anaemia

[Mog]

Does anyone know if there are any other symptoms for anaemia/iron deficiency in pregnancy than just tiredness?

Paleness mog. Often if you look inside the bottom of your lids they will look v pale if you are anaemic. Btw the bonus of this is that my midwife said that chocolate has a good source of iron , so it's the one time you can eat it without feeling guilty. Doctors orders .

Mog, if you are worried ask for a blood test.I think it's supposed to be dark chocolate. Dried apricots are also a good source of iron but not as nice.

Lack of breath is also a sign.

Feeling queasy (though that could just be caused by looking at dh first thing in the morning!)

Thanks for replies. I'm 27 weeks and since Friday have felt tired and headachey with a slight nausea, although I'm still starving!! Since I'd expect some tiredness at this point anyway, just wondered if the other symptoms were an indicator for anaemia. I'm due to have an iron test at 30 weeks and my diet has been quite healthy.No breathlessness or pale eyelids though.

Mog - may be worth asking your midwife to test your blood a little sooner if you feel a bit under the weather. Wouldn't say nausea and headaches are symptomatic of anaemia - possibly just due to fluctuating hormone levels and the common lack of sleep the further on you get in pregnancy! Headaches can sometimes be a sign of raised blood pressure (but headaches are common in pregnancy anyway), so your midwife could check this for you.
Basic signs of anaemia are tiredness/lethargy, shortness of breath and a fast pulse. Dizzy spells are also common. Foods rich in iron are red meats, dark green leafy veg, dried fruit (apricots especially, as pointed out), and cereals fortified with iron. Eat an iron rich meal with a glass of orange juice, as the Vit C will help to your body to take on board the iron. Avoid too much caffeine, as this inhibits the absorption of iron. I would do your best to eat an iron rich diet, as it is extremely common for women to suffer with mild anaemia later in pregancy (your iron count now, if not low enough to be classed as anaemic, will almost certainly be significantly lower than when you first visited your midwife....).