Hb level of 10 prescribed Iron Tabs will it effect my plans for Homebirth?

[morethemerrier]

28 weeks blood test showed Hb level of 10, prescribed Iron Tablets on Monday (now 30 weeks) 210mg twice a day.

My question is will it effect my plans for a home birth at all?

Many thanks

I had a low Hb with DS2 at 28 week bloods. I took the iron tablets and then was retested a few weeks later. My levels had improved and were above the required level so i was able to go ahead with the home birth.

IIRC as long as everything is favourable (incl hb) by 36 weeks you can go ahead with the plans for the home birth.

Good Luck

Thats so strange that you've posted that question, I've just had a call today from mw telling me the same thing. She said the tablets normally kick in within a few weeks so at this stage its not a major concern. They are retesting in a few weeks and as long as my iron levels are picking up again I should still be on track for homebirth.

Make sure you are getting enough vitamin C too. It helps with absorption of the iron.

I had lower than that. 8.6 iirc. HB was allowed if levels were 10 or more. Drink plenty of orange juice to help absorption. I couldn't drink it as it gave me heartburn so took vit c tablets too and my levels shot up very quickly.

I was also borderline getting to 10 by the time my birth came around. You've got plenty time to fix it.

Many thanks!

I will make sure I up my intake of vitamin C as well. I guess thats why they test at 28 weeks, at least I have got time to get my levels up.

No one mentioned re testing though so I will mention that at my 32 week check up with the midwife.

Thanks again everyone, having just bought my birth pool I thought I had jinxed myself, had a lovely HB with DC3 so was looking forward to the same with DC4.

Good Luck Cute hope you get your HB too

Also worth noting that caffeine reduces iron absorption. So I quit tea/ coffee completely and drank oj as well as taking iron tablets

Thanks notsuch, I do allow myself two cups of milky coffee a day, I was a hardened 5 large black coffee girl so it looks like I need to knock that on the head then!

Small price to pay if it gets my levels up!

Hi, just a quicky but I was told that certain foods (carbs I think but can't quite remember) also reduce the absorbtion of iron so to take them between meals -ideally 2 hours after eating- rather than with meals.

YY to taking them with OJ also.

Good Luck!

You are going to feel so much better when your iron levels go up.

Shouldn't be a problem if you take the tablets as they'll increase your iron levels, I've had the same in previous pregnancies and had a home birth. An additional tip is to get lactulose prescribed asap if the iron tablets have constipating side-effects!

Really sorry to hijack this thread with my own worries...

I had the same iron levels as you at my first round of bloods.
Midwife said that was really good for oregnancy and i shouldn't worry - I though this was odd as I've been iron deficient in the past and I felt very similar to how I did then. Is she talking rubbish?

I've taken liquid iron in the past which I've found really worked, very quickly too!

Agree with puzzletree, iron tabs can make constipation a problem. Eat a tonne of fibre. As an alternative to lactulose, try fybrogel sachets from chemist. It makes a thick orange drink. Tastes a bit yuk but it's only small so just neck it. Believe me, you do not want to get constipated at this stage!!! Take it daily as prevention.

Well, it looks for me to have had the opposite effect

Very upset tummy and feeling sick? Am I weird or has anyone else had these effects? Fairly sure its not a bug, should I carry on taking them or switch to something like Spatone which I have used before with no problems?

Will that get me levels up as quickly though?

Cosmo, I would maybe call your GP and ask them to review it, maybe start taking what you used before anyway?

GoodasGold, I just presumed I felt tired after running round after 3 kids! LOL! Was a bit worried about my eyebrows and eyelashes falling out though!

Thanks for all the advice all, on operation Iron Up from now on got my OJ stopped my coffee, and feel confident I'll get to use my pool!

Thanks, morethemerrier - will do! It seemed rather odd to me.

I felt sick on iron tablets, that's why I stopped them; it wasn't just the constipation that I couldn't stand. I haven't tried spatone but if it works for you, I'd do it instead. I obviously wasn't absorbing the iron tablets very effectively either, despite VitC efforts and cutting out both dairy (yep, dairy interferes with iron absorption) and caffeine when I took them, as my levels weren't really going up with them. So the whole thing seemed completely pointless.

I guess they work for some people, not for others.

I had Hb level of 20 from the blood test they did at my dating scan - didn't find the letter until 2 weeks ago (now 22+4). Got the iron supplements, but as soon as I started taking them, I started feeling really tired & run down! Decided the other night (after I forgot to take one and felt better the next day) that I'll take them every other day instead as well as working on improving my diet. I figure that's better than nothing.