Symptoms of anaemia please....

[Yorkiegirl]

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Im anaemic too and PG......my levels are down to 9 whatever that means and the dr was worried I shouldnt give birth with the levels so low. Am now on iron tablets which I take with orange juice to prevent constipation and eat steak and spinach for lunch every day!! Pulses are good too as are dried fruit. Hope you are feeling OK. I have only been doing this a few days and feel so much better already.

AMFS, i have been on iron too for a few days now, why avoid??

collission .. the orange juice helps absorbtion .. through the vitamin C .. I've never heard that it helps counteract the potential for constipation (although could be wrong) .. and how's he gonna stop you giving birth PMSL

Angeliz .. didn't mean avoid it, just that if you do have constipation from the iron tablets it can be very uncomfortable (BTDT) and the flouridix is very effective and much milder on the stomach

Oh o.k thanks

I wondered how they were going to keep the baby in as well!!

Lisa78 said in this thread that orange juice would help with absorption of the iron and would prevent constipation too. I think it has helped as well. If DS is ever constipated I give him orange juice and it clears him quite quickly.

Collision,
One other thing - avoid mixing your dairy and iron intake - calcium prevents the iron being absorbed so effectively! I can understand the doctors concerned about your iron levels and you neeed to do everything you can to rest and increase them as you are doing. My hb level fell to 7.2 after the birth - not through massive blood loss but because I was so anaemic and the mid-wife hadn't really picked it up. Apparently, low iron can affect your ability to have an epidural and will also make you ridiculously tired during and after the birth - could also affect the speed with which your milk comes in. I ended up with a 2 litre blood tranfusion because the levels went so low and also because i didn;t want to spend the first month of being a new mum feeling crap!

Sounds like your doing everything you can though - and I'm sure the odd can of guiness woudln't hurt too much as an added measure!