(UPDATED) Just found out I'm anemic...

[amazz]

and while that isn't like being on bedrest or anything as serious like that, I am bummed out about it. I guess this partly explains some of the severe fatigue I have been feeling--which is good if I can just take an iron supplement to get some more energy. (The other option is to eat more beef and that just hasn't sounded very good at all lately. BLECH!!!)

OTOH I feel like I did something wrong and that I have harmed my baby in some way. And yeah I know this is irrational, but I have tried really hard to do everything for the benefit for this baby b/c I have wanted him or her for so, so long. I just need someone to tell me that I am a good person and haven't caused damage to my baby. :)

Thanks for reading this if you've gotten this far!

Angela
EDD 10/15/04

I want to thank everyone who responded! While I am not glad that it seems anemia is common, I am glad that I am not the only one. I appreciate all the advice and words of wisdom and encouragement. (especially the parasite comment--I have been telling my mom all along I have an alien baby b/c of the way he/she moves, so now I can tell her I have a parasitic alien baby :P ) I don't know what I would do without these boards! Thanks again, everyone!!
Angela

[octmom]

Don't worry! I was anemic while pg, and my DS was born very healthy and big! He weighed 10 pounds, 5.5 ounces at birth! We joke about him being so big and strong b/c he zapped all the iron from me. :) My doc told me that the baby gets his/ her share first, so I'm sure your little one is just fine. Congratulations!

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03

http://lilypie.com/baby1/041029/3/3/3/-5/.png

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[jbowman]

Angela,

You did nothing wrong. Things happen that are beyond your control. I think we always feel that way when we're PG and ask, "what could I have done differently?"

Your baby will be fine! You're already a great mom--you are trying to do everything for the benefit of your baby. And now you are treating your anemia, which will help you and your child!

Hugs to you!

[Rachels]

This is not your fault!!! LOTS of women get anemic during pregnancy. I did, too, and my baby is just fine. It's okay. FWIW, I treated my anemia with Floradix, which is a nutritional supplement. You can take it even if you're taking iron pills, but I found that I bounced right back without needing the straight iron (which can be constipating, yuck). You can get Floradix in capsule form at any vitamin store, and it's a commonly-used alternative to the iron. Just mentioning that in case you have any trouble with the iron supplement.

But be gentle with yourself! This is why they do anemia testing. It's so common, and so easily treatable. You'll be fine.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are

[sadie427]

It is really really common and will not harm your baby since you caught it and are treating it--the baby takes what it needs from you. I had it too, even though I thought I had been eating really well. It may or may not explain your exhaustion--you're getting into the part of the pregnancy where I was just really tired, even after starting iron (which worked, since when they checked my blood after the baby was born I was not anemic.)

[Marisa6826]

Angela-

I've always been borderline anemic and usually take iron supplements. They were doing a real number on, ahem, my stomach, so I stopped taking it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I may be fullblown anemic at this point, and am actually going to ask for bloodwork tomorrow to make sure.

You can also do green leafies instead of beef, BTW.

I'm sure your babe is fine. The baby is kind of parasitic (for lack of a better term) and it takes what it needs before your body can.

Feel better. I hear that warm bacon dressing is awsome on baby spinach (hint, hint!) ;).

-m

[Joshuasmommy]

I was anemic too and I took my iron supplements and my baby had no problems. Try not to worry, it is fairly common.

[toomanystrollers]

:) Hugs Angela - I was anemic for all three!!! and by gosh, are they healthy!!

[ritacheetah]

I have always been slightly anemic and have taken iron suppliments daily. When I got pg and my doctor prescribed pre natal vitamins, she told me no need to take iron suppliments as the pre natals were all I needed. I looked at the label of the pre natals and I knew I had always taken more iron than was in them. She still told me no need.

A few months later had a blood test and they told me I was - you guessed it - slightly anemic. Well, NO DUH. I hate to say I told you so...

But baby is fine - strong as an ox, as a matter of fact. I have always heard that baby takes what he / she needs first and leaves you with whatever is left. So, even if you are anemic, baby has plenty.

Try using Slow FE - not too hard on the ol' digestive system.

Good luck!

Live long and prosper,
Tracy
Mom to Victoria, 12/20/03

[Karenn]

Me too! I was worried about the same stuff- was it because I didn't eat as many veggies as I should have? Should I have noticed how tired I've been and told my doctor sooner?

