Anaemia

[TobyLerone]

I'm almost 33 weeks pregnant and I had routine bloods taken about a month ago.

I've since had a new bloods form in the post with a request to have them repeated because the nurse didn't label my sample properly. This happened with my booking-in bloods too and I'm now fed up with it.

When I went to get them done this time, the nurse moaned the whole time that the receptionist hadn't booked me in for bloods (I was having flu and whooping cough jabs at the same time). It took about 30 seconds to take the blood, but it seemed to be a huge inconvenience. She also complained that it wasn't her job to take my blood and that my midwife should have done it. Blah blah blah.
She was pleasant enough and I don't plan on complaining or anything, but I am disinclined to make yet another appointment because it's a pain in the arse and I don't have a lot of faith that they won't cock it up for a 3rd time!
Also, it takes 2 weeks to get an appointment and it'll hardly be worth it by then.

So anyway... I'm pretty sure I'm anaemic. Fast heartbeat, breathlessness, restless legs etc.
I've started taking a pregnancy multivitamin with 100% rda of iron and upped my intake of iron-rich food.
Do I actually need to see a doctor about it, or can I just carry on with what I'm doing?

Toby how are you doing and how is everyone on the Jan 2014 thread? Well I hope.

If you think you are anaemic then I would book in with your GP since you are getting no where with the nurse and your MW.

I am anaemic (have been for years) and your levels can drop really quickly if you are and they are not treated properly. My anaemia symptoms are very different to the ones you posted in the op. Mine are itchy skin, very very very exhausted, headaches, dizzy spells, low levels of concentration etc.

We're all good, thanks :)

It's a 2 week wait for a GP appointment too. Then they'll only send me to make a blood test appointment and by the time the results from that are back and I've allowed for them losing my sample once more, the baby will be a toddler!

Ha ha ha ha... Well, if it helps. I had my initial booking in bloods taken at 5/6 weeks and I got the results back when I was about 24 weeks. This was after chasing them for weeks. . I am 33 weeks now and still waiting for my 28 week full blood count resuls.

Thankfully I still take my prescribed iron tablets.

Go and see the doctor - I've been taking Pregnacare since week 4 but have still managed to become anaemic. You may need a specific iron supplement from your GP.

If you are anemic pregnacare isn't sufficient.

I take Spatone. Its a liquid iron. In my last pregnancy it worked brilliantly - my iron levels were 8.5 & I got it up to 12 in a few weeks.

Like I said, a dr's appointment would take me to 35 weeks. Then they'd make me make a blood test appointment, which would be another 2 weeks. Or I could make another blood test appointment and then a GP appointment. And that's not allowing for them to lose the sample again.

It doesn't matter which way round I do it. Either way they're useless.

Can I buy Spatone over the counter?

I second spartone and also try Floradix. Both are amazing.. And you can buy both over the counter..

Ferroglobin from the chemist is nice. Got my levels up really well.

Fab, thanks!

You do need more than Pregnacare. I wasn't taking it religiously and thought that was a reason of me becoming anaemic, but after upping iron rich food intake and taking Pregnacare with orange juice every day, my iron levels still kept dropping.

You can get ferrous sulphate 200mg OTC, although I've heard it can worsen constipation. Didn't affect me though. Good luck!

Update!

When I got home there was a letter from my dr, telling me that the results of my blood tests are that I'm anaemic and enclosing a prescription for iron tablets!

So apparently it wasn't my FBC they labelled incorrectly. On closer inspection of the form, it was blood type (which they've already done), and antibodies (which they've already done!) So no way I'm putting myself out to have them done again.

Seriously...useless.

So...do I keep taking the multivitamins and the iron tablets? Can I overdose on iron?!

I take both.. Check with MW f you are worried...

take both... midwife told me that there is a relatively small amount of iron in the multivits so safe to take both x

Will do, ta.