I found out I'm mildly anemic after getting back my GD results. The nurse sent me a message via mychart and they want me to take an iron supplement. I had been taking one all along, but I had been taking it at the same time as my prenatals in the morning. They told me to take it at night opposite of my vitamins. This is the supplement I take: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYOU6AG/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g121_i2_sh I was told not to take it with my prenatals and also that calcium can block the absorption. Vitamin C can help the absorption so I had been taking the iron with my OJ but stopped because I drink the OJ with calcium.
My low results are below. I was told this was in the mild range. The second column with numbers is the standard range, the first column are my levels, to give you a point of comparison.
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT
3.58 10*6/uL
3.70 - 5.20 10*6/uL
L
HEMOGLOBIN
11.0 g/dL
11.2 - 15.7 g/dL
L
LYMPH PERCENT
18.7 %
20.5 - 51.1 %
L
This is super helpful, thank you! Are you having any symptoms? It seems severity of symptoms are quite variable. I'm still waiting to hear back. My counts in comparison to yours were similar/a little lower: RBC 3.35 HGB 10.9 Lymph % 17.2%
I'm not an OB so can't interpret, but have put myself on gentle low dose OTC iron supplements anyway and increased it in my food in the meantime. This is something I normally would never do, but it's been a week and I can't talk to anyone about this! It's incredibly frustrating.
I found out I'm mildly anemic after getting back my GD results. The nurse sent me a message via mychart and they want me to take an iron supplement. I had been taking one all along, but I had been taking it at the same time as my prenatals in the morning. They told me to take it at night opposite of my vitamins. This is the supplement I take: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYOU6AG/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g121_i2_sh I was told not to take it with my prenatals and also that calcium can block the absorption. Vitamin C can help the absorption so I had been taking the iron with my OJ but stopped because I drink the OJ with calcium.
My low results are below. I was told this was in the mild range. The second column with numbers is the standard range, the first column are my levels, to give you a point of comparison.
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT
3.58 10*6/uL
3.70 - 5.20 10*6/uL
L
HEMOGLOBIN
11.0 g/dL
11.2 - 15.7 g/dL
L
LYMPH PERCENT
18.7 %
20.5 - 51.1 %
L
This is super helpful, thank you! Are you having any symptoms? It seems severity of symptoms are quite variable. I'm still waiting to hear back. My counts in comparison to yours were similar/a little lower: RBC 3.35 HGB 10.9 Lymph % 17.2%
I'm not an OB so can't interpret, but have put myself on gentle low dose OTC iron supplements anyway and increased it in my food in the meantime. This is something I normally would never do, but it's been a week and I can't talk to anyone about this! It's incredibly frustrating.
Yes, looks like your numbers are similar to mine. My OB said it is fairly common in this stage of pregnancy (I'm 27+3 today) and wasn't overly concerned and categorized me as mildly anemic. I've been pretty tired, but that's about my only symptom of note. I've had a few dizzy/light headed spells, but not sure if that is connected. I don't think it can hurt to take a gentle iron supplement. The demands on our bodies at this point are much higher and our iron stores tend to get depleted from my understanding. So sorry to hear your OB is being such a toad.
Iron needs an acidic environment to be absorbed. It helps to take with something acidic like orange juice...And that's why you want to separate it from antacids. Also, it might be a good idea to start taking a stool softener along with iron to prevent constipation before it starts.
I had to take a supplement with my last pregnancy and I jay got an over the counter from target, it worked great but you might want to start adding a smoothie into your daily routine. It'll help to keep things moving and then you can add some greens in there too along with a fiber supplement. It's amazing how much better I feel on days when I have a smoothie! Good luck!
Update: Finally spoke with my OB this morning. He had not reviewed my bloodwork yet. I waited on hold while he looked at it Bc I didn't want another week to go by.
He came back and said, "You're good on GD, but you have mild anemia." Well, no shit Sherlock. He said I should be fine though since my prenatal has iron in it.... Umm, "I've been on the prenatal for 10mths and in the last 3 my blood levels still dipped so what options are there?? Given that I'm having some heavy side effects and the levels are dropping should I maybe take a supplement?"
