Could I be anaemic without feeling awful?

[KatnissMellark]

I'm currently 24 weeks with my second. Exhausted all the time. Still being sick. Breathless at the slightest exertion (usually very fit). Recently started experiencing some dizziness at rest- had a few spells when sitting down / in bed (lying on side).

BUT I don't think I'm as ill/tired as people o know who've been anaemic so am wondering if this is just a tougher pregnancy than my first (it definitely is!) or if I need to get checked out.

Hi Katniss

I would get checked out-all if those symptoms together would trigger a hb test. It can taken a while to get iron levels back up so if it is anaemia it’s better to get started on any treatments sooner rather than later.

Best of luck with everything xx

Yes, I’m anemic.. have been for donkeys so maybe I just feel normally knackered. I don’t get dizzy spells n only got to the breathless stage at like 28weeks if I’m out walking for a decent length of time or carrying ds (10kgs) up the stairs.

A quick blood counts the best answer if iron tablets would help it’s worth taking them than letting it get worse.

Hmm, thanks. Perhaps I should get checked then. Was fairly sure the answer would be that I'd feel really bloody awful if
anaemic, not always the case it would seem.

well your iron can be a little low or a lot low, can't it. you don't either have all of it or none. mine was dropping and i'd had it before so when i started to lose my breath whilst reading a bedtime story i asked midwife. it was lower than tests at booking so she gave me the tablets and i felt much better almost immediately.

My iron levels were always slightly high so I never gave it a second thought. However they dropped alarmingly quickly during the final 2 trimesters and I also had very similar symptoms to you! I chalked it up to pregnancy tiredness/dizzyness until a blood test showed that my ferritin was almost 0. Narrowly missed the limit for an iron transfusion after birth and was on iron tablets for 6 months. Good news was that everything normalised fairly quickly afterwards.

Quite possibly. I didn’t feel awful when I was anaemic in my second pregnancy, tired but no more so than in my first. Was picked up on by routine blood test.

Dizziness and breathlessness are signs of anaemia so I would get it checked out.

Yeah I felt absolutely fabulous through both pregnancies and was also anaemic at both of my 20 week appointments. The iron tablets made me feel worse than the anaemia ever did.

You have some classic symptoms - breathlessness, exhausted, some dizziness. Just get a blood test, a doctor will happily refer you for one! You may only be slightly anaemic but better to treat it rather than it drop any further! I’m a HG sufferer & physically sick until about 20 weeks (now just forever nauseous) & it’s so easy to be lacking in iron if you are vomiting often.

Hope you are ok!

Your symptoms all sound like anaemia. What do you mean that you aren't ill or tired, but you say you are exhausted. Surely exhaustion is worse than just feeling tired???

Yes, you definitely need to get checked. Worse case, they's just say they are pregnancy related symptoms. Dizziness could be blood pressure which you also need checking. I wasn't pregnant, but had those symptoms too, plus felt dizzy after light exertion and was severally anaemic. keep us updated and best of luck x

@Elouera I said I wasn't as ill/tired as people I've known who've been anaemic. I definitely feel ill and tired .

I just don't like to make a fuss if unnecessary (already have a million appointments as I'm joint care between consultant and midwife, have extra scans, lots of IVF and surgery to get here...), and those I know who've had anaemia have been very vocal about how awful it is.

Anyway, consensus here is that I should get checked, so I will. Would GP or midwife be first port of call do you think?