I don't know how I'm going to give birth

[laralou28]

I'm 34 weeks pregnant, anaemic, out of breath, can't get to the top of the stairs without being out of breath. I'm so tired. Trying to get my iron up. How am I going to give birth. I'm so scared right now. Everyone says your body takes over.
I have no energy left in me anymore. Just looking for some advice 😢

You get this overwhelming motivation to get the baby out!

I have been taking spatone because I can't tolerate the tablets either but unfortunately not feeling any better yet. I get so faint when I have to talk even round a garden centre is hard work

I honestly can't wait now. So many problems in this pregnancy.

My first pregnancy was horrendous and I could not wait to get the baby out - really helped my mindset!

Can you take one iron tablet every other day? If not tolerating them at all it would be good to ask your midwife if you’re able to have an iron infusion soon as it will still take a few weeks to increase your levels.

@laralou28 hoping you get the infusion soon especially with you feeling so wiped out! Glad your consultant is considering it. I'm due 26th so exactly a week behind you. Hoping she'll be a bit early though so we can hunker down as a family of 4 for Christmas and not be on tenterhooks waiting for baby!
Thank you for well wishes, also hoping your birth goes well and you feel better soon!

Anaemia shouldn’t cause that level of fatigue are you sure you haven’t got a cold or covid at the moment that’s making you feel tired?

@laralou28 How much iron are you taking and how often? It is often recommended these days to take iron on alternate days as absorption is better and the side effects are reduced. Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy, you’ve got this.

Hi OP. You will do fantastic don’t worry. Your body will absolutely take over. I remember moaning with the contractions and then all of a sudden I was PUSHING!! I had no control over it, couldn’t have stopped it if I had tried!

I was anemic with my third, I actually overestimated how much of my fatigue was pregnancy and anemia as part of it was also another condition and also other nutritional deficiencies (if you haven't, I recommend wider nutritional testing if possible. Other things like Vitamin D and some B vitamins being low can also be part of the cause).

The birth went absolutely fine, no epidurals (I'm too high risk for them anyways), lots of slowly shuffling around, sitting on a ball, and laying on my side with a heating pad on my lower back and/or public bone until the urge to push came when I got up on all fours and pushed the top of my head against a soft surface (no idea why, but I did this in all four of my births).

However, anemia does increase the likelihood for an enlarged placenta which can cause delays in the third stage simply because a larger placenta can take longer to come away. There are no other complications linked to an enlarged placenta, but that delay can cause raise concerns around blood loss which is already a concern with anemia. In my experience of having an enlarged placenta in 3 out of 4 pregnancies, including in my anemic pregnancy, it's worth discussing different options to third stage management (I personally found it better to wait until after the placenta passed to have the third stage injection, far less pain and issues for me, but it's hard to tell if that was because of the enlarged placenta or my other conditions which mean I've contraindications/high risk to multiple medication so my bad experience with it could have been that having a bad reaction).

Ask for an infusion, I got so anaemic I couldn’t even get through telling DS a story without gasping for breath. Walking upstairs felt impossible. I went in for the first infusion and I swear I felt brand new afterwards. Even better after the second one!

Push for the infusion. If your iron stores are low you won't be able to build them up through supplementation at this stage, especially as you (quite understandably) are finding it difficult to tolerate them.

I was severely anaemic though all my pregnancies and couldn't tolerate supplements at all (made me sick). No one mentioned infusion, I had no idea that treatment existed. All my children suffered from anaemia throughout their childhoods which I've been told is probably strongly linked to the fact I was so anaemic in pregnancy. It's difficult for kids to build their iron stores up through diet.

Since reading about infusion on mumsnet I have had private treatment twice (fortunately I have insurance) and feel so much better for it.

In the last couple of weeks of pregnancy the baby will drop lower and will free up space for your organs, making it easier for you to breathe again.

Obviously check with your midwife, but Spatone sachets in orange juice got my iron up enough to go for a waterbirth. Much easier to tolerate than a lot of other supplements. They were recommended by the midwives at the hospital ante-natal class.

Hiya,
I will definitely push for one. The consultant was really nice so I'm confident she will listen to me. Shame you had to suffer with it through your pregnancies. Glad you feel better now tho.

Thankyou fills me with confidence. I am so out of breath going upstairs have to sit down when I get to the top; been to a&e because of it but they said it was just low iron luckily nothing serious

Hey thanks for your lovely reply. Maybe it will happen so fast this time I won't have time to worry about being tired and out of breath lol. I'm sure I will be fine

The tablets are definately a no go for me. I'm taking a liquid at the moment but not full dose. They are going to consider the infusion in a few weeks if it's no better

I was perfectly healthy and quite young, still needed intervention, became quite unwell and eventually an EMCS.

I had friends with various health problems who swanned through the birth.

My point is, you don’t always know who will have a straightforward birth or a difficult one. However, the likely outcome will be that you and your baby will be ok.

Thankyou I can see what you are saying. I hope I will have a nice easy birth but if not then I'm sure I'll be looked after

My midwife recommended Spatone & Floradix to me. With my first two pregnancies I became anaemia. I alternated them, once I finished one, I went onto the other. It really made a difference and no anaemia in third pregnancy. Good luck xx

I'm taking floradix at the moment so fingers crossed I'll feel better soon

Just an update I gave birth to my baby boy 8/12/22 I could do it after all and now back to normal no more breathlessness 😃

Congratulations!

Lucky that you have lots of opportunities to rest whilst your little one is at school. Best of luck