Low ferritin, ok ish iron, feeling ok?

[AnythingNotEverything]

I'm 26 weeks with DC4. At my 16 week appointment my MW said that my booking bloods had come back with low ferritin (12) and ok ish haemoglobin (30 I think, but can't work out the decimals on my blood form).

Since then, I've done lots to improve I take and absorption - 2 sachets of Spatone with juice each day, no tea/coffee with food, lots of red meat and green leafy veg, dried apricots etc. Avoiding indigestion remedies where I can too.

I feel fine. I mean, I've got 3 kids (one toilet training) and run my own business part time, so I'm tired, but not dead on my feet tired. I often have a 10 minute cat nap late afternoon but that's pretty normal for this stage I think?

I'm worried that my 28 week bloods are going to come back with little improvement. Can anyone reassure me that if my iron/ferritin was too low I'd feel like crap? Is it possible to feel ok and be anaemic?

I was prescribed some liquid iron but it made me sick and have me awful heartburn.

Any experience to share? I'm not after a home birth or anything so not sure what the impact could be anyway.

I had low ion after my 28 weeks appt and it was no surprised as I was unusually tired. I started taking the iron tablets I was prescribed along with lots of spinach and vitamin C. By my 31 weeks appt I was feeling better and when retested my iron levels were very good.

So yes, I would say you would feel it if you were anaemic.

Everyone is different; I notice it when my ferritin is 50! But I have hypothyroidism.

I felt very well indeed at 26 weeks but starting to not be it at 32. It's potentially more how it may affect you post baby esp if any blood loss.

That's interesting - thanks to you both!

It's hard to know what's just the "normal" you've gotten used to.

It’s important to take the iron if you need it. I really sympathise that it makes you feel sick - I have HG and I’m anaemic and taking the tablets are a torment.

The thing is that if left low iron levels at 28 weeks turn into VERY low iron levels by the end - it’s unlikely to stay at the level it is now for you and anaemia is associated with worse outcomes, so it is important to take the pills, even though they are vile. I’ve found a delayed release enterocoated one taken just before bed to be the only thing I can tolerate and even that is miserable, but I need to do it.

I also lost 2l of blood with my first birth - going into that anaemic would have been pretty shit. The foetus’s iron needs increase towards the end - it is shit taking the tablets but ask the pharmacist for something equivalent but as gentle on the stomach as you can.

I tried cutting milk out (and gluten but wasn't the issue) due to ibs possibly ironically caused by iron tablets (didn't calm down after stopping) on the advice of a gp (fodmaps diet approach.)

Milk turned out to be the temporary issue for my crazy tummy. I'd been concerned about stopping iron as it always seemed in a could of months it fell back down again when I had stopped. Surprisingly in one month my iron went up as much as a couple of months on tablets, doing as you describe - the really helpful gp measured it a month later to check how much I was loosing iron per month but I actually gained! You could try avoiding milk during the day; I think it's the calcium.

(Its not great to avoid milk/ dairy totally as the iodine in it is needed by baby, unless your ante natal tablet has the rda in)

Ask gp or pharmacist for the gentlest type of iron as there's a few different ones.

There was a thing on 'inside health' radio 4 a few weeks ago about it being more effective taking iron tablets on alternate days and only around 80 mg (I think) as the body just doesn't absorb any more than that, plus better on the stomach. (You'd prob need to chat to the gp though about that!!)

I was also recently told by a woman who had had an elective section that she was encouraged to up low iron by her consultant as it can help with the recovery from a section (and presumably child birth generally). So do think about improving it if that's the recommendation.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ply54

That's my point though - I don't know if I do need it. I feel fine. Surely I can't be anaemic? I'm wondering if I've got my levels up through increasing absorption and Spatone.

I guess only a test will tell.

Could you simply take some extra ferroglobin or a couple of extra basic boots iron tablets till your test? It's not the high doses they prescribe but might be a bit extra without making you ill?

I'm annoyed they've not tested ferritin as I do feel unwell when that starts to drop from experience despite haemoglobin being 'ok'. So I'm trying to boost stuff now for birth. (33 wks)