His response: "You could, but they cause constipation and pregnancy already causes constipation. I don't think it's necessary given that your levels are still somewhat normal for pregnancy." Constipation? No shit, Sherlock, you don't say. He again referred me to a PCP since he hasn't seen my 'level of fatigue' with this level of anemia and still maintains his stance that it's not pregnancy or anemia related.
I responded: "But, I was never tired before? ... (Crickets) ... Well, OK, I'll look into it on my side, but my husband and I have discussed it and we'd like to see another provider in the practice, you fucking skidouche." I didn't say the last 3 words, but definitely thought it really hard at the phone.
He offered no advice on which supplement, how to mitigate constipation, or increase absorption; apparently his biggest concern is my ability to drop a deuce regularly so I should just continue to be miserable or find another cause, rather than do anything about the mild anemia for which ALL the symptoms are common.... Right. FYI you idiot male human, I haven't been constipated since first tri and after 5 days of the gentle supplements am still a regular non-tarry, non-grimacing bathroom Joe thanks to my Bump ladies who FWIW far exceeded the advice of an OB in this instance. FU asshole.
Update: Finally spoke with my OB this morning. He had not reviewed my bloodwork yet. I waited on hold while he looked at it Bc I didn't want another week to go by.
He came back and said, "You're good on GD, but you have mild anemia." Well, no shit Sherlock. He said I should be fine though since my prenatal has iron in it.... Umm, "I've been on the prenatal for 10mths and in the last 3 my blood levels still dipped so what options are there?? Given that I'm having some heavy side effects and the levels are dropping should I maybe take a supplement?"
His response: "You could, but they cause constipation and pregnancy already causes constipation. I don't think it's necessary given that your levels are still somewhat normal for pregnancy." Constipation? No shit, Sherlock, you don't say. He again referred me to a PCP since he hasn't seen my 'level of fatigue' with this level of anemia and still maintains his stance that it's not pregnancy or anemia related.
I responded: "But, I was never tired before? ... (Crickets) ... Well, OK, I'll look into it on my side, but my husband and I have discussed it and we'd like to see another provider in the practice, you fucking skidouche." I didn't say the last 3 words, but definitely thought it really hard at the phone.
He offered no advice on which supplement, how to mitigate constipation, or increase absorption; apparently his biggest concern is my ability to drop a deuce regularly so I should just continue to be miserable or find another cause, rather than do anything about the mild anemia for which ALL the symptoms are common.... Right. FYI you idiot male human, I haven't been constipated since first tri and after 5 days of the gentle supplements am still a regular non-tarry, non-grimacing bathroom Joe thanks to my Bump ladies who FWIW far exceeded the advice of an OB in this instance. FU asshole.
Skidouche fo sho. UGH. Medical degree by what, "can iz be a doktor" online quiz? What an idiot. Hope you and your new midwife are a good fit, and you can leave this a-hole in the dust!
Update: Finally spoke with my OB this morning. He had not reviewed my bloodwork yet. I waited on hold while he looked at it Bc I didn't want another week to go by.
He came back and said, "You're good on GD, but you have mild anemia." Well, no shit Sherlock. He said I should be fine though since my prenatal has iron in it.... Umm, "I've been on the prenatal for 10mths and in the last 3 my blood levels still dipped so what options are there?? Given that I'm having some heavy side effects and the levels are dropping should I maybe take a supplement?"
His response: "You could, but they cause constipation and pregnancy already causes constipation. I don't think it's necessary given that your levels are still somewhat normal for pregnancy." Constipation? No shit, Sherlock, you don't say. He again referred me to a PCP since he hasn't seen my 'level of fatigue' with this level of anemia and still maintains his stance that it's not pregnancy or anemia related.
I responded: "But, I was never tired before? ... (Crickets) ... Well, OK, I'll look into it on my side, but my husband and I have discussed it and we'd like to see another provider in the practice, you fucking skidouche." I didn't say the last 3 words, but definitely thought it really hard at the phone.
