My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Anaemia

12 replies

Vicky5910 · 28/07/2014 15:38

Sorry to be boring! If you have or have had an iron deficiency in pregnancy, could you tell me how long it took to feel better after beginning treatment?
Does iron deficiency mean complications in birth at all that might risk my choice of home birth?

OP posts:
Report
Davidtennantmistress · 28/07/2014 19:18

Hello! I'm anaemic pre pg, during pg and post pg, if you ask the doctor I shouldn't be existing apparently! Anyhow, during pregnancy as well as a pg multi vitimim I take 1 iron tablet minimum that the dr gives me, depending on each blood test I have which can be every six weeks depends if they up it to two or three, I'm hoping this time to get away with just the one for the whole time.

With ds1 I wasn't told my iron was low (teetering at 9/10) until 32 weeks, by which time if you ask me it was too late as I haemorrhaged very badly with him and lost an awful amount of blood. The just of it is that you loose a lot more. Could have been first baby etc however I'm a firm believer it was lack of iron I had two packs of blood as a transfusion (fantastic stuff that is fresh blood, very energetic after that lol) anyhow came home on iron tablets and stopped on them for three months. They did manage to recover to somewhere near normal. Ds2 I was on honey from 12 weeks as a precaution as my irons again were at 9 (seems my default setting!) had three a day doctors here wanted to boost me, he was five years after ds1 so body had fully recovered. Also took sprat one as well.

I had and/c last year which to be honest I think was a bit of a mess up as my hormones went awry completely and likewise my iron level went down to 2, I thought my breathlessness was lack of weight and paleness was due to winter how nieve lol. Three tablets and monthly blood tests later, they were finally satisfied some 5 months later I was nearly normal.

I'm currently 10 weeks and taking one tablet plus pregnacare, my bloods a tomorrow, but am already thinking about upping it to be honest as I know my body seems to loose its iron reserves so quickly.

What are your current levels, my doctors say 9 is slightly under 10 is ok, anything under 7 really worry about it.

Report
Davidtennantmistress · 28/07/2014 19:19

Oh and to be fair each time on tablets given a week and I've felt a lot better, so much so hubs can tell if I've not been taking them.

Report
Davidtennantmistress · 28/07/2014 19:20

Sorry over weight*

Report
Iggly · 28/07/2014 19:21

I was anaemic with my first and lost a lot of blood. Second time around I found out at about 34 weeks and took spatone (iron tablets didn't agree with me) and by 40 weeks my iron levels had rocketed and I felt great. Minimal blood loss at birth too.

Report
Pobblewhohasnotoes · 28/07/2014 19:25

If your iron levels are low it can make birth more complicated if you lose blood, so if you're looking at a home birth you need to get them up before hand. Mine are low and I'm on iron 3 times a day, and lactulose as they make me constipated! I haemorrhaged after my last birth so I need to get my levels up to a normal amount this time. I get my tablets from the GP and my midwife does my bloods.

Report
MrsPatMustard · 28/07/2014 19:51

Agree with pobble, they probably won't let you have a home birth if your levels are too low. (As well as the blood loss thing, low iron can cause low blood pressure. Was very anaemic at the end of my pregnancy and wasn't allowed to give birth in midwife unit. Had to be monitored in the main labour ward.) Drink lots of orange juice when you take the tablets (vit c helps the body absorb iron.) Avoid milk for an hour after you take the tablets, as dairy interferes with the iron being absorbed. And use it as a good excuse to chow down on a steak or two. It'll be worth the effort.

Report
Em1503 · 28/07/2014 20:51

When I had my bloods done at 28 weeks the midwife said that I was borderline low iron. Skip forward to now (40 weeks) and last week I was feeling extremely tired and lathargic and thought that maybe my iron levels had dipped. I started taking spate be every day and a week later feel back to my normal self (as much as you can at this point in pregnancy!) I don't know if it's the spatone that has helped or not but I'm going to carry on taking them for the time being, don't want to risk stopping! Grin

Report
Vicky5910 · 28/07/2014 23:18

Thanks all!
My midwife has just left the practise and the new one isn't contactable (not happy about her already and we haven't met yet!)... I'm just going to go straight in and ask the doctor in the morning to schedule a blood test. Can't remember what they were at 16 week bloods, but I will look at my notes in the morning. It's annoying I can't just go straight to the nurse who actually takes the blood!

OP posts:
Report
LadyFlashHeart · 29/07/2014 10:17

Hi Vicky, have you had any low iron results so far?

Sorry, can't share any advice on birth, but have been on an iron supplement for 5 days and so far am feeling worse not better. Grumbling guts, loose GREEN poo, bloat... really glamorous stuff.

Am hoping that my body adjusts to this, as I felt fine before. In fact I felt great and was really surprised to be told I was anaemic. If the miseryguts don't stop after another week I'm going to see if I can stop/reduce the supplement and rack up the steak and spinach instead.

Report
Vicky5910 · 29/07/2014 20:39

No low results so far Lady and I have a blood test arranged for Thursday.
The doctor said basically 'stupid pregnant woman you're supposed to be tired you are growing a person' and shooed me away but I insisted on the blood test to put my mind to rest. My blood pressure was only 90/60 today so that's another potential cause...!

OP posts:
Report
Vicky5910 · 29/07/2014 20:39

Surprised you're suffering with green trots though, usually you end up with tiny black rabbit poos!!

OP posts:
Report
LadyFlashHeart · 30/07/2014 14:07

Good for you getting the test, see what those results bring. I thought this was a routine test?

In the meantime, have you looked at your lower eyelids? Obv not conclusive, but perhaps a useful indicator. I checked mine as soon as I got home and twas indeed very pale.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.