I never want to take an iron tablet again.

[Grimmfebruary]

Sorry for the tmi but I've been sat on the toilet for 35 minutes half way through a poo.

Trip to the doctors tomorrow! I can't take another however many weeks feeling like my arse is being torn open 😭😂

I honestly think labour will be less painful than this 😂

Boots sell a liquid iron supplement called Spatone. I took the one with added vitamin c instead of tablets and there were no awful side effects and my iron levels went super high.
Unfortunately I lost nearly 2l of blood at birth so I've just finished two weeks of postbirth iron tablets which was sheer hell as I also had an episiotomy. Hopefully you won't need to take then after birth too!

Thanks Mustang!

You need lactulose twice a day. As you now know it would be miserable to take iron supplements without it. Really important that you are ok iron supplements and they are fine with lactulose. Lactulose also awesome to take post pregnancy when you’ll also probably struggle. Fine to take both when pregnant and BF.

NHS prescribe Ferrous sulphate which is the worst for constipation. You can buy your own iron fumerate or iron bisglycinate, which are usually much easier to tolerate.

The below are all good and contain other factors to help absorption:

www.vitabiotics.com/ultra/iron

Feroglobin: www.vitabiotics.com/feroglobin

Hemo-plex: naturesplus.com

Florisene: www.lambertshealthcare.co.uk/florisene-for-women-p8440/ (marketed for hair loss but a good iron supplement.

You usually can take less actual iron with these as you’ll absorb more of it.

I had the opposite issue with iron tabs in pregnancy, they gave me the runs terribly! My midwife said that there are a couple of types and people react differently to them, so she recommended that if it was bothering me that I speak to GP and request to change tablet type. In the end I didn't bother as I much prefer being free flowing to being stopped up, but it did mean 3-4 months of pebble-dashing the loo with a hideous black substance!!
I also never took 3 a day. I'm just too disorganised and always forgot, so it was usually 1-2. My GP ticked me off when I mentioned it, but the tabs still did the trick and my iron levels were rising when they kept checking my blood.
Basically speak to your GP. They may move you to another tab, or give their blessing to just take two and eat a lot of steak!

Bio kult probiotic tablets do the trick (and are very good at boosting your immune system at the same time!) amazon do them Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formula - 120 Capsules https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004SGO4DG/ref=cmswwrcppapi_-XHlAbJE6V1HK

Spatone is a really low dose. I used to take iron tablets every second day.

Oh bless you have experienced this too! it’s hideous! My mum bought me the biggest tray of satsumas from Iceland and I’ve been eating plenty and they are keeping things moving lol. Lactulose is good too. Definitely give the dr a ring xx

I still have nightmares about my first post partum poo after my second. I was on iron from 36 weeks and had a PPH not quite bad enough for a transfusion so had mega dose iron.
3 hours I sat on the loo - DH brought me the baby to feed at one point 😂 I honestly thought I was going to die, it was awful.
Never took another tablet after that.
You have my sympathies OP, definitely get some help from your doctor or midwife, it's awful.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions! Feel better knowing it wasn't just me! Haha

You need spatone. It's fantastic stuff

Ugh those tablets are the work of the devil for your bowels. You have my sympathy. I believe the iron syrup is less likely to bung you up. Worth a try

Take the tablets with 1000mg of vitamin c. ALS take magnesium 350mg at night. The vit c aids absorption and both vit c and magnesium reduce constipation effects. You can also take some psyllium husk to up the fibre. Drink lots of water!

NB I have Ibs-c and had to take iron supplements and the above worked for me.

Don't leave the Anaemia. Make sure it has been treated. It can make you feel terrible but can also affect your milk supply after baby is born.

Midwife told me to request spatone when I was pregnant rather than tablets as you don't get the constipation! If you can't get it prescribed you can buy it. I've seen it in Asda and Tesco. Definitely worth it to be more comfortable.

It's awful and you MUST take care of this asap. I don't know if you realise how badly and permenantly you can damage yourself just from a few incidences of serious constipation. So lactalose twice a day. And I've found that eating a whole tub of precursor fruit every day helps. And have a glass of good quality prune juice daily too.

Precut...

I feel your pain. My iron levels are all over the place. I was so constipated and am in a routine of high fibre cereal, fruit juice and fruit every day. I'm getting away with taking one every other day.

Thanks for all your tips ladies!

Upping fibre intake and fruit and veg. Going to buy fruit juice tomorrow. Also going to ask midwife to change the tablets or get the doctor to prescribe something to help haha. (Couldn't get an appointment today)

Not pregnant but I've been prescribed iron tablets for over a year now, it's hellish, I go to the toilet once a week if I'm lucky but I thought it was was just a side effect and I'd have to to live with it, I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday, I'm going to lose the embarrassment and tell her I need something to help.... Thanks ladies X