Vitamin B12 Deficiency & pregnancy?? anyone know anything useful

[TheBlonde]

Just back from the MW/Obs clinic
I am lacking B12 so have to go for a jab on Monday

Anyone else dealt with this while pg?

I have had a B12 deficiency for about the last 7 years.I have quarterly jabs to control the pernicious aneamia and was told by my gp that becacuse it is something my body needs,I should continue whilst pg.I had a ds last year and am 15 weeks pg again and still having my regular jabs.
I really wouldn't worry about it too much.I always know when I'm due to have mine as I get very tired,but being pg at the mo and having a toddler to run around after doesn't help either.
It shouldn't make a difference to your pregnancy...welll it didn't with mine.hth.

Thanks bubbaloo

I'm just worrying as god knows how long I've had this
I've been anaemic since about 16 but they've always put it down to heavy periods

Well...I only found out when I was having allsorts of tests done for my IBS.Like I said,it was about 7 years ago and the jabs are a pain,but I only need them every 3 months,although I will need to have them forever now.Have you also got to have the quarterly ones?

Funnily enough since I've been having them,I have come across lots of other people "in the same boat"-I'd never even heard of it before.Even my FIL now has b12 jabs.

Best of luck with your pregnancy,and try not to worry.

I also have had regular vitamin b12 injections. My stomach does not absorb B12 at all. I have had this for about 6 years now. (Although it went undiagnosed for years). Your liver stores a stock of b12 for years.

There are several reasons for this. If you are a vegan you can get this condition as B12 is found in animal products. Like Bubbaloo says it can be caused by pernicious anaemia, which is where the body doesn't produce intrinsic factor which is needed to absorb the B12. Or like me a malabsorbtion problem (I produce intrinsic factor). If you have either of the last 2 conditions you need vitamin b12 for life. Initially you might need lots of injections to bring your levels up. Then usually every 3 months. They are supposed to then monitor your condition every year by a blood test. Before I got pregnant I took them every month for a year. During my pregnancy I was monitored closely and ended up having the injections every 2 weeks as my levels dropped so much.

Have they mentioned further tests to find out why? Do you suffer from any stomach problems? Have you found you are very tired?

I'm not veggie or vegan

I suspect it will turn out to be autoimmune with instrinic factor antibodies as I already have hypothyroidism

They said they will run tests on Monday at the hospital

Unfortunately my toddler screamed throughout the appt hence I failed to ask any useful questions

When a veggie - I was advised to eat marmite because of the B12 in it - not great advise if you are not absorbing the B12 your body takes in

A friend of mine did. She was utterly knackered (had to crawl up stairs on hands and knees) until she got the jabs, which did help.

Hope yours helps, good luck!

Mum2Ben-That is very interesting! I've never been "monitored" or have yearly blood tests-Suppose,as usual...it depends on where in the country you live.I'm having my jab next week,so I think I'll mention it to my nurse,so thanks for that.

Bubbaloo - no problem. I usually have to ask for mine, as there doesn't seem to be any monitoring process in place. Think I have only ever been called once.

The other thing is that there is some evidence that B12, iron and folate absorption are all related, so you need checking for all 3. In my area they check all 3 as a group. Over the summer I was anaemia and had low folate levels, and my b12 was borderline OK. And I was absolutely knackered. I also tend to get numbness in my feet and hands if my levels are low.

Good luck TheBlonde at your appointment.

The tests they can do are called Schilling tests. Part 1 looks at a lack of eating B12 as a cause. Part 2 proves whether or not you produce intrinsic factor. Not many places do the tests anymore. I had to have the tests as I also suffer from other stomach problems.

Daft question time - where will I have to be jabbed?

I have had to do this twice when I had Bell's Palsy. They are sub-cutaneous (just under the skin) injections so not bad at all. Mine were always in the upper arm.

And you will feel great afterwards!!

I have mine in the top of my arm. They do burn a bit when the liquid goes in, but it's over quickly.

I alternate each arm,each time I go,although I was told you can choose where you'd like it.
Like Mum2Ben says it's not a very nice jab but it's only small and over very quickly...thank goodness,and you will feel better quite soon afterwards.

Back from the hospital
Didn't get a B12 jab

Doc took bloods to test for various possible causes of the B12 deficiency
Now I have to wait 1-2 weeks for results, then for results to be sent to my GP who will then administer B12 or not

I don't know why she couldn't have taken the bloods at the clinic on Thurs

Just bumping to see if I can get any more words of wisdom

Saw my GP today for the B12 jab
He didn't have the results of the intrinsic factor tests but someone at the hosp had called him and told him to jab me

They have suggested weekly jabs although the BNF suggests it should be every 3 days to start with

Not feeling terribly confident that they are dealing with it correctly

It has taken 8 weeks from the low B12 result to begin treatment and I'm a bit worried about any negative effects on the baby

That sounds a bit rubbish to me.

