont know much about it and what effect it has long or short term?

They are going to get us to a specialist by the sounds of it. I wasnt at the doctors being at work so i'm hearing it second hand from my partner. It all sounds rather worrying. Has anybody else been in the same situation and knows what the next few steps would be?

Thanks in advance.

 

[leanne1b]

I didn't want to read and run. I haven't had a child be anaemic.
I hVe been once following child birth and a massive haemorrhage. Tablets wouldn't wrk for me and my levels kept dropping so they had to do a couple of bags blood transfusion and after that it was all fine.
Anaemia itself... Makes u very tired, faint feeling, pale etc.
The Anaemia I wouldnt overly worry about. For me, the reason I was anaemic was obvious. With you LO I would assume try are referring u to did out WHY they are anaemic, because I assume they aren't just bleeding?
It could be they do a transfusion to boost LO and then they are fine, or there could be an underlying condition causing t. I'm not sure f there are long term effects as such, but bub would be v tired etc, and other effects as they mature. But I would try and get them to focus on the cause of the anaemia because then they could resolve it?
Sorry not more help xx

 

[leanne1b]

Also, when u have the appointment, did out if it's actual anaemia, asthere are different types of anaemia with different causes/ treatments and effects x

 

[Amy_J]

ive been anaemic all my life more or less!!!! it got worse in pregnancy which meant daily iron injections.

my mum made sure i ate lots of iron enriched foods, spinach, red meat, the usual things, and i had to take iron supplements everyday aswell, and regular blood tests to check the iron levels were ok. i had an operation at the age of 7 and had to have a blood transfusion. at the age of about 8 it went away starngely but came back in my teens, and even now i take iron tablets! i dont think its had any major complications on my health, apart from ongoing anaemia im usually completely fine and healthy. if i forget to take the iron my body lets me know right away as i feel really tired, no energy, out of breath when walking, and very very pale!!!!

im sure you will get the answers you need for you lo, try not to worry it is definately something that can be sorted and kept under control!