He offered no advice on which supplement, how to mitigate constipation, or increase absorption; apparently his biggest concern is my ability to drop a deuce regularly so I should just continue to be miserable or find another cause, rather than do anything about the mild anemia for which ALL the symptoms are common.... Right. FYI you idiot male human, I haven't been constipated since first tri and after 5 days of the gentle supplements am still a regular non-tarry, non-grimacing bathroom Joe thanks to my Bump ladies who FWIW far exceeded the advice of an OB in this instance. FU asshole.
Happy that this seems to have been the final straw to put you in a better situation. I wasn't constipated last pregnancy either, and the iron supplements didn't really constipate me; every woman is different and every pregnancy is different, as I am much more constipated this time around. Ask about the Vitron-C...I believe it's 65mg of iron a dose. And because childbirth looks like a warzone when all is said in done, you definitely want to get your count up!
Yikes your ob doesn't sound that great! I drink Metamucil and eat bran cereal and it seems to have helped ease constipation so far. I hope your midwife interview goes well this week! Sounds like scheduling that was a good idea.
Look, I don't mean to defend your OB, because not checking your results for that long until you actually called about them is pretty douchey. But his concern that that level of Hb shouldn't be causing symptoms and therefore it needs to be looked into further is valid. And its appropriate to refer you to a PCP because OBs aren't trained in that side of medicine. It's fair enough to take some extra iron if it doesn't make you constipated and if it makes you feel better, but from what you wrote before your Hb is only just at the lower end of the normal range. It should not cause severe fatigue or other symptoms at that level.
I got diagnosed with it when I got my glucose screening test results. She didn't act like it was a big deal. just prescribed me iron pills take twice a day and along with that she precribed a stool softener. Maybe mention it to her as a concern at your next appointment?
I have no idea what my exact level was/is, but I am on the low end, and was diagnosed with anemia in my first tri. I have to take an otc iron pill daily. I take my prenatal in the morning and iron at night. If you take them together, your body may have a tougher time absorbing the iron. At least that's what I was told. Thankfully, I have not had any issues with constipation. Good luck!!
I had no idea about this! My OB never said anything to me so I have been taking the iron and prenatal at the same time.
Look, I don't mean to defend your OB, because not checking your results for that long until you actually called about them is pretty douchey. But his concern that that level of Hb shouldn't be causing symptoms and therefore it needs to be looked into further is valid. And its appropriate to refer you to a PCP because OBs aren't trained in that side of medicine. It's fair enough to take some extra iron if it doesn't make you constipated and if it makes you feel better, but from what you wrote before your Hb is only just at the lower end of the normal range. It should not cause severe fatigue or other symptoms at that level.
I see what your saying, but your missing the reasoning. It's not solely not checking the labs quickly or independtly when the patient had reported an issue. The levels were low normal or below normal in January, they have since dropped. Inaction on low levels in January is excused as typical of what you'd see in the second tri, a dip.
As you enter third tri, however, the levels should be increasing as your body catches up with the increased blood production. Instead mine continued to dip, an indication needs weren't being met. Symptoms aside, this is an issue that would continue to degrade and potentially cause problems closer to birth. Which is why every single other poster on this thread with mild anemia was instructed to start a supplement. Action was required complaint or no. It's inappropriate to refer to a PCP without first examining and listening to the patient and ruling out issues that might be related to the pregnancy. He referred during the visit, without discussing potential problems and reiterated it during the call, despite having found a problem. No PCP would have taken further action other than ordering the exact same CBC and treating the only representing condition first.
A CBC is a great indicator of what is and isn't wrong. It provides a great indicator of a patient's underlying health, which is why it is a universal Dx tool. If (and only if) after treating the only presenting condition, I am still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms, all of which are typical of anemia (without regard to severity), then additional tests and a referral are warranted.
