Iron levels

[mumofmunchkin]

Just a heads up. I've been feeling pretty shit for weeks. At my 28 week appointment the midwife did normal bloods, and my haemoglobin levels came back fine, so they didn't think there was a problem. At my 34 week appointment yesterday I told her I was still feeling shockingly tired, so she did bloods again but sent them to be tested for haemoglobin (iron in the blood) AND ferritin (iron stores). Haemoglobin once again came back fine but my ferritin stores are low, so they're giving me iron supplements.

I didn't realise before that there were two things they could test for re iron, so when they said my haemoglobin levels were fine I didn't know to push for more. I just wanted to post this to make everyone aware that it's worth pushing for more tests, or for your ferritin levels to be checked as well as haemoglobin, if you're feeling ridiculously tired/rundown/foggy.

Thanks for your post - I had low ferritin with DD2 and now pg with DC3 I requested iron check because I’m struggling to come out of the exhausted stage (15weeks)... cane back fine but I have been taking iron supplements from Asda, self medicating. I’m wondering now if they tested for both or if the iron I’m taking squewed the results 🙈

It might be worth asking what they checked. From what my midwife said yesterday, at least in our area the standard check just looks at haemoglobin levels. She had to specifically request that the ferritin levels were checked too.