Hello! I have struggled with anemia and absorption of vitamins for the majority of my adult life. At 17 weeks my iron levels fell below the normal range for pregnancy.
Due to my absorption issues and inability to handle large doses of iron supplements, my OB is suggesting I go in for iron infusions.
Does anyone have experience with this? Any feedback would be great. Thanks in advance!
apple seed / 4 posts
I ended up having to do these for the few weeks before my twins arrived. It's pretty painless, just time consuming.
I saw a hematologist for an iron IV 3x week; it was a small needle in the back of the hand and it took about 1.5-2 hours per infusion. They mixed the iron with saline and it felt like a normal saline IV (no burning or other side effects.) I'm a hard stick with small veins that roll and this was honestly the least painful thing I've been through.
I didn't feel a huge difference (but I didn't feel any side effects from low iron before) and my numbers jumped up significantly after about a week. I ended up hospitalized after a severe bleed (placenta previa) and my numbers were still strong afterwards, so really - I'm glad I listened to my doctor and did it!
clementine / 830 posts
do you all mind sharing what your iron levels were when you went for the infusions? i'm at 34 weeks now--they found out i was anemic at 28 weeks and it explained a lot about how i was feeling. i've been taking iron supplements since then but honestly still feeling a lot of the fatigue, restless legs, etc. they retested me yesterday and i should get results today or tomorrow; i'm wondering if this is something i should suggest or advocate for given that it's affecting my ability to do things like pick up/carry my DS for any period of time, etc.
grapefruit / 4492 posts
I'm curious about your levels too. I was anemic for the last half of my pregnancy, and my levels got near transfusion levels the day after my son was born, but was never recommended iron infusions.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
I never did iron transfusions, but for both of my pregnancies I was borderline anemic. I took Vit C & iron 4-6 hours separate from my prenatal, and my levels never got worse or better - both OBs said they probably would've gotten worse without the supplementation. So just basically maybe try combining it with Vitamin C if you haven't yet.
grapefruit / 4492 posts
@DesertDreams88: That's what I ended up doing with my son when he was anemic. Cut back on Vitamin D because it prevents absorption, and ramp up the Vitamin C to promote absorption! Worked like a charm, didn't know that when I was dealing with it though.
pea / 6 posts
@KPAZ: Thanks for the insight!
@NWM @SAMS MOM: Sorry for the delay in response. I was waiting to get my updated levels back from my OB before reporting.
My hemoglobin level is 10.3 and my ferratin level is 31.4. Although my levels aren't extremely low, I am only 22 weeks and we expect them to take a considerable dip around 28 weeks. I do not handle supplements well, so I will begin infusions soon to try to get ahead of it.
It takes 4 weeks for all of your red blood cells to turnover, so it's important to be proactive. Hope that helps.
grapefruit / 4492 posts
@BecBeeAtx: Thanks for sharing! My hemoglobin was 11.2 @ 27 weeks, 9.7 @ 37 weeks, and 7.7 @ 39 weeks 4 days the day after my c-section. I ended up on iron supplements for a few weeks and was back up to a 13.7 two and a half months after delivery. I will definitely ask about the infusions the next time I'm pregnant since I'm prone to anemia.
pomegranate / 3411 posts
@nwm: my OB offered infusions if i couldn't handle the supplements, but so far i have been taking them okay and am feeling better. My hemoglobin was 9.5, i don't recall what the ferratin was.
clementine / 830 posts
@BecBeeAtx: @californiadreams: thanks so much for the info! i guess my hemoglobin had been at 9.7 but they retested it after i complained and it's gone up to 10.5 so showing pretty good improvement just on the supplements. definitely want to stay on top of it and keep this option in mind though, especially right around childbirth. thanks again!
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 3 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
9 comments