Spatone or iron tablets?

[purpleflower123]

I'm 34 weeks and my bloods came back that I'm 10.7. I know this isn't low enough to stop me having a homebirth as planned but it does need a little boost.

The midwife at the doctors surgery seems to think that 1 ferrous sulphate tablet 200mg every other day will be more effective than 2 sachets of spatone everyday. She said that the reason spatone doesn't give any side effects is because its so low in iron theres next to no point taking it.

I know the spatone has less iron in but I thought that it was more easily absorbed by the body than the tabs, therefore making it a viable substitute. She seemed to make out that it's pointless.

I think I'm going to continue with the spatone rather than the tabs, taking 2 everyday rather than the one every now and then that I have been taking. I think I just want a bit of reassurance that I am right going against a midwife.

I will be seeing a different midwife, but not for 2 weeks.

I have heard that too when my iron was very low.

Galfer is the best apparently, but can cause constipation. I took a break every few days and switched to the spatone to allow things to, um, adjust. It worked - my bloods were 7.5 and measuring 10-point-something after a couple of weeks. Combined with an iron & fibre rich diet.

I would just double your spatone, it is obviously your preference and your level isn't too bad.
I don't know whether it is more easily absorbed or not, you have it with juice don't you, and you need equal amounts of vit c to absorb iron don't you? So may work better through that?

You can always request another blood test if your worried :)

I mix it with a big glass of orange juice.

I had iron tablets when pregnant with my eldest (this is DC3) and the constipation was really not nice!

To be honest I don't like or trust that midwife at all, according to her the pain in the front of my pelvis is just that the baby is sitting awkwardly, it's not engaged at all so not in my pelvis. She seems to dismiss every concern I have as silly.

Hopefully I won't have to see her again, the community midwife is coming out for my next check and I'll ask her to continue my antenatals at home from now on, fingers crossed she can. I'll also ask her to retest my bloods when she comes just to be sure.

Thank you both for answering me.

I would not recommend the iron tablets. The constipation I suffered when I took them was worse than the actual birth!

Spatone every time!

Spatone has less iron in it than tablets but it is more easily absorbed, that is why it is better at getting your iron levels up quicker.

Stick it in orange juice and it's even better.

It avoids constipation and other problems associated with tablets. I'd recommend it - you take two a day. My iron level increased very quickly on spatone.

Iron tablets have higher concentrations of iron because they're so difficult to deal with - hence the effect on your poo!

Spatone has been shown to be better at being absorbed by the body - as you say, you need less of it.

It's worth adding extra iron rich food to your diet as well.

Also there's no hard and fast rule about low iron levels. NICE guidelines at that less than 10.5 (but higher than 9?) is something to be discussed but it doesn't automatically rule out a HB.

I have had to have iron tablets after delivery each time and know that they bung up my system and have had to swap to liquid iron every time. This time (4th baby) I have needed an iron supplement since 32 weeks. Due to previous experience I requested liquid iron but got told I needed Galfer syrup, twice a day due to my levels. Spatone wasn't going to be enough.

With my 1st my doctor told me eating a steak washed down with orange juice was 4 or more times effective than taking an iron tablet every day. So I have been having a couple of steak a week as well.

If you are planning on breastfeeding after the birth it would be worth checking if you need to continue with an iron supplement for the first month or two. I have always had to.

I got awful constipation taking tablets. I've just doubled Spatone and my levels are fine now. Try molasses and seeds too, (I'm vegetarian so steak's out for me...)

Floradix Iron Formula (very palatable sweet syrup) works brilliantly with no nasty side affects and has additional vitamins etc. It is perfect for antenatal and postnatal (boosts energy levels and aids recovery.)
I have also used it after a miscarriage where I lost a lot of blood and took it in addition to the 3x ferrous sulphate tabs I was taking a day ......and still no nasty side affects (that's how anaemic I was!)
Give it a try - you might be very nicely surprised.

I was prescribed iron tabs but when I went to tesco pharmacy there was some kind of manufacturing problem so I got the spatone to tide me over. When I told the midwife she said that spatone was better as it didn't have side effects like the tablets could - as others have said!

My iron was 10.9 and I've taken spatone 2x a day with orange and it's now 12.5 so it does work and would be ok for you I think. It's 3 for 2 nearly everywhere but I found boots do bigger boxes that are better value than the supermarkets. Hope you find something that works for you :)