How long to boost blood iron levels?

[FindingStuffToChuckOut]

I'm 28 weeks & low in haem.

For 2 weeks I've been taking iron supplements (Spatone - great!) and eating lots more iron rich food as well as reducing tea/coffee & then cutting them out completely. I'm drinking loads of iron rich nettle tea.

Had blood tested again yesterday and it looks like my iron levels have dropped slightly despite all the changes I've made last couple of weeks.

Any idea how long it will take to raise my haem count?

Drink some not-from-concentrate orange juice with every meal?

Vit C helps iron absorbption

Thanks - I'm doing that as I add the Spatone to not from concentrate OJ twice daily & eating vit C rich food at every meal (eating lots of cherry toms :)

but I think absorption is the issue

That's the only input I can give

What did the HCPs advise doing?

God luck for the rest of your pregnancy

did your midwife prescribe iron tablets? my levels didn't go that low but they gave me tablets to take twice a day, i mostly only took them once a day cause i kept forgetting! levels were fine when they retested but i can't remember exactly how long it took. think i was 34weeks when they retested.

My Doc prescribed a supplement containing iron, but I'm buying my own (Spatone) as by all accounts it is easier to absorb than the tablets & doesn't cause the side effects of iton tablets. Lots of MN'ers recommended Spatone to me on a previous thread re tiredness.

Good to hear your levels improved naturalbaby - I'm certainly going to stick with it, I am just a little shocked at the results I got this morning.

I'm on double Spatone now, but with iron it's all about absorption rates rather than actual iron present in tablet intake.

Might increasing to 3 a day.

Just realised I'm not eating very much red meat - will make an effort to eat more meat. Steak this weekend

What's your Hb level FindingStuff? I was at 9.7 at 16 weeks so have started taking 3 x 200mg daily with 1000mg vit C. Was taking Feroglobin but makes me want to hurl...

Also read not to drink any milk/calcium within an hour either side of taking the iron as interferes with absorption

eat plenty of pommegranates, beetroot, red grapes and spinach...

I took 3 spatone (in orange juice) plus red meat every day for the first 2 weeks and there was a good improvement in 2 weeks.

if there hasn't been an improvement in 2 weeks you might need to seek alternatives.

I've upped the Spatone to 3 a day as of today.

My levels aren't as low as yours roopachoo but I was at 11.2 and after 2 weeks of maxing up the iron rich food & Spatone I DROPPED to 10.6!!!!! But very tired and mushy of brain.

I'm not veggie but I eat veggie or vegan about 5 days a week & despite boosting all the iron rich foods, taking Vit C rich foods alongside, not doing much dairy, taking the Spatone etc it's dropped. So now I'm trying to eat meat daily, snack on dried fruit, 3 Spatones a day.

thanks forever - that is encouraging news :)

Just to add to the conversation... I asked my MW about Spatone because Ive have been having difficulty with iron tablets and she kind of scoffed. Apparently Spatone is only about 5mg of iron whereas my tablets are 200mg each. Their blurb goes on about better absorption rates but the MW said I would be better eating bags of dried apricots than taking Spatone. I know this is probably just her personal opinion but I have been put back on the tablets and my hb levels went up in a week.
Have to take vit C in some form (usually strawberries) with the iron and stay clear of nitrate rich foods. Oh and also have to take Lactulose as iron is a bugger for constipation.

Has anyone else got a MW who has 'dissed' Spatone?

I am 38 weeks apparently should have been on extra iron from 28 weeks but bit of a mix up and wasn't told!!. Had a bit of panic last week when realised, midwife told me to take Floradix, would be quickest way to up the levels. I'm vomiting quite a lot in this pregnancy so told to stay clear of the tablets. I can't touch fruit (again vomiting!!), she's not a Spatone fan.

I have been told the same thing re: spatone throughout all 3 of my pregnancies by at least 3 different MWs and the same as below that the equivalent amount of spatone to a tablet is huge.

I still havent really taken my tablets as they make me hurl, but am trying to increase via what I eat - having said that I have a consultant appointment and transfusions have been mentioned so I am inclined to believe that as a top up to a little low iron level spatone might be great (and thus been ok for me in the past) but if your levels are particularly low then really unfortunately the medication seems to actually achieve more.

I'm hoping 3 Spatone will work as I'd probably choose to be a little low on iron than constantly constipated (which apparently the tablets are notorious for) :)

It was recommended by lots of ladies on here.

Putting off trying Floradix - taken it before but don't like it at all.

poor your wriggles - vomiting & no fruit. Only a couple of weeks to go now ..........

Findingstufftochuckout Floradix is the devils work - it tastes exactly what its made out of, if you know what I mean

flowery dicks no wonder it tastes so .... bleugh!

Thread hijack...Lunatic how are you doing?

I'm on iron tablets too as 10.4 in recent tests, 30 weeks and terribly out of breath. I need to take 3 a day and the other thing is to not have any tea one hour before taking tablet and 2 hours after as this does affect absorption (quite dramatically I think). I actually set an alarm for 5am to take first tablet so I could still have a cup of tea when I get up! I did have Spatone too but I really think this is a supplement rather than a 'proper/prescribed' way to deal with anaemia. I am very surprised they didn't just prescribe iron tablets, maybe you should consider them?
Just to go against what most people say, I have had NO side affects from the iron tablets, no constipation at all so maybe it won't affect you?

thanks Janus - possibly the quantity of dried apricots and raisins I'm eating would counter balance the constipation if I took the iron tabs?? :)

I've given up all tea and coffee - switched to nettle tea now, gallons of the stuff.

You could always take lactulose with the iron tabs - sorts out any constipation...along with buckets of fluids as well of course

I was anaemic all through pg, it kept dropping and then increasing (always around 8-9.5 so not serious), then I was tested 2 or 3 days before I had DD and it was 11 point something despite not knowingly having changed anything.