On a mega mission!!!

[xxbeckyxx]

So my iron levels dropped to 10.5 at my 28 week bloods so started iron tablets, but they have continued dropping and are now 9.0 which is apparently quite bad (even though I feel fine), so am on a mission to up them!
Am on 3 iron tablets a day now, eating pumpkin seeds and watercress till it's coming out my ears, and avoiding tea cos apparently it stops the absorption. Only thing I can't do is the orange juice as I don't like sugar and it'd just make me sick, so I'm taking vitamin c when eating my iron rich foods.

If I can't get the levels up then the midwife won't support my homebirth and tbh I wouldn't feel safe enough anyway as our hospital is an hours drive away so I don't want anything to go wrong which I could help prevent.
But I still really really really want my homebirth so if anyone has any other tips for increasing my iron, please tell me!

 

[JJ Mum]

Oh no, Mine went from 11.5 to 9.9 at my 27 week check. Want to get it up before my section. I am now buying the tropical fruit juice and drinking it first thing daily with my tablet (can't take more bottom cannot handle it!).

so do you take your vit C tablet with one of your iron tablets ? rather than the food.
Are you veggy? I have tried to eat more proper red meat, I normally eat more fish , pulses and just bacon / chorisos (So were having lamb roast today).

I also am on caffinee free tea !
Do you steam. lightly cook your veggys so you don't damage / loose the iron?

Iron rich cereals? I have a seedy one (dead posh natures own, not much in box, but banned OH from noshing!)

did the midwife say what the level will have to be at what week , for her to support your home birth?
Red cellslive for 120 days apparently, and then get replaced, with new iron rich ones, so I think thats why I have been struggling to get my iron up?

Keep going, it will be worth it all

 

[xxbeckyxx]

I've got the 200mg vit c which means I can take up to 5 a day so I take them whenever I eat my iron foods. Have started taking the iron tablets during the night as I feel that's the only way I can avoid taking them with foods which stop absorption.
Apparently it's not the caffeine in tea but something called teffin?? I have been craving tea for the last couple of weeks so it's hard staying off it!
My OH is gonna make me veggie smoothies (YUCK!), which is raw spinach/watercress/broccoli all blended up but he reckons if he puts lots of water in it I can down it :-S
Have been eating weetabix, apparently it's got 4mg iron per serving which is fairly high, and I put my pumpkin seeds in it too lol.

I am a bit concerned cos I'm having my next blood test on thursday so I don't know if that's actually long enough for it to make a difference (only started on this new regime last thursday!). Midwife wants me back up to 10.5 minimum before she does the home visit. But obviously home visit needs to be done fairly soon so it all feels like a bit of a rush job

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Ooh, does anyone know if iron problems are genetic? My mum just told me that the tablets didn't work for her so she had iron injections in the last couple of weeks, but had three successful homebirths...

 

[JJ Mum]

Oh will have to look into that Teffin thing in the tea, I drink loads of decaff , prob still in it! - thanks

Well your only 34 weeks, I reackon even if it's not, push for a another test near time, get the home visit anyway and keep going, bit too early to be righting it off by them.

Re genetics - well I never had a problem with iron levels with my others, just since my MC in march and blood transufions. Having said that interesting, as my mum had iron injections all way through as she couldn't sort hers out when she had us. Ask the midwifes if due to time this is a better option after next weeks results.

Good luck with the veggy smoothys!

Oh just found out it's tannins in Tea that attach to iron and prevent absorption, but only in non-heme iron (from veg /pulses), but doesn't affect the Heme iron (better iron from red meats). so your doing the right thing there .

 

[x_MrsE_x]

my iron levels are low too and midwife suggest spatone, its worked wonders. Hope your levels are back up asap.

 

[Rósa]

I read that liquid iron supplements are better than tablets as the body absorbs it easier.