Any advice on how to avoid needing iron tablets?!

[Meels-Spot]

Hello I have been reading about the horrible effects on the stomach of iron tablets and just wondered if the docs or anyone ever advised you of any precautions you could try before needing to go down the iron tablets route. eg can a deficiency be avoided with a special diet? I suffer terribly with stomach and digestive problems (IBS) on a normal basis, which have all been aggravated further by the pregnancy, so the thought of possibly having to take iron scares me a lot!

 

[leedsforever]

i know some of the girls advised me on increasing fruit and vegetables etc!! You can get alot of iron from your food!!

Unfortunately I didnt listen lol and Im on the dredded iron tablets!!
Do you know what your reading was for blood count levels?? Or have you not had your bloods done yet?? Have you ever been told you have low iron before??

 

[cherylanne]

Eating Green vegetables such as spinich, brocohli (i can't spell it) and cabbage is good as they are rich in iron. Eating red meat and having a glass of orrange juice afterwards (vit C helps the body absorb iron) you could take Vit C supplements to help your body to effectively absorb as much iron from your food as it can.

 

[cuddles314]

I too am scared of having to take the dreaded tablets, but iron is reletively low so have been trying to increase intake through diet. Have at least one lean steak a week (but must be thoroughly cooked, obviously). Green leafy veg, especially watercress is apparently good. Also dried apricots are supposed to have a high iron content.
However it can be quite hard to boost your intake dramatically by diet alone, so it depeds how low your iron levels are to begin with.
xxx

 

[Farie]

I suffer from anaemia a lot and take 'Floridex' it a herbal/fruit/veg type supplement and I have found works really well.
I have been so bad that I've had to have transfusions and after a week on the stuff found i didn't need the expected 2nd transfusion I hate needles!!

Its available from most health food shops and is in tablet or liquid form (liquid is absorbed faster) it's totally safe through out pregnancy as far as I know.

 

[Lady Sicily]

CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST!!!

I tend to be slightly anemic anyway, but when I had my first pregnancy, I was too low. Well Iron tablets really bother my stomach. So I started to drink a Carnation Instant Breakfast in Whole Milk every morning....in addition to eating a good breakfast. My iron levels reached normal levels in a week! I swear by it!

Lady Sicily

 

[Vickie]

Just try to eat lots of iron rich food--green veggies and such. Unfortunately even if you do this there is a chance when you hit third trimester that you'll still need iron tablets, around 27 weeks or so the baby's red blood cell count starts to increase dramatically--so women who never had problems before (like myself) sometimes do still have to be put on an iron supplement.

 

[leedsforever]

around 27 weeks or so the baby's red blood cell count starts to increase dramatically--so women who never had problems before (like myself) sometimes do still have to be put on an iron supplement.

arrr so thats why we have bloods done again at 28 weeks

 

[Moraine]

I haven't had my iron level checked at all yet. I just had a blood test on Saturday, but I don't know if that was part of it or not. Are there any symptoms of being low in iron?

 

[Vickie]

Usually just tiredness that I know of. My iron levels really weren't all that low when I had them checked--and I had put my tiredness off to simply being pregnant

 

[Moraine]

Hmm, I've been VERY tired lately. I actually had to leave work one day and go home and have a three hour nap! I went back to work for two hours and then when I got home I slept again for another hour and a half. And the other day I went to bed at like 5pm and slept until 9am the next day.

I'm going to ask my midwife about it when I see her next week. I do eat ALOT of spinach, so I thought my iron would be okay, but maybe not.

 

[Carley]

I great spinach and use mushrooms in nearly every meal! Works great in pastas!!!!

 

[keelykat]

Hi, i was doing ok untill a couple of weeks ago and then a blood test showed my iron levels had dropped and which was why i started getting dizzy etc.

I also dont like the tablets, but i guess ill put up with it for now.

keely.

 

[Vickie]

Even some women who eat a lot of iron rich foods still have to be put on iron tablets towards the beginning of third trimester. The baby starts creating a lot of red blood cells at this time, and takes a lot of iron from the mother.

 

[Moraine]

So did you guys become less tired after going on the iron supplements?

 

[Vickie]

I did, had tons of energy for a while there, back to being tired now but that's just because I'm awake a lot at night to use the washroom

 

[Moraine]

I just found out my levels are low, so I'm going to go get a supplement and see if it helps. Thanks much!

 

[akamummy]

Green veges are good but, as a dr once told me its the haema iron you need...so eat more red meat! My dh has IBS and finds that too many leafy greens cause more harm than good on his tummy...if you knwo what I mean!
You could try the liquid FLoridex (i think its called) its very good and does not give you constipation!
Hope this helps sweet pea!

 

[jokasta]

I suffered from IBS and sensitive stomach before my pregnancy. Since starting the iron tablets all my problems are almost gone. I did not suffer any of the things I feared iron would do to my digestive track but on the contrary I have seen a huge improvement.

On the other hand, spinach and dried apricots cause a massive IBS flare that takes days to "heal".

 

[Tasha]

Hi,

AM an expert in this field lol, in all four of my pregnancies I have had iron deficiencies (with my last it got so bad was on FOUR iron tablets a day).

Firstly like every one has said green leafy veg like spinach etc, increase your red meat intake, some breakfasts, dried fruit such as apricot. Make sure you have a glass of orange juice with meals so you body absorbs it better.

But also if you live in the UK Holland and Barrett (think you can also get it boots not one hundred percent sure though) do a liquid iron that is safe in pregnancy, and you can take it from when your iron is getting low, rather than like Iron tablets you have to wait until your anaemic.

Hope this helps.