I talked with my OB about this yesterday and she assured me of the same things that everyone else has already said. Anemia in pregnancy is very common. She also told me that in my case, they were treating the anemia more as a proactive measure than because it could be harming the baby in any way. She said that getting my iron up now would help compensate for the blood that is inevitably lost in child birth so that I wouldn't need a transfusion after delivery. While she was addressing her comments to me, I would suspect that it applies to many people.

And, I eat a ton of red meat, and that clearly didn't make any difference! :)

[proggoddess]

I was slightly anemic when PG. I took prenatal vitamins and an iron-vitamin C supplement. Eat a couple prunes a day to keep the digestive system moving. Prunes also have a bit of iron in them as well. Not too many, or you'll be ... uh, too stimulated. I did not feel extraordinarily tired.

After giving birth, I also lost a lot of blood, so I was definitely anemic. I was totally exhausted just walking slowly down the hospital hallway to the baby bathing class. Took my iron supplements when I got home and I felt better after 2 weeks. I went to Target the first week to buy some diapers and my 70-year old father drove me there. In the store he was walking faster than I was! Yikes.

DD is perfectly fine and was average size when born. So don't worry about it, just take your supplements so you're not so tired. And maybe try some deep breathing exercises to relax and get that extra oxygen to the baby.

[Elilly]

The female human body is an amazing thing. Somehow it knows that the baby needs the iron more than we do, so it gives the iron to the baby and we become anemic, not the baby. Many women become anemic during pregnancy, including myself, and have perfectly normal babies. HTH.

[hez]

"Show me a woman who feels no guilt, and I'll show you a man."

Or something to that effect was in my Mom day-by-day calendar on my desk a month or two ago. Welcome to mommy-hood! I haven't quite figured out how to let go of all the guilt, but I'm doing better at accepting that I will just make the best decision I can with the information I have at the time of the decision. You're going to be (and already are) a great mommy!

[jk3]

That quote is too funny! I love it!

I completely agree about the guilt factor. It's hard not to second guess decisions that I make which affect my child.

I hope the rest of your pregnancy is uneventful. Feel well! =)


Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

[Moneypenny]

I was quite anemic earlier in this pregnancy. The over the counter iron supplements didn't help so my doc put me on Chromagen, a prescription. It's in capsule form and soooo much easier on the digestive system. I could tell within a couple of weeks that it really helped with my energy. So, if you don't feel better after a couple weeks of the OTC pills, have your doc do another blood test to see if they're helping. I had a hard time differentiating between normal pregnancy tiredness and anemic tiredness so I suffered for a few more weeks before I complained again.

And, my doc also told me that the baby would be just fine even though my levels had gotten quite low.
Good luck!

[amazz]

That is kind of something I am worried about. I slept through my first 3 months. Literally. I got up to eat and go to the bathroom and that was it!! So I thought that I was just falling back into that but I am really hoping that this extreme fatigue is caused by anemia so I can feel a little better. I will ask my dr. about the Chromagen. Thanks!
Angela
EDD 10/15/04

[Moneypenny]

I knew it was more than just pregnancy fatigue when I started having dizzy spells AFTER I started taking the OTC iron pills. I can't tell you how much the Chromagen has helped. Just be sure you make your doc stay on top of it. I took those darn OTC pills for 5 weeks before they tested my levels again, and I hadn't improved at all. I just didn't know any better because everyone told me it was normal to feel icky while pregnant.
Moneypenny
EDD 8/4/04

[pamela mom of 3]

Well i am and have been for years i was so bad with my pregnancy with my son they wondered how i was able to function let alone take care of two other kids :P

He turned out just fine btw ;) I still battle it...i can't recall what my level was when they checked me while i was in labor, but again i recall the shocked looks of the nurses.

Hope you get your levels up, again i still battle with mine *sigh*

Good luck!

~Pamela Mom Of 3

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/kao/otn/blobflower.gif

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppstrollers

[new_mommy25]

You did nothing wrong! It is very common in women during pregnancy. I was slightly anemic and took 325mg of Ferrous Sulfate in addition to my prenatal and was fine. My energy level really peaked up! I stopped taking them after DS was born. I just had some blood work done the other day and it showed me totally fine.