Can I keep taking iron supplements?

[ParsleyCake]

I feel so tired all the time but my blood results are fine...still, I would feel better if I could take iron supplements. Is it actually harmful if I was to resume taking them? I had been taking iron supplements before my pregnancy, but they weren't prescribed.

My midwife appointment isn't until the end of the month so I can't ask her till then.

I'm so fustrated at my fatigue, I m finding it hard to be active more than 4 hours a day and generally struggle not to sleep the rest of the time but spend it sitting down reading a book or studying for uni. I'm so worried I won't be able to cope with attending classes when term resumes in January, luckily last term I had hardly any classes.

I'm 13 weeks pregnant.

Should be fine although I have no medical knowledge I believe your body will just get rid of any excess you don't need, through wee etc. You can still call midwives for advice in most places even if you don't have an appointment.

If you're not anaemic I wouldn't, primarily because they are so constipating.

I also remember being given iron tablets as a matter of routine after giving birth, and when I had a blood test a couple of months later the GP said my iron levels were on the high side, but not worryingly so, so I should.

Some supplements can't do any harm because your body processes the excess, but I took this to mean that iron wasn't necessarily one of them.

*So I should STOP. Apologies for nonsense sentence!

Thanks!

I'd take them every second day or something. Worth a shot. My consultant doesn't even check iron levels, just recommends every pregnant woman take them from around 18 weeks.

How about ringing your GP surgery for a full blood count? Your 8 week result could be quite different from your current 13 week level, now baby is using your iron.

My 8 week result was 115 (acceptable range is 120 to 150) and by the time I had my next check at 16 weeks it was down to 99 and I was fainting all the time. I've been on a high dosage of iron ever since, and while it's slowly rising, at 36 weeks it still wasn't back up to 115.

Everyone's different, and I'm not placed to give you medical advice, but if you are very tired, a blood test seems a good idea - the sooner something is identified, the sooner the staff can act on it.

Check your blood count. If it's normal, the iron tablets won't help the fatigue and given the side effects I would stop.

Yes get a full blood count. I was on 4 a day of iron (prescribed) before getting preg and midwife said it was fine to continue but since you haven't been officially prescribed I would wait but try to eat your iron rich foods until you see your GP/midwife. Btw, tea is an enemy of iron (I was a big tea drinker). On the other hand molasses is good for iron! Yum.