There are two options when a person isn't happy with their doctor, accept or get a second opinion. Unfortunately, it is very typical in the US to treat doctors as uniform. Many patients fail to get a second opinion when they should and hesitate to consider that the authority they are trusting is fallible. Everyone can get tired of their job. My OB has completely checked out. He sees the same patients with the same concerns every day and is overworked and underpaid, so he skips things, like reviewing labs or asking questions when there's an issue. Doctors are people, sometimes they phone it in. That's why it's important to kick him to the curb and find someone who isn't burnt out, is proactive, and will be a better fit for the standard of care I'm looking for.
@HBamama2B have you meet with your new potential midwife yet? I hope y'all are a good fit. I hate hearing about your OB being unopened to talking to you. Mine is so great apt listening to my concerns, he ran a urinalysis at my request because I thought I might be getting a mild UTI (I wasnt). He didn't blow me off, he just told me to pee in a cup again and they would check for me. Your docs work for you, not visa versa. His job is to male sure you are taken care of. I absolutely disagree with the pp above, he cant refer you if he wont even listen in the first place... If mine treated me lIke that, I'd be saying bye to him as well.
Look, I don't mean to defend your OB, because not checking your results for that long until you actually called about them is pretty douchey. But his concern that that level of Hb shouldn't be causing symptoms and therefore it needs to be looked into further is valid. And its appropriate to refer you to a PCP because OBs aren't trained in that side of medicine. It's fair enough to take some extra iron if it doesn't make you constipated and if it makes you feel better, but from what you wrote before your Hb is only just at the lower end of the normal range. It should not cause severe fatigue or other symptoms at that level.
I see what your saying, but your missing the reasoning. It's not solely not checking the labs quickly or independtly when the patient had reported an issue. The levels were low normal or below normal in January, they have since dropped. Inaction on low levels in January is excused as typical of what you'd see in the second tri, a dip.
As you enter third tri, however, the levels should be increasing as your body catches up with the increased blood production. Instead mine continued to dip, an indication needs weren't being met. Symptoms aside, this is an issue that would continue to degrade and potentially cause problems closer to birth. Which is why every single other poster on this thread with mild anemia was instructed to start a supplement. Action was required complaint or no. It's inappropriate to refer to a PCP without first examining and listening to the patient and ruling out issues that might be related to the pregnancy. He referred during the visit, without discussing potential problems and reiterated it during the call, despite having found a problem. No PCP would have taken further action other than ordering the exact same CBC and treating the only representing condition first.
A CBC is a great indicator of what is and isn't wrong. It provides a great indicator of a patient's underlying health, which is why it is a universal Dx tool. If (and only if) after treating the only presenting condition, I am still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms, all of which are typical of anemia (without regard to severity), then additional tests and a referral are warranted.
There are two options when a person isn't happy with their doctor, accept or get a second opinion. Unfortunately, it is very typical in the US to treat doctors as uniform. Many patients fail to get a second opinion when they should and hesitate to consider that the authority they are trusting is fallible. Everyone can get tired of their job. My OB has completely checked out. He sees the same patients with the same concerns every day and is overworked and underpaid, so he skips things, like reviewing labs or asking questions when there's an issue. Doctors are people, sometimes they phone it in. That's why it's important to kick him to the curb and find someone who isn't burnt out, is proactive, and will be a better fit for the standard of care I'm looking for.
Ok, I think you've misunderstood my post, which is probably my fault because I wrote it hastily earlier at work so wasn't as clear as I should have been.
I absolutely wasnt defending your ob, and having read your experiences with them I would absolutely be finding a new OB. I also would absolutely recommend you taking an iron supplement.
But it I actually am a PCP provider, so I know what a CBC does and doesn't tell you, or represents. And while the symptoms you described are technically symptoms of anaemia, at that severity they are usually symptoms of severe anaemia. I may be misunderstanding your description of your symptoms, but I've personally had a Hb of 7.5 and not felt as bad as you're describing. So all I'm saying is I personally wouldn't be happy to assume that the borderline anaemia is the cause, and think it would be a good idea to get some broader testing to make sure there isn't another cause, as there are a lot of other things that present during pregnancy, like thyroid issues.
Again, I'm really sorry if it sounded like I was defending your OB. He sounds like a total douche and I would run a mile. I'm just saying don't let the fact that he's a douche make you completely ignore what he said, and potentially miss something else going on. Even if it turns out it is just the anaemia, it can't do any harm to have a few extra tests, while you look for a new OB.
