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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

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Original poster

Ttc and anaemic

15 replies

Me624 · 13/02/2015 18:46

Hi ladies. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about the effect of being anaemic on ttc?

DH and I have been ttc for almost a year with no luck so we went to the dr a couple of weeks ago. Dh's sperm analysis has come back fine and I had bloods taken earlier this week. The 21 day bloods haven't come back yet but the Dr also ordered a normal blood test for me and that one came back almost straight away and I was asked to go in urgently to discuss - it turns out I am very severely anaemic. My haemoglobin levels were 2.3 (normal is around 12-15+). The Dr said this was the lowest she has ever seen and she is amazed I am still walking around, I should be more or less collapsed. I have very light periods so this is not the cause, it is most likely diet related (I have been vegetarian since I was a young teenager) and she said as I don't feel TOO awful it is likely that my levels have been very gradually dropping over a number of years.

She didn't seem too clear on whether this could be the reason why we haven't got pg yet, but said it could be a factor. Obviously I need to wait for the 21 day bloods to come back but does anyone else have any experience of this sort of anaemia and ttc?

OP posts:

MrsGingerbread · 13/02/2015 18:56

Hello,

You are not alone. I have been ttc for a similar length of time to you and I also have anaemia. My dr said that it needs to get sorted to stop the woman feeling very poorly during pregnancy.

Are you taking pills or having injections to put it right?

Good luck!

Original poster

Me624 · 13/02/2015 19:12

Thanks for replying mrsgingerbread! It's good to hear I'm not alone. The Dr has prescribed tablets and said I have to have another blood test in a month to see if it's improving, it will probably take a few months to get up to normal though.

Good luck to you too!

OP posts:

MrsGingerbread · 13/02/2015 20:43

Make sure you read all the instructions. My tablets mustn't be taken within an hour or so of tea or cereals. It stops the iron being absorbed properly.

Lots of vitamin c is important too. :)

MonkeySeeMonkeyDooo · 13/02/2015 22:18

Take with orange juice to help absorption and avoid dairy and caffeine for a couple of hours too.

Iron tablets make me constipated and I have to have lactulose too.

23 is shockingly low.

Original poster

Me624 · 14/02/2015 08:14

Thanks for the tips. I'm picking up my prescription today - I'm a big tea drinker so will have to make sure to avoid that for a few hours.

It is shockingly low isn't it ... Dr said they normally recommend a blood transfusion at about 7. But she didn't think I needed that considering I don't actually feel ill and this has only been discovered as a coincidence really of ttc.

OP posts:

Edenviolet · 14/02/2015 08:20

2.3????!!!!! That's terribly low

Iam anaemic and feel dreadful at 8 or below but cannot imagine how bad I'd be at 2.3

Iam also a big tea drinker and was told to cut out tea altogether or only have 1-2 cups a day as that will affect iron absorbtion. I have ferrous fumarate tablets, feroglobin liquid and spatone. I have found that one medication alone doesn't work so where the gp had said 3x ferrous fumarate a day veg been having 1-2 x ferrous fumarate, a spoon or two (5-10ml) of feroglobin and a sachet of spatone in orange juice. Iam now 9.4 the highest I've been in ages so it seems the combination of iron supplements works better than just one. Spatone alone didn't work for me either even three a day.

Edenviolet · 14/02/2015 08:21

Veg? I've it should say

MonkeySeeMonkeyDooo · 14/02/2015 08:46

Below 8 is transfusion level generally, although I wasn't transfused after I had DS and dropped to 7.

Diet alone caused that? That's a hell of a big drop. Diet alone won't get it to rise btw so keep taking the tablets. If they make you constipated get something to help. Although some find it gives them loose stools! Oh and your poo will turn black!

Original poster

Me624 · 14/02/2015 08:59

I have been vegetarian for 14 years and the Dr said it has probably been gradually dropping ever since then a little bit more each year and my body has just adapted to it. I probably won't know what's hit me when it starts improving! I genuinely don't feel bad, I do get dizzy spells fairly regularly which I put down to low blood pressure, and am always tired but not debilitatingly - I just figured it was a by product of a stressful job. Hopefully all these things will improve and my body will feel more up to carrying a baby!

OP posts:

Rufus200 · 15/02/2015 12:24

Taking magnesium helps with constipation caused by iron tablets.

Original poster

Me624 · 17/02/2015 14:34

Had my 21 day blood test results back today and the doctor said these are normal and indicate that I am ovulating. So it seems we just need to keep at it and monitor my iron levels over the next few months to see that they are improving.

It's only been 4 days so I don't feel any different so far ... but wow they make your poo go a funny colour (sorry tmi!!)

OP posts:

xBlueberry88x · 20/02/2015 16:25

I had an iron level of 9 and was given ferrous fumerate mine was caused by being coeliac and not being able to absorb iron.

A few months down the line im pregnant (after 20 months ttc and 2 months clomid) and an iron level of 138!!

Orange juice is good to take, I didnt really abide by the milk thing to much I take my iron tablet about half hour after breakfast

Rufus200 · 21/02/2015 11:43

Cashew nuts have more iron in them per g then beef does.

Original poster

Me624 · 21/02/2015 14:18

Thanks blueberry that's really good to hear. Seeing as there are no other obvious problems so far I'm hoping that after a few months of the ferrous fumerate tablets I'll get my bfp. Not today though as af has just arrived!

OP posts:

Original poster

Me624 · 21/03/2015 09:00

Thought I'd quickly update this thread. I've been taking 3x 210mg ferrous fumarate a day and I had a blood test last week which showed that my hb level has already increased to just under 7! So that's a really good improvement in a little over 5 weeks although I still have a long way to go. I'm to keep taking the tablets and have another test in 2 months.

I didn't think I really felt that bad before but I have already been feeling so much brighter and less tired - I could hardly keep my eyes open in the evenings and I always just assumed it was just down to having a stressful job but now I am staying awake longer, sleeping better and waking up with more energy.

I also haven't had any dizzy spells which I used to get fairly regularly and thought was down to low blood pressure.

DH and I decided to take a few months off ttc while I get my levels up, we're still dtd but not really at the right time and no opks, and it feels quite nice to have no pressure for a while.

OP posts:

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