How do you get your iron?

sharice111 · March 2015

So I'm anemic. It's not uncommon for me. However this pregnancy I'm lower than usual and need to start building up. I will be taking an iron supplement but honesty am terrible at remember to take pills. So I've starting making green smoothie with Kale or spinach in it. I already eat red meat occasionally. I'm hoping all of it together and "remembering" my pill will help for birth or possible csection... So what are you doing? Curious just to try to get some more ideas.

HayesRN13 · March 2015

I don't eat meat so lots of beans and fortified cereal

I am fortunate and never had a problem with my levels

KaLikeAWind · March 2015

I take a supplement for it. But to be honest - I have to keep a to-do item on my phones calendar for each and every day to take it, along with another one for my prenatal. It reminds me at 1030am and I don't dismiss it or click it as done until it's been taken. Mommy / pregnancy brain has robbed me of my ability to remember to do the same damned thing, every day, unless reminded.
#-o

Don't forget to separate your iron supplement from other foods or vitamins by an hour both before and after. Especially calcium as that prevents absorption. You could take it with a glass of non calcium fortified oj tho, or a vitamin c rich fruit, as vitamin c helps it absorb.

OohSparkly13 · March 2015

I take a separate iron supplement. I take it first thing in the morning right after I wake up, along with my thyroid medicine, since both require me to wait an hour before eating.

klkonwi · March 2015

Yes what @mellymar said. I give iron with orange juice for better absorption.

eat a nice large steak..... Lol

dancegurl1118 · March 2015

I take the iron with my prenantal pill or sometimes a few hours in between. I was eating a ton of iron fortified cereals and was still anemic, probably because it's with milk so it's not being absorbed. I wish I could afford a nice rare steak everyday.

klkonwi · March 2015

Ooh I also love to make black bean soup. So easy. Can of black beans bacon, a tad onion, sour cream. So good!

Holter4 · March 2015

Liquid iron supplement that can be mixed in juice or water from Walgreens. I don't do pills!

seesea · March 2015

@Holter4 I was about the mention that! I had to take iron my last pregnancy. The liquid supplement didn't make me constipated like the pills did. The brand I used was Floradix (sp?).

Emilywooddesign · March 2015

I take a supplement at night time when I take my diclectin. It makes me feel kind of Ill

ksimo6 · March 2015

Frosted mini wheats. My doc told me to snack on them as they has 90% of daily iron. They have helped with my anemia.

virginiaunicorn11 · April 2015

I need to start taking the pills. Am on hypothyroid, magnesium, and a prenatal as well and eat calcium with most meals. Looks like best time for me to take it would be one hour after lunch, on its own or with my pre-natal (which does not have calcium) based on the responses here.

My doctor and pharmacist don't give such good timing tips, so just want to double check my understanding matches what you ladies have experienced. And also ask what you do about the constipation issue if anything? Magnesium causes the opposite so am hoping they cancel each other out...

TIA!

balderasmama · April 2015

I had no sign of anemia at the beginning of my pregnancy, even though I had anemia in my previous pregnancies. My midwife did not think I needed supplements. Fast forward to my glucose screening/anemia panel and I am dangerously low, so now I have to have iron infusions to get my levels up before delivery (I'm 32 weeks, I don't enough time to try orally in case it doesn't work.) At first I was upset about it, but after researching it I feel at peace and am glad my energy levels will be up and my body will be prepared for delivery and post partum. I would highly recommend getting it from food and supplements if you can!

Emilywooddesign · April 2015

I had to start taking supplements. I take them at night before I go to sleep with my prenatal. that way If I don't feel like eating much ( which I don't) I know that my body is at least getting what it needs supplement wise.

KaLikeAWind · April 2015

@amark11 from what I've heard in June moms, which I then ran by a nurse at my drs office, its best to space it an hour apart from other stuff (I personally space it from my prenatal, too, as I take those with breakfast. Helps me to remember), most especially anything containing calcium as calcium prevents absorption. Vitamin c helps absorption, so if it upsets your stomach to take it on an empty stomach then you can eat some fruit high in vitamin c with it (oranges, strawberries, kiwis I think). I either take mine first thing in the am with a cup of oj when I am taking hubby to work, cause its about 40 minutes there and back and I either go back to bed to after, or if I am hungry only have about 15-20 min to wait before I 'can' eat. Or I wake up and have breakfast and take my prenatals, then wait an hour and take one (with or without oj) and then just wait another hour before eating again.

