Low iron 29 weeks pregnant

[chocohead]

Hi,

The doctors called me yesterday and advised me i had a precription for iron tablets, so assume my result was low.

I really don't want to take them as heard they constipate you and now i have looked them up and they contain loads of other ingredients as below. I am probably just being silly but i don't like taking anything with e numbers or gelatine. Is there anything i can do to avoid them ??

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Ingredients
Each tablet contains 200mg Dried ferrous sulphate (equivalent to 65mg ferrous iron). The tablet also contains: spray dried liquid glucose, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose (101) (E460), lactose granules containing lactose, maize starch, pregelatinised maize starch and water. The coating contains: kaolin, purified talc (E553), acacia (E414), gelatin, sucrose, purified water, calcium carbonate (E170), titanium dioxide (E171) and beeswax. The tablets may also contain yellow carnauba wax, polysorbate and sorbic acid (E200). The printing ink contains: shellac (E904), iron oxide black (E172), soya lecithin MC thin (E322) and antifoam DC 1510

Find out how low your iron levels are. If it's not too major, Floradix is often recommended by midwives etc as it's natural, a medicine (so quick results) and you can buy it in pharmacies or even Sainsburys.

Or, eat lots of broccoli, baked beans, dried apricots (8 a day is a quarter of your RDA of iron) and of course, dark chocolate

I took Floradix, tastes a bit wierd but works well. It caused constipation as well though so eat lots of fruit. I ate lots of dried prunes.

Also, make sure that you drink some orange juice, or something with vitamin C in it at the same time as you take the Floradix as it helps the body absorb iron. Avoid black tea and coffee as this stops the body absorbing iron, as does milk.

Yeah, I would find out what your levels are.

Spatone is also a natural iron supplement and you can take one or two sachets a day while pregnant.

Also eat lots of iron rich foods. Drink orange juice at the same time as it helps iron absorption.

Suitable for vegans

Iron tablets don't make everyone constipated. If they do, your doctor can give you different Iron tablets (different salt rather than Iron Sulphate, but I can't remember which!).

I personally take the Iron tablets as they are FREE! I am much less constipated than I was!

Just called my midwife and my reading was 11.1 so she yold me i don't need them, strange the doctor prescribed them??

should i still try and get some floradix ? thanks so much for everyones replies i have been driving myself mad all day.

Try carob - I get carob powder (available in healthfood shops and wholefood shops) - no added anything - although you can get bars (said to be chocolate substitute but it isn't really). Carob powder is great - add a teaspoon to breakfast cereal, yoghurt or even make a milky drink - 100% natural, no side effects and wonderful at improving iron levels...

As far as I remember, if the levels fell below 9 I had to start taking iron supplement. So 11+ sounds ok to me.

It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on your intake of iron rich food, and to avoid drinking tea when eating.