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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

What is a normal iron count?

46 replies

colditz · 26/10/2005 19:37

What is the range of a normal blood count or whatever it's called? I got my blood results yesterday and would be interested to know (because I am a nerd)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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JessicaandRebeccasmummy · 26/10/2005 19:37

i think over 10 is considered to be ok?!

i wasnt put on iron tablets until mine fell below 10.

Original poster

colditz · 26/10/2005 19:38

Is there an upper limit?

OP posts:

JessicaandRebeccasmummy · 26/10/2005 19:38

im not sure to be honest..... hope someone else can help!!!

buffytheharpsichordcarrier · 26/10/2005 19:43

normal or pregnant?

kid · 26/10/2005 19:43

I think its between 12 - 16

After I had a section, mine dropped down to 8.5 and I was borderline for needing a transfusion. Luckily they let me have iron tablets instead.

What were your results?

dramaqueen72 · 26/10/2005 19:51

ah kid, thats why my midwife and dr have been in a tizz since my results came back last week...rushing to get me on iron tablets and new lecture from them, mine arent much higher than yours were then!

kid · 26/10/2005 20:13

Make sure you take the iron tablets then, but be prepared for the constipation. Eat lots of green leafy veg.

dramaqueen72 · 26/10/2005 20:31

i am i am............you sound like my mother
actually am following pretty bloody good diet, being veggie and more than abit 'into' nutrition, I am up on what to eat and why.
oats, dried fruit, iron rich cereals, pulses, beans etc etc
guess this baby just wanted all of my share too!

PeachyClairBingoBabe · 26/10/2005 20:50

Because mine dropped to 9 I couldn't have a home birth

The normal range minimum is 10 (or it is where I delivered)

mears · 26/10/2005 21:12

The normal range 11 - 13 g/dl. Different units have different policies about when you should have iron.

Michel Odent says an iron level between 9 and 10 is the optimum at term pregnancy and signifies a well funtioning placenta.

Usually iron is given to women with a Hb of less than 10.

For a woman 13-14 is usually the natural upper limit - it can be higher.

Out of interest I got rejected by blood transfusion again when I went to give blood. Women must have a Hb of 12.5 before they can donate. It used to be 12 but European regulation has increased it. There is no stated upper limit.

PeachyClairBingoBabe · 26/10/2005 22:08

Mears- interesting- I had the feeling that it was a bit of an excuse for refusing a home birth! Iw ould have happily delivered in the local unit, but they refused on the same grounds. I ended up delivering in a Unit they KNEW I was terrified of, as both ds1 and I had nearly died there during labour (lost bloods, anaesthetist refusing to come without bloods, Obstetrician claiming the fit I had that was witnessed by another midwife was just a panic attack.....)

I'd like another baby one day, am just glad I moved away (though my community midwife was the best and I miss her dearly)

expatinscotland · 26/10/2005 22:20

They never told me my count. Instead they put me on 600mg of that awful ferrous sulphate CRAP. Three days later I wound up back on a drip for massive vomitting and diarrhea - from the tablets.

I'm now taking Floradix and it's working fabulously!

princesspeahead · 26/10/2005 22:51

be careful which iron supplement you take. ferrous sulphate will clog your guts up immediately. ferrous fumerate a little better but not much. ferrous gluconate is by far the best in avoiding constipation.

of course sulphate is the cheapest (but they are all cheap) so that is what the NHS generally gives you. cheap and nasty. a few p extra and they wouldn't have to spend money on treating the piles caused by the constipation!!!

princesspeahead · 26/10/2005 22:52

interesting thread btw - I've just had a haem level of 10.6 at 28 weeks so I guess that isn't looking too bad then

expatinscotland · 26/10/2005 22:57

My surgery didn't even OFFER me anything else! Even after I had to go into hospital and have one a drip and an injection to stop all that vomitting from hell! It was NHS24 that got me an out of hours appointment at the Infirmary b/c I fell ill on a weekend.

All they did was tell me to take 200mg of ferrous sulphate! I told them I wasn't touching that stuff anymore - that I'd rather be anaemic, b/c I truly would. I was really ill and had to stay home from work, couldn't look after DD. I lost half a stone as well.

I don't have an appointment to see anyone at my surgery till 4 Nov., so I'm just taking the Floradix stuff for now.

I wouldn't take anything they gave me now, anyway, b/c I don't trust them at all.

princesspeahead · 26/10/2005 23:14

its horrible stuff ferrous sulphate. poor you!
interesting what you say about floradix - people do really rate it (seems to be very well absorbed because from the label it isn't even that high in iron) - but I haven't tried it so I don't know how it would work for me...

Original poster

colditz · 27/10/2005 00:37

My result was 13.9

Last pregnancy it was nearly 15!

OP posts:

buffytheharpsichordcarrier · 27/10/2005 08:29

mine was 14.6 at the very end of my pregnancy

preen

ellasmum1 · 27/10/2005 09:01

If your iron level(hb)is only 10.8 at 28 wks I would definately get some sort of supplement.Cheapo ferrous sulphate from Dr's is awful.Buy yourself spatone sachets instead-natural iron,no side effects,much more easily absorbed.Take two sachets per day,mixed with pure orange.I'm a midwife btw.Get it a healthfood shops.Or my asda have it in the vitamin section!

princesspeahead · 27/10/2005 10:50

I've just seen my midwife (independent midwife, did my last home birth and doing this one too - very good with many years experience - heavily involved with ARM etc as one of their spokeswomen etc etc.) She said that unlike many GPs she didn't like to see a very high iron level in pregnancy, that because of blood dilution caused by your higher volume of blood she was very happy with somewhere around 10 - 11.5 - she said that at the mid point(20wk) bloods she would only recommend supplementing if the level was below 9.5. She also said that the mid point of pregnancy was generally the lowest iron level and most women's levels raised after that. She thought 10.8 at 28 weeks was pretty much perfect.

So I'm very happy with that!

expatinscotland · 27/10/2005 10:51

I had my test at 30 weeks. Well, nearly 31.

PeachyClair · 27/10/2005 19:57

Mine was at 38

karmamother · 27/10/2005 22:13

Colditz, in my notes, on the blood result form, the range for Hb for women is 11.5 - 16.5 but obviously during pregnancy your Hb is lower. Actually, you still have the same amount of haemoglobin but it is diluted in a greater amount of plasma, hence the lower reading. Within 2 days of the delivery, you've pee'd out most of the extra fluid you've been carrying so your Hb is rechecked then for a more accurate result. Feel free to bore people at parties with that!!

Funnily enough, my Hb at 34 wks was 14. Its never been that in my life! I don't drink caffeine which does inhibit the absorption of iron from your diet so that might be why.

mears · 28/10/2005 11:24

Colditz - with a HB of 13.9 there is now way you need iron!

expatinscotland · 28/10/2005 11:27

I have to have the levels checked again next week - will be 34 weeks.

Hope this doesn't prevent me having a water birth.

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