# Alternative ways to boost iron levels - is Spa Tone effective?



## Freya

Posted in 3rd tri also, but thought ladies here may be able to help too?

Bugger and blast. 28 week bloods revealed a low HB level and it needs to go up! Otherwise no home birth or birth centre birth. Been prescribed Pregaday iron supps, but had iron tabs last pregnancy and the side effects were completely grim! Soooooo, been doing some research about alternative ways. I heard about Spa Tone, from the chemists, as being a good alternative. Liquid iron water sachets that you add to a fuit juice drink to help absorption. Apparently more iron is absorbed this way, as opposed to the tablets where a lot enters the digestive system causing the nausea, constipation and black poos 

Anyone had any experience with Spa Tone?? Or any other alternative ways to boost iron? I'm now on the dried prunes - supposed to be iron rich. Apparently spinach isn't as good as you think for iron.... Also heard of liquid chlorophyll?


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## Celesse

I had low iron with DD. Spartone worked really well for me. You can take more than one a day and I found if I was having enough that my poo was a little bit black, then my iron count went up.


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## special_kala

Spatone is great.

You can get it in holland and barrets its usually on offer


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## freckleonear

Spatone is great, I've used it loads over the years.

I had one week to get my iron levels higher for my home birth, I went with the following plan and my levels went up loads.

1-2 ferrous sulphate tablets per day
2 sachets of Spatone with orange juice per day
fortified cereal for breakfast
boiled egg on toast OR sardines on toast OR baked beans on toast OR brocolli, watercress & spinach soup for lunch
red meat for dinner (spag bol, chilli, lasagne, shepherd's pie, steak, chops, etc.)
4 dried apricots & 4 dried figs for snacks


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## Mum2b_Claire

My MW suggested it when I was pregnant with Ruby, so I guess it does!


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## Kess

What are your HB levels, hun, out of interest? Mine are a teensy bit low (102 I think, where they should be 110) so I'm just eating high iron stuff (though planning to get some Spatone this weekend). I have red meat most days, as apparently the iron in meat is easily absorbed (more so than tablets anyway!), and I was having dried apricots until we ran out, and also a bowl of fortified cereal (Morrisons own rice krispies) which has added iron. Don't forget to make sure your vitamin c levels are good too, as your body needs vit c to absorb the iron. Oh, and cut down on tea or switch to herbal - the tannins inhibit the absorbtion of iron.


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## Elski

When you're taking iron or eating iron-rich foods, don't do so with dairy products as dairy inhibits iron absorption. Vitamin C on the other hand boosts iron absorption so taking your iron supplement with a glass of orange juice or eating lots of vit C rich food along with iron rich food will help (kiwis, strawberries, cabbage, peppers, broccoli, melon, tomatoes etc)

Gentle exercise increases the body's demand for oxygen, which in turn helps the body absorb and use iron more effectively.

Floradix is a good supplement as well as Spatone you've already mentioned.

The body's Hb levels dip naturally at around 28wks of pregnancy due to the blood volume increasing significantly and the iron becoming more 'diluted'. Levels generally raise as pregnancy progresses...


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## madasa

Freya said:


> Posted in 3rd tri also, but thought ladies here may be able to help too?
> 
> Bugger and blast. 28 week bloods revealed a low HB level and it needs to go up! Otherwise no home birth or birth centre birth. Been prescribed Pregaday iron supps, but had iron tabs last pregnancy and the side effects were completely grim! Soooooo, been doing some research about alternative ways. I heard about Spa Tone, from the chemists, as being a good alternative. Liquid iron water sachets that you add to a fuit juice drink to help absorption. Apparently more iron is absorbed this way, as opposed to the tablets where a lot enters the digestive system causing the nausea, constipation and black poos
> 
> Anyone had any experience with Spa Tone?? Or any other alternative ways to boost iron? I'm now on the dried prunes - supposed to be iron rich. Apparently spinach isn't as good as you think for iron.... Also heard of liquid chlorophyll?

Spa Tone worked for me :)

Floridex is another liquid iron supplement you can take.

Vit C helps absorption, but calcium blocks it. So if you are taking your iron at the same time as a supplement with calcium in it, it might be having an effect. Or if you are taking it at breakfast time and having cereal and milk, that might have an effect too.

https://www.homebirth.org.uk/

Excerpts:



> A midwife or doctor cannot decide whether a woman can, or cannot, have a home birth. It is the woman's choice, and hers alone. Health professionals may give her advice, but it is up to her whether she accepts their recommendations. Anyone who tells a woman that she is not "allowed" to have a home birth misunderstands their own authority.




> you are anaemic, iron deficient, etc.. - not usually an obstacle to having a home birth. It does not make you any more likely to have a postpartum haemorrhage, but it does mean that you could find recovery tougher if you do lose a lot of blood.

HTH! :flower:


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## Eternal

thanks for this, ill be getting some asap, i have been aneamic since my son was born 18 months ago, taken iron everyday for this time and slowly getting there but im still aneamic, my OH is freaking out as im carrying twins and we lost a baby at 11 weeks in Jan, so this seems like a great way to help boost it!


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## Freya

Thank you all soo much for your opinions and advice! *Madasa* - great to be reminded that a homebirth can still be requested! *Elski* - I had no idea about dairy needing to be avoided at times of taking iron on board! *Kess* - My HB was 12.5 at the beginning and at 29 weeks HB was 9. The tea tip was great, I'm avoiding tea completely now to get as much iron in as possible. Loads of Tropicana in the fridge, and I've bought some dried prunes, not as nasty tasting as I thought - bonus. Plus will help with errrr any digestive consequences.

So pleased so many of you had a positive experience on Spa Tone. I rushed out on THursday and bought 2 boxes and got 1 box free from Boots :happydance: The health food shop said I could actually get it on prescription, so thats well worth looking at for keeping cost down.

On a separate-ish note, I was reading online that iron deficiancy can interfere with breast feeding - which kinda makes sense now I know a bit more about it. It described baby feeding frequently, slow to gain weight, ladies complaining they felt they didn't have enough milk etc and this was EXACTLY my experience with DD...... and I was iron deficent during last pregnancy AND post birth which I did nothing about and rejected iron tablets (because getting constipated so soon after birth is no damn joke:dohh:) So all in all, it sounds to me even more important to get our iron intake increased before birth and to keep it up post natal too. 

:hugs:


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