Look, I don't mean to defend your OB, because not checking your results for that long until you actually called about them is pretty douchey. But his concern that that level of Hb shouldn't be causing symptoms and therefore it needs to be looked into further is valid. And its appropriate to refer you to a PCP because OBs aren't trained in that side of medicine. It's fair enough to take some extra iron if it doesn't make you constipated and if it makes you feel better, but from what you wrote before your Hb is only just at the lower end of the normal range. It should not cause severe fatigue or other symptoms at that level.
I see what your saying, but your missing the reasoning. It's not solely not checking the labs quickly or independtly when the patient had reported an issue. The levels were low normal or below normal in January, they have since dropped. Inaction on low levels in January is excused as typical of what you'd see in the second tri, a dip.
As you enter third tri, however, the levels should be increasing as your body catches up with the increased blood production. Instead mine continued to dip, an indication needs weren't being met. Symptoms aside, this is an issue that would continue to degrade and potentially cause problems closer to birth. Which is why every single other poster on this thread with mild anemia was instructed to start a supplement. Action was required complaint or no. It's inappropriate to refer to a PCP without first examining and listening to the patient and ruling out issues that might be related to the pregnancy. He referred during the visit, without discussing potential problems and reiterated it during the call, despite having found a problem. No PCP would have taken further action other than ordering the exact same CBC and treating the only representing condition first.
A CBC is a great indicator of what is and isn't wrong. It provides a great indicator of a patient's underlying health, which is why it is a universal Dx tool. If (and only if) after treating the only presenting condition, I am still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms, all of which are typical of anemia (without regard to severity), then additional tests and a referral are warranted.
There are two options when a person isn't happy with their doctor, accept or get a second opinion. Unfortunately, it is very typical in the US to treat doctors as uniform. Many patients fail to get a second opinion when they should and hesitate to consider that the authority they are trusting is fallible. Everyone can get tired of their job. My OB has completely checked out. He sees the same patients with the same concerns every day and is overworked and underpaid, so he skips things, like reviewing labs or asking questions when there's an issue. Doctors are people, sometimes they phone it in. That's why it's important to kick him to the curb and find someone who isn't burnt out, is proactive, and will be a better fit for the standard of care I'm looking for.
Ok, I think you've misunderstood my post, which is probably my fault because I wrote it hastily earlier at work so wasn't as clear as I should have been.
I absolutely wasnt defending your ob, and having read your experiences with them I would absolutely be finding a new OB. I also would absolutely recommend you taking an iron supplement.
But it I actually am a PCP provider, so I know what a CBC does and doesn't tell you, or represents. And while the symptoms you described are technically symptoms of anaemia, at that severity they are usually symptoms of severe anaemia. I may be misunderstanding your description of your symptoms, but I've personally had a Hb of 7.5 and not felt as bad as you're describing. So all I'm saying is I personally wouldn't be happy to assume that the borderline anaemia is the cause, and think it would be a good idea to get some broader testing to make sure there isn't another cause, as there are a lot of other things that present during pregnancy, like thyroid issues.
Again, I'm really sorry if it sounded like I was defending your OB. He sounds like a total douche and I would run a mile. I'm just saying don't let the fact that he's a douche make you completely ignore what he said, and potentially miss something else going on. Even if it turns out it is just the anaemia, it can't do any harm to have a few extra tests, while you look for a new OB.
No worries! Thanks for clarifying and it's helpful to know your background. I wasn't disagreeing with you in that a PCP might be beneficial, only in that existing issues need to be considered and addressed prior to dismissing a patient to another service. Turfing is just never ok, IMO. As far as I've been able to ascertain, Anemia, mild or otherwise, affects people differently. Some have no symptoms, others notice it much more significantly. The symptoms I'm experiencing aren't so severe that a week of supplements and a watch and see mentality during that time will create major issues (unless I degrade), so in my mind, trying that before testing for other things is the first step. At the very least it would help give a PCP a clear slate to work with and be able to say-we've ruled out anemia and your blood levels are closer to normal, but you're still experiencing X, so I'd like to look here for other potential causes.
