How to get iron up quickly so I don't have to take more sick leave?

[theotherfossilsister]

Twelve weeks pregnant and desperate for this baby but the GP says it's taking all my iron. I'm on ferrous sulphate and taking spatone. I felt like I was going to faint in the shower today and had to grab onto the side, probably just an overreaction but it felt scary

I've had tonnes of time off with IVF, early pregnancy and Covid. Work have put in lots of adjustments for me and been so accomodating.

I would love some energy, although of course I live this baby more and don't begrudge her the iron.

Are you also supplementing with vitamin C to help absorb the iron? I was recommended a pint of orange juice with the spatone mixed in. X

No, but I will now, thank you. Does it need to be a pint?

It was recommended to me to always have a hard boiled egg along with iron supplements (or food high on iron)

Sorry but some of this advice is way off.
Do not eat eggs with iron!! Also tea, coffee, milk. You need at least an hour between these things and your iron.
There is nowhere near enough vitamin C in a glass of orange juice.
You need to take a 1000mg vitamin C tablet with every dose.
Don’t eat the above foods/drinks around taking iron.
Ferrous sulphate is dreadful for side effects. Fumarate and chelate mildly better.
If you can get hold of Heme iron it is far superior for absorption and you can forget about taking vitamin C, avoiding tea, coffee; eggs, milk at the same time.
However it’s really hard to get in the U.K.
the US supplier three arrows does a good product called simply heme that is now being shipped to U.K.
Honestly there is so much misinformation about iron deficiency and anemia, it is a scandal.
Join the iron protocol group on Facebook.

Tea inhibits iron absorption. Best to cut it out or at least drink it at a different time of day to when you take your iron. Also dairy. And yes take your iron with vitamin c (either a vitamin c supplement or orange juice) to increase absorption.

Op, here are a few pregnancy safe options for you.
Avoid coffee/ tea soon after consuming as the tannins will cancel out and reduce iron absorption.

Floradix liquid
Black strap Molasses
Glass of stout with a meal

Red blood cells takes 90 days to replace, so your recovery rate will be slow and progressive.

I have had extremely red blood count & received transfusions to boost levels after significant blood loss. Red blood cells are critical for transferring oxygen around the body) hence your lightheadedness and difficulty breathing doing simple tasks like climb stairs. Rest and failing a blood transfusion which you want to avoid with baby.

I had very low ferritin levels at one point and saw a haematologist to investigate potential pernicious anaemia, which ended up being ruled out. It was dignosed as diet related. He basically told me to eat red meat, red meat, red meat. (He didn't ask whether I'm a vegetarian, this seemed irrelevant to him thankfully I'm not.) I told him I eat lots of green vegetables, he said it doesn't matter. My DM swears by liver, her DF had pernicious anaemia and he ate it constantly apparently. Not sure whether it actually did him any good though, this was obviously year ago. I have read that nutrients are much better absorbed by consuming them through the food you eat rather than supplements though. Good luck

Liver is your friend

Vitamin C helps to absorb Iron. The instructions on my iron tablets advise not to have tea, milk, eggs or whole grains 2 hours before taking tablets and 1 hour after

Will they offer you an iron infusion? They are amazing. I can never get mine up through diet and tablets alone.

@TiddleTaddleTat

Liver is your friend

Not in pregnancy it isn't.

Apparently there was an academic study that showed taking every other day meant more absorbed. You would have to look it up yourself to check.

How much ferrous sulphate are you taking? Counterintuitively, I had better results with 1x200mg tablet than with 2/day, which just messed up my digestion and I don’t think I absorbed it properly. And lots of red meat eaten with orange juice (plus the spatone).

Pay privately for an iron infusion. Just check it’s ok for your stage of pregnancy

Oh right sorry , didn’t realise you couldn’t eat liver during pregnancy !! Ignore that then.
Spatone is often recommended. 2 sachets mixed in juice or water with vitamin C 1000mg tablet.

Thank you all. I've cut out caffeine anyway.

I actually caused a welfare incident at work this morning by not coming in and not calling or answering as I was asleep. Going to Tesco now though xx

Will get orange juice x

Ask your GP if you can have a transfusion.

You probably won't thank me for this, but chicken liver pâte is packed with iron. That is, if you don't like liver on its own.
I make my own. It looks disgusting but tastes good on toast.

Are you allowed chicken liver? I don't like it but my mil has a recipe where she puts it in bolognese and you can't taste it.

GP said try a while on the pills then we'll see about infusion.

I don't want to complain about being pregnant because after three and a half years, fertility treatments and a chemical I am the luckiest person in the world and want this baby so desperately.

@Guacamoleontoast

You probably won't thank me for this, but chicken liver pâte is packed with iron. That is, if you don't like liver on its own. I make my own. It looks disgusting but tastes good on toast.

OP is pregnant so won't be able to try this!