Low iron levels - why? And what to do about it?

[Moosy]

I had a blood test just before I got pregnant and my HB was 12.2. At my booking in appointment last week MW took bloods again and it's down to 10.5. I'm now between 9 and 10 weeks.

That all seems ok apart from the fact that for the last 7 weeks I've been taking 2x200mg Ferrous Suplhate every day and it's still dropped pretty low.

So my first questions is Why is it getting lower? Where is all my iron going? I'm not bleeding from anywhere!

Second question, what more can I do to get these levels back up? From today I've started taking 3 a day instead of 2 and I've always taken them with vitamin C at the same time, but what else can I do?

Hi im in the same boat and posted a similar thread this morning. Just bumped it up as havent had many replies yet - might be worth you checking mine too.

Iron levels drop in pregnency just due to the demands on the body. Baby will get everything it needs first- then you!

I have just bought Spatone to see if that makes any differences!

Other things that affect iron absorbtion are milk, diary, tea and coffee (caffiene) so if you have been taking them at breakfast that might explain why.

Hi this happened to me when I was pregnant last time, it's getting lower because the baby is stealing all your iron I think. I found iron tablets useless (was on 3 x 200mg ferrous sulphate and my levels were still dropping) but spatone and enforced iron-rich food eating (I know, vom in early pregnancy!) got my levels back up really quickly. I drank beetroot juice and ate dried apricots and stuff. Spatone is really pricey and you'll probably need to take 2 sachets a day, but I heard a rumour people had managed to get their GPs to prescribe it.

Your iron levels are low because you are making extra red blood cells. A pregnant woman has something like 25% more blood than a non-pregnant one.

No idea what you should do to raise it, other than eating lots of iron rich food and taking supplements. But maybe your GP can suggest something sensible?

So what exactly is Spatone? Just the name sounds vile!

I don't drink tea/coffee/anything else with caffeine and I tend to take them mid morning, mid afternoon, and now bedtime too.

Don't know anything about the different iron tablets but I'm watching what I eat as my iron is low and they want to repeat it.

So I've been doing some reading and my interpretation is, that there is nothing better than red meat washed down with orange juice (or anything that contains vitamin C which aids absorption of iron). Also avoiding tea when you're eating your iron rich food.

Yes, cereal,green vegetables/dried fruit (eg broccoli, dried apricots) are full of iron but it is not as easily absorbed as the iron in animal products (inc eggs).

Off for a spag bol now... Hope you're not a veggie

I do normally love red meat, but at the moment it either whizzes through in a couple of hours or bounces

Am getting quite good at eating eggs though and will investigate Spatone.

Drink Ribena with your meals. It's very very high in Vit C and will help you absorb the iron.

Eat steak and spinach (yum) and drink Ribena.

I was anaemic whilst pg but didn't want to take supplements so decided to tackle it through my diet and I managed it.

Remember, the placenta is an incredibly efficient organ and it will do it's job and take what the baby needs and not give a fig if it leaves you without but that just means you need extras

Managed to get anaemic each time I was pregnant and pretty quickly too- but I'm veggie so that doesn't help, though my non-pregnant HB is usually good and 12 like yours.

I cannot tolerate ferrous sulphate at all as tends to cause constipation and my body doesn't seem to absorb it properly (which apparently happens to many). I used Spatone in each pregnancy & while breastfeeding (2 sachets a day- it is iron rich water basically, so tastes fairly vile but you can add it to orange juice which of course helps absorbtion)- and it works very well for me. I also increase the amount of dried fruits, lentils, watercress, broccoli, spinach etc. but think it's the spatone that really helps.

Good luck!

Hi again

Ive been to Boots and got some Spa tone was around £7=8 for 28 sachets.

Yesterday I had one twice a day in juice but then read the instructions more carefully and it said to take 2 together, so I tried that today. However it tasted so metallic that I ended up with adding nearly a whole carton of fruit juice to it!! Not good when you have chronic heartburn too!

So tomorrow I am back to one sachet twice daily! (as well as my iron tablets) Have my next check up on tuesday so hopefully there will be an improvement!

I wouldn't rely on Ribena for your Vitamin C:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6498479.stm

115% of your RDA in one serving aint bad.

Spatone seems to be helping and I only starting it yesterday, I feel a bit better already. Might ask the MW for a repeat blood test to see the numbers though.