Low iron near delivery date

[Kemlex13]

Just back from MW I'm chronic aneamic and have had everything going. Had venofer a few weeks ago and eat a healthy diet. I really want a water birth bit just been told no chance. My iron is to low and I'm due in 2 weeks. I'm devastated, it sounds stupid but the labour suite is awful I had my first and the experience was crap I was kept in a week. Baby 2 had in midwifery unit and it was amazing! The whole experience was lovely. It's really getting me down is there anything anyone can recommend to bump my iron up quick...?

I eat all my red meats an green veg, take iron supplements and frolic acid with oj. Anything I'm missing?

I'm 39+3 and was only told last week I have low iron. They tested my blood at 28 weeks but nobody thought to tell me I needed iron supplements... I've been given iron tablets to take and told to eat more iron rich foods but I'm still fine for a home water birth. Perhaps your iron level is much lower than mine? Mine is 10 I think.

They can give you an iron infusion so go back and prod the midwife! It's the quickest way to get your levels up.

I get anaemic (I'm not pregnant, Aunty Flo doesn't know where the off switch is) and you can get liquid iron which works better than the pills. An infusion works faster than the liquid though.

I hope you're feeling better soon

I was given an iron transfusion a week before my due date with DC2 as I was discovered by chance to be severely anaemic (yet my medics were supposed to be specifically looking out for this as I had a massive PPH with DC1 & had been sent to a teaching hospital for DC2 because of this so how they missed it I don't know...). Anyway, if you are very low I don't think anything will raise it quickly enough within such a short space of time, as they are probably referring to your stored iron levels (ferritin) rather than iron levels in circulating blood which can be raised quickly (haemoglobin).

If you want to take decent supplements, then heme type iron formulations are the best in terms of amount absorption & ideally you need to take at the right time with certain foods to maximise absorption (this can all be found via google).

For the delivery it would be best to deliver in hospital as increase of haemorrhage is higher with low iron. They might need to get blood into you very quickly should a bleed occur & will probably have your bloodtype on standby ready to go if they are concerned. It's precautionary & you'll probably be fine, but do make sure you are being well looked after post-delivery. Be prepared for the fact you might need a blood transfusion - not that it's difficult or painful but it sounds like more of a big deal than it is. Make sure they check your iron afterwards & again at the 6week. Keep taking supplements especially if bf-ing. It's difficult to tell if you feel tired from the birth/care of newborn or if it is caused by low iron.

Ask to try Ferinject. It is similar to an infusion but works much faster. It is the equivalent dose of 3 venofers.

Thanks I'll look into those. I had an iron transfusion 5 weeks ago and again 4 weeks ago it was at 72 it's gone up to 86 but needs to be over 100.