I had jabs twice a week for about 6 weeks when first diagnosed. I had no B12 in my system at all though. You have stores normally for about 2-3 years in your liver. The stocks take a long time to deplete. I would think your baby is fine.

I did worry a lot though when I had my 1st baby, as my levels plummeted as soon as I got pregnant. I never had a clear answer out of anyone at either hospital I was attending to get advice about how to deal with it. My GP did wonder if it's because you have more blood in your system when you are pregnant. They did stabilise at about 6 months though. I was having monthly injections at the time and then every 2 weeks for the last few months. My 1st baby was fine.

The only thing I could suggest is that you ask for regular blood tests to put your mind at rest. I had monthly blood tests.

How did they test whether you have intrinsic factor, out of interest? I had the schilling test and didn't know there was another way of checking. I had to wait ages for my schilling test as there was a worldwide shortage of intrinsic factor at the time! No one ever mentioned an alternative.

I'm 9 weeks pregnant now. I had my annual B12 check just before I got pregnant. They were OK, just. I haven't seen a midwife yet, but I'll probably see one in the next few weeks and get another blood test.

I'd be interested to see how you get on. I'm moving house on Friday, so my computer will be packed up tomorrow and then out of action for a few days. Do post to let me know how you are gettting on.

Thanks for your input & congrats on your pregnancy

They ran tests for:
Intrinsic factor antibodies, IF serum, methylmalenic acid, FBC, LFTs, coeliac screen

Annoyingly I haven't seen these results yet and we are off on holiday on Friday - my GP didn't have them but I will try to call the hospital tomorrow and see if I can get someone to tell me them

I don't think they can do the Schilling test when you are pg as it involves giving you radioactive B12

Have had b12 deficiency on and off for years, but they won't give me shots because it's unexplained and it keeps sorting itself out

Anyhoo, just wanted to say that the haematologist I saw after the first pregnancy told me that b12 is sequestered in the placenta during pregnancy, so b12 naturally drops during pregnancy and increases after delivery. Which is probably not a problem if you are normal to start with, but maybe you were low or borderline before it?

My STUPID STUPID GP wouldn't give me a jab 'cos he was chicken and stupid and it took so long for me to see the haematologist (who said, why didn't your GP just give you a jab?!!!) my baby was 2 months old. So I got to feel that extra bit crap during pregnancy all because he was STUPID STUPID. Not that I'm bitter and needed to get that off my chest or anything.

Your baby will be fine whether or not you have a jab - it's the mums who suffer.

The Blonde - I am amazed there is an alternative to the schilling test. Since I had to wait for so long for this test and was told there is no alternative. Yes I think I remember that it was radioactive. Hopefully you'll get the results soon.

Spiker - that's really interesting what the haematologist said. That fits with what happens to me, but I couldn't get any information out of anyone I saw or any reassurance that my baby would be OK. From the reaction of the doctors and midwives, it was like I was the only person on the planet with this condition!

Just a quick bump to see if anyone has anything to add

I've been scaring myself by reading about how lack of B12 can cause neural tube defects in pg. Apparently it can also cause problems if you are B12 deficient when breastfeeding.

I did manage to find out the B12 requirements for the baby in pregnancy. I can't remember where though, but I do remember that the requirements are tiny at the beginning and I think I remember they double in the last trimester.

I was terrified in my 1st pregnancy, and I was worried about the same things as you. But my baby was fine.

I hadn't heard of any specific problems during b/f. My levels returned to normal as soon as I gave birth though.

Btw, I can always tell if my levels are low - I get numbness in my hands and toes. I drop things all the time. And I feel so tired.

I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow for my booking-in and I expect she will do a blood test, so I can find out what's happening with my own levels.

Thanks MumtoBen - hope all is going well with your pg

I'm seeing the Endocrinologist and the Obs person this week so hopefully they may be able to enlighten me further. I've got an appt for Haematology but not until late Jan

Let me know how you get after your appointments. I'd be interested to know what they say.

Everything is fine with me, thanks. 13 weeks now. Had my scan last week and everything is great. I saw the midwife Monday and have been routinely referred to see a consultant, due to the B12 injections. If the wait is like last time I will have probably given birth by the time I see someone!

Hello, appts were okay
Endo didn't have much to say on the subject
At the Obs clinic I saw an SHO who was pretty useless - I wasn't reassured by her in the slightest! She clearly knew nothing about B12

Oh well just wait for the Haematalogy appt now I guess

That pretty much replicates what I was told by the 'experts' I was referred to!