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BrendaK
member
Anyone Anemic?
BrendaK
member
I had a wellness/blood panel done at work, and it showed that my iron levels are really (really) low. My hemoglobin is good (so my OB is not overly concerned - they would have been if both numbers had been low), and my OB said that during pregnancy, your body absorbs iron differently and your needs go up.
I don't eat red meat, so I know that can lead to low iron levels.
They want me to start on 325mg of ferrous sulfate once a day (about 60mg of elemental iron). Looks like a normal supplemental amount according to Dr Google.
Did anyone else have this during pregnancy?
It certainly explains why I'm ridiculously tired ALL the time.
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Re: Anyone Anemic?
Yup. The panel checks 40-some different things. My thyroid levels were totally normal.
Just a moderately high white blood cell count (I was fighting strep throat!), and a really, really low iron level.
I had to take iron supplements during most of my 2nd pregnancy. My iron was pretty low, as well as low hemoglobin. My OB wanted me taking the prescription iron supplements and honestly, I'm not completely sure of the difference (but maybe the low hemoglobin is why I had to take the rx).
Anyawy - they taste awful and I was always burping them back up. I tried to take mine either after lunch or dinner, but with food. If I didn't have enough in my stomach, I would get nauseated. I would also say to either add in extra fiber or take a stool softener since it will make the normal pregnancy constipation issue worse. I think that was the best advice some of the girls on here gave me when I asked almost a year ago!
I can't tell you how much better I started feeling with the supplement. A world of difference re: tiredness. I hope they help you too!
ygm.
I did w/ both pregnancies. I'm also borderline anemic when not pregnant.
Be warned - the iron pills cause wicked constipation.
One thing I found was that usually my prenatal was enough to get me into the low end of normal w/ Scarlett, but that was because I was really bad about remembering my vitamins. So when I did do well, my iron levels weren't quite so bad, and I was able to avoid the supplement.
My iron was low during both pregnancies. It's so common for pg women that my doctor didn't make a big deal about it. I wasn't great about taking an iron supplement either. Stupid me.
Well, I ended up getting a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was so low after my csection.
The problem is non-meat sources of iron are very poorly absorbed. I ate a ton of red meat and other iron rich food, but it wasn't enough.
Definitely keep on track with your supplements. I got my Slow-FE supplements from Sam's club. Much cheaper than most stores!
Thanks for the input ladies - I'm glad to hear that it's not super uncommon (though it sucks that you all had to deal with it!).
My bowels are certainly not looking forward to another imminent slow down. Ugh.