Anaemia - help!

[Veronicaco]

Hi ladies,
I'm looking for some advice, I think I'm anaemic. (I know armchair diagnosis - not very accurate)
I'm so tired I can barely lift my head let alone dd, feeling terrible today despite reasonable sleep, dizzy, weak and severe headaches. Does this sound like anaemia to anyone else?
If it is- what do I do? Do I go to gp or to my midwife?
Im struggling to cope any advice would be appreciated.

 

[mandaa1220]

Idk but im anemic, which they found in my routine blood tests earlier in pregnancy. All they do is say to eat more iron rich foods like red meat, spinach, broccoli, etc and make sure your prenatal has iron. Then they are monitoring me from there. If you think anemia is your issue try some of those habits and see if it helps, otherwise I'd contact your doctors with concerns about your symptoms. My anemia does not effect me that drastically.

 

[MissyLissy]

I'm also anemic. Only found out through my routine blood draws. They have me taking a prenatal and an extra iron supplement each day. It doesn't effect me mouth, just something to keep an eye on.

 

[DocMcStuffins]

I was anaemic in both my previous pregnancies. It was picked up in routine blood tests.

I was told if my levels didn't come above a certain point then I wouldn't be able to give birth in the midwife led unit, it would have to be in the main hospital. I needn't have worried anyway as I ended up with a c section anyway.

I was put on iron tablets and told to try and introduce more iron rich foods into my diet. To be honest I didn't notice much difference at all with how I felt. I was still exhausted all the time. It's just with the iron tablets you get the added bonus of constipation! Lol.

This time somehow my iron levels are good, but they're keeping an eye on them as this will be my third section and if they fall low again if will require a blood transfusion which I definitely want to avoid.

X

 

[Hoping4Four]

It does sound like anaemia could be to blame. I'd let your GP or midwife know how you're feeling and they can check your iron levels.

I've always been anaemic but in pregnancy it gets worse. I despise iron tablets because of their side effects so I use Spatone iron water, which comes in small sachets that you add to fruit juice. It's just natural spring water that has a very high iron content. Two of those a day seem to be working a treat! I got mine off amazon. No constipation, no digestive issues.. I don't even notice I'm taking it! So I'd highly recommend them to anyone

 

[Gnomer]

I'm always anaemic, it can get slightly worse during pregnancy for me. My symptoms become more noticeable too. I'm supposed to take iron tablets daily, one when it's just under normal levels, and three a day if it drops or my symptoms get worse. I can't handle ferrous sulphate at all, constipated on just one a day. There's a ferrous gluconate I can take one a day of and not be too bad, but three a day brings the constipation.
Iron water is amazing! I get the sachets. I tend to stock up on them, and use when my symptoms make an appearance. I get the tired, dizziness and palpitations. Usually the palpitations and racing heart I notice first. Have the sachets and start feeling better after a day or two!
Go to the doctor or midwife. A simple blood test can spot it, and it's very common and easy to treat

 

[ParisJeTadore]

I had the same symptoms as you-minus headaches-for nearly two weeks recently. I was worried because it was extreme fatigue that made even simple tasks feel nearly impossible to accomplish. I am still waiting for my doctor to get back from holidays so I can have my blood checked but in the meantime have started to feel better.

The only way to tell if you're anemic is through a blood test. If I were you I would have your iron and thyroid checked but ask your mw what they advise. What helped me feel better was sleeping better and changing my diet. I eat oatmeal every morning with fruit, have started eating red meat and drink a spinach smoothie daily (sounds gross but you can't taste the spinach: 1 banana, 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup spinach and 1/3 cup orange juice). Also avoid having milk or any product with calcium when eating iron rich food as it reduces absorption. Having products rich in vitamin c aid absorption so try to have orange juice or something similar.

Hope you feel better soon

 

[izzlesnizzle]

Im on ferrous fumarate for low ferritin which is your iron stores. I was almost completely depleted and once that goes the HB starts to drop and you become anaemic. So its like a pre anaemic state but it still makes you feel dreadful. I couldn't handle ferrous sulphate, gave me bad headaches and made me feel worse than I did without iron tablets.

I take pregnacare aswell as the iron tablets and make sure I don't take them together as the pre natal vits interfere with iron absorption. Also wholegrains, calcium products (milk, cheese etc), tea/coffee all hinder iron absorption so its best on an empty stomach. Vit c aids absorption so I take the tablet with a glass of fresh orange on an empty stomach.

If its not your HB, then it could be your ferritin so ask them to check that aswell.

 

[Veronicaco]

Thank you all I have a load of the spatone sachets from when I was losing a lot of blood pp and they are still in date. I had assumed you couldn't take them when preg, but the instructions clearly state you can take 2!! Which is fab, I'm allergic to oj which is a pain but I'm going to look for some smoothie recipes that will have beneficial ingredients. I think I will phone my mw on Monday and ask for her advice as she may want to test my blood. But thanks for your experiences and help, this morning I was so upset and feeling like I'm failing my daughter as I can't do simple tasks with her and we are usually super active so she's getting pretty fed up too.

Thanks again x

 

[messica]

Please go to someone who can run bloodwork. If it is anemia, and you are bad off enough to be feeling symptoms you may need iron supplements beyond what are just in a typical prenatal vitamin.

That said, I too thought I was anemic early on in my pregnancy and had the same symptoms you do (as well as a few others that also mimic iron deficiency). Turned out my iron levels are great but I have a *severe vitamin D deficiency* Super dangerous when you're trying to grow a baby. If you don't have enough for your own bones, it's pretty tough to grow strong bones for your baby. I have been on massive supplementation (50,000u) for 5 weeks now and am just starting to feel better. Ultrasound Thursday showed femur bones are calcifying and I am so grateful my docs figured it out before permanent damage was done!


If I would have just stuck with my assumption that it was common iron deficiency I hate to think how that assumption could have hurt my babies. Definitely don't hesitate to see someone who can look at what you're experiencing on a bloodwork level and don't take no for an answer!!!

 

[Veronicaco]

Thanks that's good advice! Better to be sure than to self-diagnose! X

 

[Selaphyna]

I'm anemic as well, not severely but just enough that I bruise very easily. My doctor prescribed me iron supplements, but she does this as a routine for all her patients.

I would bring it to your mw/OB's attention to see what they would recommend, and they may put you on a supplement and advise certain foods that may help you.