@HBamama2B have you meet with your new potential midwife yet? I hope y'all are a good fit. I hate hearing about your OB being unopened to talking to you. Mine is so great apt listening to my concerns, he ran a urinalysis at my request because I thought I might be getting a mild UTI (I wasnt). He didn't blow me off, he just told me to pee in a cup again and they would check for me. Your docs work for you, not visa versa. His job is to male sure you are taken care of. I absolutely disagree with the pp above, he cant refer you if he wont even listen in the first place... If mine treated me lIke that, I'd be saying bye to him as well.
Thanks! And the meeting is Thursday. We are really excited. I think hearing about other's positive experiences has really helped solidify what I'll be looking for during the interviews. This has been super helpful!!
I've been on the bump since I found out in October that I was pregnant and have mostly lurked the board and threads for advice and peace of mind but seeing as to how I've recently been diagnosed I figured I'd chime in. I found out I was anemic after my glucose blood work came back. I suspected I might have been getting some mild anemia all because of one symptom...the urge to eat ice! I had the fatigue but chalked it up to getting up at 4:30 am for work, the ice and the dizzy spells were the most obvious for me. Now I'm on iron pills twice a day with no urge to eat ice unless I miss a pill. Hope your OB gets it together!
Thanks for asking! It got cancelled, unfortunately. One of their patients went into labor early today and they were called in around 3. But they called and communicated with me this morning that it was a possibility and called me as soon as they got called in. I'm hoping to meet with them this weekend instead since I really want to make progress.
I was was going to update tomorrow after the meeting but since it was cancelled... Here's where I'm at: I'm doing much better with the iron and OJ combo and increased iron diet. Kind of back to first tri rabbit poo, but nothing too extreme so far on constipation and no other side effects that I've noted. Ive had no more dizzy spells, easier breathing although still short of breath sometimes. Still tired, especially in the evening, but more mentally aware. It feels like a more healthy kind of tired, if that makes sense?
I did make an apt with a PCP Bc the mention of thyroid made me google and Google made me nervous! (I should know better) But the PCP cancelled the apt, so I'm going to hold till Monday. If I'm still tired then or the midwives recommend it, I will attempt to make another PCP apt, although my luck isn't good this week! Lol.
So we got to meet them both and they were amazing. So now I'm off to plan the home birth adventure. That'll be different!
Also, when I described the symptoms I had had, they said 'Were you tested for anemia?' Lol. After a couple weeks on supplements and a better diet I haven't had a return of symptoms. So I'm chalking it up to mild anemia and maybe a cold or something on top. Thanks to everyone for the help!
Re: Anemia - Any experience? Update in comments
I'm still waiting to hear back. My counts in comparison to yours were similar/a little lower:
RBC 3.35
HGB 10.9
Lymph % 17.2%
I'm not an OB so can't interpret, but have put myself on gentle low dose OTC iron supplements anyway and increased it in my food in the meantime. This is something I normally would never do, but it's been a week and I can't talk to anyone about this! It's incredibly frustrating.
He came back and said, "You're good on GD, but you have mild anemia." Well, no shit Sherlock. He said I should be fine though since my prenatal has iron in it.... Umm, "I've been on the prenatal for 10mths and in the last 3 my blood levels still dipped so what options are there?? Given that I'm having some heavy side effects and the levels are dropping should I maybe take a supplement?"
His response: "You could, but they cause constipation and pregnancy already causes constipation. I don't think it's necessary given that your levels are still somewhat normal for pregnancy." Constipation? No shit, Sherlock, you don't say. He again referred me to a PCP since he hasn't seen my 'level of fatigue' with this level of anemia and still maintains his stance that it's not pregnancy or anemia related.
I responded: "But, I was never tired before? ... (Crickets) ... Well, OK, I'll look into it on my side, but my husband and I have discussed it and we'd like to see another provider in the practice, you fucking skidouche." I didn't say the last 3 words, but definitely thought it really hard at the phone.
