Low iron?

[Ashersmomma]

Anyone have experience dealing with low iron? I recently had my iron checked during a WIC appointment and was told it was lower than it should be. I have never had problems with my iron levels before. I do take prenatals and eat foods high in iron(I've been craving spinach like crazy! Plus all my cereals are iron fortified) and vitamin C. I don't know if the fact that I had my gallbladder out back in March might be affecting anything(I also have IBS and my stomach is very touchy) I will be talking to my OB on Monday about it, but wondered if anyone had any advice. I am so very tired all the time(wore myself out making the bed!) and I'm guessing that a bit of an iron deficiency might be the cause of some of it.

 

[StranjeGirl]

I hope everything turns out ok. I just wanted to say I was told that calcium
Can reduce iron absorption. So if you are eating cereal with milk etc you may not be getting all the iron. Our prenatals also have calcium. I've also heard beets are very good increasing iron! Hope your levels raise soon!

 

[pinkhippo]

I had extremely low iron with my first PG. I had to take Rx iron pills starting very early on. They were these tiny red pills and whether I took them with or without food day or night they made me sick ��. I stopped taking them and then when they did my gestational diabetes test they told me that my iron was even lower lower than before and that if I didn't take the pills I could run into issues with it after the PG. There was nothing I could do to stomach them so I still discontinued taking them and fortunately didn't end up having any problems during or after the PG. I was just super tired.

 

[ginny83]

I had low iron with my son - just extremely tired. I started iron tablets and felt much better after that. My levels where that low they told me that even if I increased iron rich foods they still wanted me on the tablets. Apparently it's quite a common thing during pregnancy.

I think I have it again with this pregnancy as I am just constantly exhausted - so going to start them again anyway before my results come back.

 

[Ashersmomma]

Thanks ladies. I guess we will see what my OB wants to do. I really need some energy soon. I am having so much trouble keeping up with my 20 month old. Luckily he's pretty good about entertaining himself, so I don't have to worry as much about trying to keep him happy 24/7. I just have to make sure he's fed, bathed, and not getting into anything he shouldn't until DH is home

I'd never heard that calcium affects the absorption of iron. That would not be a good thing, since I also have to take calcium on top of my prenatal, since I don't digest dairy very well anymore(a lovely side effect of IBS and no gallbladder) I can only tolerate a little milk on my cereal in the mornings, if that. If I'm lucky it doesn't send me running for the bathroom.