Iron tablets - can you give me some advice please?

[wickedfairy]

Hi,

Am 34 weeks preg (DC3) and have just been given a prescription on the back of some blood that the midwife took a few days ago. I appear to be anaemic but the prescription was waiting for me and handed over by the receptionist without any advice really (although I assume this explains my extreme tiredness).

3 x 300mg per day is my dose and the chemist said that was a fairly high dose. What do I need to know? Should I phone my midwife for an explanation/some advice? DId not have these with my previous pregnancies, so no experience really. Thanks for any advice you have

Phone the midwife, see why you've been given such a high dose.

IMO iron tablets are generally shite though - the body absorbs iron from them really poorly, so even with a high dose a lot just comes straight back out. Liquid iron supplements are generally absorbed by the body much better, something like Spatone, Floradix or Ferroglobin (you don't get these on prescription though). You need to take less with those, cut down on tea if you drink it (it hinders iron absorption) and take whatever iron supplement you have with vitamin C as that increases the absorption too.

I'm on the same dosage (31+5). Swallow with orange juice, don't take with dairy, and stock up on loo roll!

Nearly there now :)