He offered no advice on which supplement, how to mitigate constipation, or increase absorption; apparently his biggest concern is my ability to drop a deuce regularly so I should just continue to be miserable or find another cause, rather than do anything about the mild anemia for which ALL the symptoms are common.... Right. FYI you idiot male human, I haven't been constipated since first tri and after 5 days of the gentle supplements am still a regular non-tarry, non-grimacing bathroom Joe thanks to my Bump ladies who FWIW far exceeded the advice of an OB in this instance. FU asshole.
Because he sucks.
Also, beware the Dark side Darth poo
As you enter third tri, however, the levels should be increasing as your body catches up with the increased blood production. Instead mine continued to dip, an indication needs weren't being met. Symptoms aside, this is an issue that would continue to degrade and potentially cause problems closer to birth. Which is why every single other poster on this thread with mild anemia was instructed to start a supplement. Action was required complaint or no. It's inappropriate to refer to a PCP without first examining and listening to the patient and ruling out issues that might be related to the pregnancy. He referred during the visit, without discussing potential problems and reiterated it during the call, despite having found a problem. No PCP would have taken further action other than ordering the exact same CBC and treating the only representing condition first.
A CBC is a great indicator of what is and isn't wrong. It provides a great indicator of a patient's underlying health, which is why it is a universal Dx tool. If (and only if) after treating the only presenting condition, I am still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms, all of which are typical of anemia (without regard to severity), then additional tests and a referral are warranted.
There are two options when a person isn't happy with their doctor, accept or get a second opinion. Unfortunately, it is very typical in the US to treat doctors as uniform. Many patients fail to get a second opinion when they should and hesitate to consider that the authority they are trusting is fallible. Everyone can get tired of their job. My OB has completely checked out. He sees the same patients with the same concerns every day and is overworked and underpaid, so he skips things, like reviewing labs or asking questions when there's an issue. Doctors are people, sometimes they phone it in. That's why it's important to kick him to the curb and find someone who isn't burnt out, is proactive, and will be a better fit for the standard of care I'm looking for.
I absolutely wasnt defending your ob, and having read your experiences with them I would absolutely be finding a new OB. I also would absolutely recommend you taking an iron supplement.
But it I actually am a PCP provider, so I know what a CBC does and doesn't tell you, or represents. And while the symptoms you described are technically symptoms of anaemia, at that severity they are usually symptoms of severe anaemia. I may be misunderstanding your description of your symptoms, but I've personally had a Hb of 7.5 and not felt as bad as you're describing. So all I'm saying is I personally wouldn't be happy to assume that the borderline anaemia is the cause, and think it would be a good idea to get some broader testing to make sure there isn't another cause, as there are a lot of other things that present during pregnancy, like thyroid issues.
Again, I'm really sorry if it sounded like I was defending your OB. He sounds like a total douche and I would run a mile. I'm just saying don't let the fact that he's a douche make you completely ignore what he said, and potentially miss something else going on. Even if it turns out it is just the anaemia, it can't do any harm to have a few extra tests, while you look for a new OB.
I was was going to update tomorrow after the meeting but since it was cancelled... Here's where I'm at: I'm doing much better with the iron and OJ combo and increased iron diet. Kind of back to first tri rabbit poo, but nothing too extreme so far on constipation and no other side effects that I've noted. Ive had no more dizzy spells, easier breathing although still short of breath sometimes. Still tired, especially in the evening, but more mentally aware. It feels like a more healthy kind of tired, if that makes sense?
I did make an apt with a PCP Bc the mention of thyroid made me google and Google made me nervous! (I should know better) But the PCP cancelled the apt, so I'm going to hold till Monday. If I'm still tired then or the midwives recommend it, I will attempt to make another PCP apt, although my luck isn't good this week! Lol.
Also, when I described the symptoms I had had, they said 'Were you tested for anemia?' Lol. After a couple weeks on supplements and a better diet I haven't had a return of symptoms. So I'm chalking it up to mild anemia and maybe a cold or something on top. Thanks to everyone for the help!