B*gger it. My iron's dropped again and been told to call an ambulance if I go into labour.

[SledsImOn]

I had an Hb of 8.7 about 2/3 months ago...I took spatone, got it back up to 9.6 and was all set to go ahead with home birth, I was quite happy with it, I laboured fast last time so MWs idea to book for home.

I'm half an hour's drive from hospital anyway so would be unlikely to get there in time.

I got a bit complacent and stopped taking it properly - and now I've had another FBC and it's gone back to 8.7! So quickly.

just spoke to another MW who said, basically, that;'s too low, and I said well I can't get to a hospital anyway, and she said you'll just have to call 999 and go by ambulance.

I'm so cross with myself. What can I do? I am due in 2 and a bit weeks.

Help.

Just thought....can you actually have iron injections?

I'd be willing if it meant I could have the baby at home.

I was given iron at 37 weeks or so - It worked by the time I had DD. If you started taking supplements now - and had another test in a couple of weeks ( asuming you go to term) would that do it?

I don't know - it took 3 weeks last time, for it to go up to 9.6, so I don't think I have enough time.

thankyou for answering btw,

I've got the Dr to ring me tomorrow to discuss iron injections - receptionist didn't know if it was possible.

Texted original MW who said I can still have a home birth so I said, the other mw said it's too low, and I'll understand if so...she replied saying 'we'll discuss'.

Oh dear.
mind you itwould save me having to tidy up the house.

I had a transfusion to up my iron after birth. That may be why they want you in hospital

Keep taking iron supplements and take vitamin C tablets too. They help absorb the iron. I got mine up from about 8.7 to 9.6 in about 2 weeks that way.

Good luck, I wanted a home birth too.

The thing is, even if I call 999 when I'm in labour, given it took 3.5 hours last time from the first ctx - I'd not be able to take my children with me would I? The whole point was, my folks could come over and look after them, if I was staying at home.
If I'm going to have another quick one then there just won't be enough time to transfer - I really don't want to give birth in an ambulance.

Thanks guys. I know that the risk is I might lose blood during delivery, and would then be in a bit of a state. And I did lose about 500ml last time, but it was stopped within a minute with an injection, and I was fine after a day or two.

I think it might depend on the midwife - I don't want them to be under duress iykwim, they have their protocol which I respect.

Just it'll not be easy to go to hospital.

Take Galfer. Your chemist can order it, and you can get it on prescription. It's non constipating but much higher dose than spatone. Take with 1000mg of vitamin C 2x a day and not within 1 hr of caffeine. I got my iron from 10.2 (borderline) to 11.6 within a week.

Give up caffeine, take the tablets, then mainline steak, spinach and orange juice and keep your fingers crossed!

Crikey. That's a fast rise bonzo...I have got some Galfer, but it was making me feel a bit sick so I stopped it after 3 days and went over to spatone...after reading your post though it might be worth starting again.

I don't do caffeine anyway which is just as well! But some steak might be in order!

Thanks everyone. will see what mw says too...I'd be happy to have injections tbh if they work, as it would just be over with quickly...I'm awful at taking anything by mouth. It makes me very anxious. but this is a rock/hard place situation so I need to man up.

Also - don't just rely on tablets the steak/red meat option will also help and iron in food form will be absorbed quickly as well.

I was also told to avoid taking the iron tablets close to eating/drinking anything dairy, as that can reduce the bodies uptake of iron

They should be able to do cosmafer infusion or injection, but even this can take two weeks to have an effect on hb level so it needs doing ASAP.

But currently you've two risk factors for having bleeding afterwards, previous pph and low iron. Bleeding could be next to nothing, similar to last time or worse than last time. Which is why they want you in hospital.

There is absolutely no harm in starting to take the spatone again - if you go to 42 weeks, thats nearly a month to get your iron back up again.
And follow all the other advice about raising your Hb level fast.

fwiw, DS1 was a fairly fast deliver (3 hrs from 5cm to birth), and DS2 was an unplanned, nearly unassisted home birth - 3 hrs from first contraction to birth. Paramedics CAN deliver a baby, but they don't have a massive amount of training - they turned up about 30 secs before baby, and one of the first things they asked post birth was if a midwife was on the way - I think they'd have really preferred to get me to a midwife than deliver DS2! But they did clean up very well afterwards!!!

Thankyou...Viva, that's good to know and will talk to Dr about it tomorrow when he/she calls.

Mw just rang and said, she didn't realise it was that low and so what I'll have to do is call an ambulance, if I feel like the baby is arriving, and then even if I don't make it to the hospital, there will be paramedics on hand to take me there is anything does go wrong.

I don't like the idea of people hanging around for me to give birth, here, and equally don't like the idea of giving birth in an ambulance - but I guess this is my own fault for getting slack with the supplements.

Any thoughts on the idea that it might just be haemodilution? I don't know what my MCV or haemocrit or ferritin are, will ask tomorrow.

Thanks again x

x posts, Nextphase - and thankyou. I am taking it every day again now and will continue to - especially as I've realised my own dates put me at only 35-36 weeks anyway, which would give me another 5 weeks possibly (or even 7 if he is late!)

Maybe just maybe I can get it back up again. I feel so stupid for not taking it properly.

Well hopefully they've looked at your ferritin levels and Mcv before originally prescribing you iron supplements. But yes, ask the dr when you speak to them if they've been checked.

I thought spa tone didn't have a lot of iron in? Might be wrong but I'd have thought you'd be better taking ferrous sulphate. 200mg ferrous sulphate 3x a day.

I wonder if it would be better...I'm just worried about it making me feel sick again, went through HG/verging on HG for the first 20 weeks and I can't bear the idea of more nausea

But maybe that's just the fumarate? I don't know - it's worth trying I think. Thanks so much.

People generally tolerate sulphate better then fumerate so I'd give it a go if I were you.

Ok, brill Thanks again