Anaemia and low blood pressure

[LollyLarkin]

Hi all, I’m hoping for some advice or reassurance because I’m not based in the UK and I don’t have a massive amount of faith in the doctors where I live at the moment.

I’m 24 weeks pregnant with my second and I’m absolutely broken with exhaustion. I’m not sleepy but I have zero energy and can’t even muster the effort just to pop to the park or the shops. Every time I stand for a while I feel like I’m going to pass out. My poor two year old has been an angel while I just lie on the sofa.

It turns out that I have low iron (10?) and low blood pressure (90/60). I’ve seen two different doctors and they seemed unfazed by both and offered no suggestions, hence my worry! I’m taking Pregnacares, 2 x the dose of Ferroglobin and Osteocare tablets (separately to avoid absorption issues) so I can’t really take any other supplements. I eat pretty much every food on the high iron lists but not much meat as my partner is veggie and the meat where I live is poor quality or silly expensive!

Any tricks for getting my iron and blood pressure to increase? At this rate I can’t imagine having the energy to even give birth! Is there a chance it can get better on its own (I think I know the answer to this )

Thanks in advance

On my fourth pregnancy now and that I am afraid is the BP I run when pregnant, nothing really changes that.

As for the iron you are doing all the right things. Black olives and dark chocolate also good sources. And some people find the liquid iron like spa-tone easier to tolerate.

I find I feel a bit like death in the second trimester regardless, seems to get a bit better later on but tbh I could almost always happily manage an afternoon nap.

Hope all goes well in the rest of the pregnancy and that someone else has something of more help to offer!

I had the same issues but also breathlessness and episodes of fainting (probably due to the low bp), plus I'm having and elective section with previous history of excessive blood loss.

The doctors have put me on iv iron infusions in hospital every two days, five doses in total. I couldn't tolerate the tablets or liquid iron they put me on first so this was the only other option.

I've yet to feel any effect but have been told it takes weeks for you to 'feel' the improvement.

Maybe your efforts aren't in vein, and your levels are going up. But it's just taking a while for you to feel the benefits?

I've got an 8, 6, 2 and 1 year old and I'm 37 weeks pregnant so I completely sympathise with you! It's incredibly tough! I hope you feel better soon x

Thank you BagelDog and ImAce, it’s good to hear I’m not alone in feeling this way!

I’ll carry on trying to rest as much as I can and eating all those good foods, I’d forgotten about dark chocolate being a good source (any excuse!). I’ll see if I can get a liquid iron supplement here too, maybe I’ll absorb it a bit more easily. I had a blood test last week so I’m hoping my levels might have nudged up a bit already.

Good luck with your pregnancies too x

Oh lolly I feel the same but I'm only 14 weeks.
Drinking orange juice with your food helps absorb the iron from it. And drinking tea with your food stops absorbing the iron just in case either of those help you. Hope you feel better soon.