As far as constipation, I have had some rough going sometimes, but we started bringing in some iron rich foods also, of which asparagus is one - and asparagus is very fibrous. I haven't had to supplement fiber since the beginning. But if I need to I do have a tub of benefiber to use. Hopefully your magnesium does cancel out the constipation effects of the iron, but if it doesn't I most of the time do OK with additional fiber in my diet

Penwater1 · April 2015

I made a ritual of taking my prenatal before bed anf inlisted DH to remind me.

eeyorefan215 · April 2015

sharice111 said:
I will be taking an iron supplement but honesty am terrible at remember to take pills.

I had this problem when I first started taking my prenatal vitamin. It got so bad that I ended up setting a reminder on my phone to remind me every day to take my vitamin until it became a habit.

Also - I just found out yesterday that my iron levels were low and had to get supplements in pill form. My Dr. told me to take it opposite my prenatal so now I have to start a new habit of taking that one at dinner

virginiaunicorn11 · April 2015

Thanks so much @mellymar! And all

raheeb · April 2015

Try cooking in cast iron. I had anemia issues when I was younger. Switched my skillets to cast and my iron counts have been just fine since and all through my pregnancy.

queequeg09256 · April 2015

I take the iron pill as well along with high blood pressure medication. For me I get a big glass of water at the end of the day for bed. I make sure to grab my prenatal vitamins my blood pressure and the iron. Then take them with my giant water to help with the water intake. I originally did the morning but since my ms never went away it caused some issues. I will be super stoked to not take any more pills after lo is out!

gemkw · April 2015

I started taking iron supplements last week after testing low. I take them with a glass of orange juice before bed (after reading that here!) also trying to eat more red meat and add green veggies to my meals. Last couple of days I've noticed I have more energy which is lovely!
How many times a week does everyone eat red meat? It's probably only once for me.

PhoenixFrances · April 2015

My doctor knew I was anemic since my first trimester but they said it was very low and nothing to worry about. Now after the glucose test for the diabetes come to find out I am pretty severely anemic.. I am using this as an excuse to get a green smoothie from Jamba Juice every day!!!

ybreyn · April 2015

I'm anemic as well and also have IBS-C so supplements were an awful idea. Since I don't eat red meat, I eat fortified cereals like raisin bran crunch that have iron AND fiber so I'm not constipated and get my iron.

veroc26 · April 2015

I have to take iron pills 3 times a day! Yuck

JessHeppell · April 2015

for the ladies who are taking the iron suppliments. how many mg do you take a day?
edit: punctuation error

janat1717 · April 2015

I eat red meat a lot but it is good quality, grass fed, all cooked in cast iron

taboullio84 · April 2015

What was considered low ? My Dr. Said mine was 10 . but didn't say I had to take anything or even seemed worried....

KaLikeAWind · April 2015

JessHeppell said:
for the ladies who are taking the iron suppliments. how many mg do you take a day?
edit: punctuation error

I take one 325mg a day. I have seen ladies on here who take two of those a day, and I saw someone else who said they took three a day, but that person didn't specify what mg that was, so she may be taking smaller doses spaced apart.

taboullio84 said:
What was considered low ? My Dr. Said mine was 10 . but didn't say I had to take anything or even seemed worried....

I think 10 is still normal range, but the lower end of normal

@gemkw I was eating red meat like once a week, but I eat more now. Usually a burger at least once a week, or meatloaf or steak during the week, too. Meatloaf you can actually have leftovers, so you could make that at least 2 nights that week with red meat. I probably have 1 red meat meal 3 random days during the week. DH and I have also been eating asparagus with our steaks or burgers - its either the highest or 2nd highest green vegetable in iron, and heavy in fiber, too, so it helps with the digestive issues that iron causes.

lindsladle15 · April 2015

Normal level (at least to be able to give blood!) is 12-16. I'm at at 8 and have to take a supplement twice a day.
Not sure how many mg, and I'm not getting out of bed to check

mlindzz · April 2015

ksimo6 said:
Frosted mini wheats. My doc told me to snack on them as they has 90% of daily iron. They have helped with my anemia.

This is great news! I've been on a mini wheat kick for two weeks or so eating a small bowl of them 2-3 times a day lol!

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