Low Iron..

Hi Guys,

I got the results from my blood test back today, and YAY my glucose level after the long glucose test was 7.2! Yay!
But the midwife said my iron level was a little low.. it was 109 when it should be above 110. She asked if i was taking any suppliments and im taking Fabfol plus. She suggested that i just get some more iron tablets to bring my levels back up, as otherwise if i bleed during pregnancy it can cause problems.

Now.. my question is.. can you have too much iron? Do i really need bother with tablets since its 1 under or should i just adjust my diet? DH and i both remember hearing on the news about someone who was told by Blacktown Hospital (just after the still born went missing) to take iron tablets late in her pregnancy and the baby ended up dying in the womb. Did anyone else here this? Do you think too much iron could have caused that?

I wouldn't stress too much as you are only a little of the mark and are taking supplements, try and eat iron rich foods as it's going to be much better than artificially made iron. Go your mushrooms and steak, mince etc or to supplement your whole diet and boost your immunity you could get some In-Liven (click the 'Mi-Vitality link), which is a brilliant pro-biotic superfood product. Safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding etc.

When i went into Labor, my count was 106.. and they werent concerned..

Just make sure you continue your supplements otherwise if you need a c-section for example, you might be a little higher risk to loosing more blood, but thats very rare anyways.. and you still have 8 weeks to get your levels back up..

Thanks guys. Im upping my iron levels by through food. FIL cooked us steak and spinich last night and will keep on things like that.
Was wondering though whether my LGTT high carb diet may have effected my results? Also i had the flu pretty bad the week before the blood test?

It's easy to lose iron when you are sick and run down, I have never had iron issues but when I had a chest infection recently, I also developed low iron which made me feel worse, despite being a big steak/mushroom/spinach eater. I took supplements when I found out, it's been a couple of weeks and have been much better... :)

A lot of people need a supplement late in pg as the baby takes iron from you so you may end up deficient. I developed anaemia at about that stage too and the supplement helped for that period of time. You will not harm your baby by taking a supplement. They are not prescribed unless they are needed.

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A lot of people need a supplement late in pg as the baby takes iron from you so you may end up deficient. I developed anaemia at about that stage too and the supplement helped for that period of time. You will not harm your baby by taking a supplement. They are not prescribed unless they are needed.

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So even though the tablets im taking have 60g of iron in them it wont matter if i was to take more?

Kell, as you are already taking Fabfol, perhaps the midwife can advise what dosage you should be getting if you are still deficient. I would definitely be asking her as she is the one who recommended it to you.

Thanks Melbo.
Im transferring Hospitals and have my book in appointment this afternoon at the Hawkesbury, so ill ask the midwife there what she thinks i should do. When i got my results from Westmead on Monday the midwife said i could take some more iron but wasnt really clear on how much to take.. so will definately ask how much she thinks i should take or if i should switch brands.

Hi Kellxx,
I am taking iron supplements as my iron is practically non existant this pg. I found out some interesting stuff that you might want to think about when boosting your iron rich foods.
Vitamin c helps your body absorb iron - lemon juice, orange juice or tomatoes with cooked spinach is a far more efficient way to absorb iron than just cooked spinach on its own.
Dairy products, grains and caffeine can impede the absorption of iron - so try not to eat them with your iron rich foods.
Lentils, pork, eggs and baked beans are all high iron foods too. Hope this helps and your iron levels sort themsleves out.

While too much iron can cause problems (I usually suffer from high iron as I have a condition called Haemochromatosis - literally translates to abnormal condition with iron in the blood), I think you would need to be on a very high dose for a significant period before you would get to that stage, especially while pregnant. In people who don't have my condition, the excess iron is excreted and not absorbed anyway. But I agree that you should get medical advice.

Interestingly I actually had lowish iron for the first time in my life in the late stages of my first pregnancy and suspect the same will happen again this time. I only took one supplement a week though. It was funny doing all the things I normally avoid - like eating iron rich foods and vitamin C.

Good luck!

I read somewhere that too much iron can be risky in pregnancy as is can inflate the red blood cells to a point where they cannot penetrate the placena so bub goes short n oxygen.

Thanks Melly.
I asked the midwife at Hawkesbury Hospital (as ive recently transferred there) and she said just to eat more iron riched foods like more red meat, spinach, beans etc which i am.. she said that should be fine to do as im already taking suppliments.

I was very iron deficient at about 20 weeks, and i've been on 600mg of iron ever since. Baby seems fine, and my iron levels are just about right now. I don't get any particular side effects from taking them.

Just want to add to this,
It is normal for Iron Levels to drop before the birth, our blood thins a bit, (so it can rush around our bodies and get to the baby etc) Michel Odent talks about this alot, and that its a misunderstanding between the medical profession and normal birth physiology.
Obviously, some levels of low iron are more of a concern than others, but he says most of his calls are from women that have been told nearer their due date, that they are not allowed a home birth because of low iron levels, when really, their levels are perfect for what their bodies are meant to be doing at that particular stage of pregnancy.
Happened to me too, and its very common.

Yeah Boybump, I was going to say about taking vitamin C-ish stuff at the same time too.

I've heard that craving ice/icy things can be a sign of Iron deficiency, does anyone know if this is true? Cos I've been craving icy stuff. Just had a baby spinach salad though...and my vitamin C will be a Frosty Fruit :p

Good luck with your iron levels Kell!