[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

Curious to know whether anyone else is experiencing the exhaustion and low-level headaches that I am, all the time.

It's making me seriously wonder how I'm going to cope for another 4 weeks at work tbh.

I am so tired now I can't bring work home in an evening, which is tough when you're teaching in a busy school - there is ongoing planning and marking to do like all the time. By the time I get home, eat dinner, bath and put Daniel to bed, I am ready to collapse. The only reason I managed to get on here tonight is that I came home earlier than normal from school because by some miracle I'm actually on top of my marking, and because my mum put Daniel to bed for me. As a coping strategy I am having to work at my desk while my kids are working, but it's a compromise, because it means the work I'm giving them to do isn't as interactive, input-rich or interesting.

And the headache is doing my head in. It's not awful or anything, just always there. Paracetamol only takes the very very edge off it.

I've been on iron now for a week. I do feel less exhausted for taking it than I did and less weepy too, but still pretty exhausted, achy and painy (ankles, legs and lower back especially). Until yesterday though I was having a cup of tea more or less simultaneously - as soon as getting home from work - and yesterday the midwife advised not to drink caffeine 2 hours either side of the medication as it limits the absorption, and to drink orange juice to help it instead. So maybe it will improve now I've made that adjustment?

Any other tips for helping it improve? If it doesn't improve any more than it has for now I'm thinking of going to my GP and asking if I can have stronger iron pills.

[20ghanover]

i've had mild success with my nutrition. here's what i've been doing:
1) drink orange juice with the iron which your nurse already suggested
2) every day eating 1 cup of edamame/soybeans (which i love anyway!)
3) every day eating a BIG portion of spinach or some other steamed or raw green
4) eating lentils (usually in the form of a big dhal from the indian) 2-3x a week
5) limiting my sweets as much as possible because they only make me crash....BIG TIME
6) eating protein with every single meal

since then, i have felt much much better. not sure if it has impacted my iron numbers much but definitely made me feel better! hope some of this helps!

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

Thank you for the suggestions honey!

1) drink orange juice with the iron which your nurse already suggested
started yesterday

2) every day eating 1 cup of edamame/soybeans (which i love anyway!)
one to try thanks

3) every day eating a BIG portion of spinach or some other steamed or raw green
already doing this...DP makes sure there is something like spinach or cabbage or broccoli or watercress in my main meal - these are all things I eat anyway but have only started making sure I eat them daily since I found out I was anaemic last Thursday

4) eating lentils (usually in the form of a big dhal from the indian) 2-3x a week
one to try...am planning an Indian takeaway tomorrow so lentils here we come!

5) limiting my sweets as much as possible because they only make me crash....BIG TIME
good thought, I am craving biscuits and have been eating them, not ridiculous amounts, but maybe I should try to avoid them much more thanks

6) eating protein with every single meal
doing this already since I was pregnant, knowing I was prone to anaemia - if I don't have meat or dairy with a meal I have nuts, pulses or mushrooms - but thanks x

So a good few things to add into the routine there and hopefully as the OJ technique and eating more greens kicks in this should help too...My DP also got me some apricots today which apparently are an iron-rich snack so will start taking one of those before I take another snack, too, even though I'm not fond of them.

[TKbunny]

Yup, I'm on Iron pills. Mine isn't as bad as yours sounds though. I get tired, light headed at times and see stars here and there. But for the most part, I'm doing OK. I try to eat red meat more and all that but it's hard to try and keep the fat down along with getting more. They said I was just on the edge of needing the pills though, so maybe mine isn't as low as yours might be? I hope you start to feel better soon. Hang in there, hon. You can do this.

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

Thanks sweetie.

They said mine was a borderline case too, but then my full blood count was on 28 May, and as the midwife pointed out yesterday it may well have gone lower since then hence the tiredness worsening. I think it's exacerbated by the fact that I'm also doing a really stressful/busy job full-time and I'm not even a first-time mum who can just put her feet up as soon as I get home, kwim?

I have to have another full blood count in 4 weeks time after trying the iron treatment, we'll just see how things go. If I start feeling actually faint I am going to my GP and asking for stronger pills I think. I have bordered on it once or twice but never yet actually felt like I'm going to faint.

Interestingly, the midwife noticed I had PP anaemia last time and asked if I'd been tired towards the end of that pregnancy. Well, I was - I was supposed to finish work at 35wk and ended up getting signed off at 34wk due to extreme tiredness, stress and weepiness (mind I was being made redundant at the time too which won't have helped). She thinks it's likely I had undiagnosed anaemia then. So hopefully knowing now, having iron pills and an iron-rich diet will help me avoid how ill I felt post-partum with Daniel. Makes me question why my doctor didn't test me for anaemia when I told him I thought I needed signing off due to exhaustion as well as stress etc. But hey, that was 6 years ago.

Thanks for your support ladies!

[irunpink]

I'm dealing with this too . I try to take naps, but I'm still exhausted.

[Pinkhighheels27]

Yes, I'm dealing with this, too. I've gene anemic prior to pregnancy before, so I was prepared for it. The headaches are the worst! I have a dull headache 24/7, however, now that I've been on my iron for about 2wks now, I think it's helping subside a bit.

Eating every 3 hours (small snacks) really helps, as well as the protein and OJ.

As for the exhaustion, I haven't found anything to stop that...just try taking it easy...or as easy as you can. (I get that crashing feeling out of nowhere).

I hope you start feeling better soon!

[K.A.T]

I'm dealing with it myself and the further along I get the more tired I become. Nothing I'm really doing other than pills.

[Jessimaaka]

Just taking pills for now and eating as much spinach, broccoli and red meat as I can.

No extreme tiredness like you're explaining, but I feel asleep during my hypnobabies last night, which is not too good, so hopefully its not getting worse!

[junie22]

I've had low blood count from the start. I was able to really impact it positively with iron-rich foods, but I still need the supplementation.

Stronger iron pills won't necessarily have a greater impact on you. I would recommend that you take an iron supplement that contains both heme and non-heme iron because it will absorb better into your system. I take Bifera. It's expensive, but it's easy on my stomach and has kept my iron at an acceptable level. It's also not as constipation-inducing as other synthetic irons supplements.

[ufmelissa824]

My iron's been fine up until my last appt when the nurse said it was a little low. I haven't really felt any different than usual. My prenatal doesn't have iron in it and I'm hesitant to take a supplement because I don't want to get constipated. I asked my OB and she said I didn't need a supplement and to just to add more iron into my diet. The handout I got said that Total cereal has 18mg which is 6x the amount of meat and spinach so I've just started eating that for breakfast. We'll see if that works... Anyone else try that option?

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

Not sure if I can get Bifera or Total cereal in the UK, will have to look into it. I believe there are cereals and breads fortified with iron which I will have to look out for.

Naps would really help - I know this because I sometimes have an afternoon nap at the w-end now - but this is not an option during the week. It's work, I'm there til 5ish, then it's home to bath and put Daniel to bed. I can't actually sit and rest until about 8pm.

In terms of "taking it easy" I am planning far less interactive work with my children and spending most of my time sitting down in class either hearing readers or getting marking done as I can no longer take it home (too tired in the evening). I can't take it any easier without actually stopping work. Mum and Shaun have really taken over everything at home apart from Daniel's bath and bed (Mum alternates the bedtime with me now though). There's nothing more they can do to take the pressure off.

The snacking I am doing. I take lots of fruit, nuts, cereal bars etc to work.

[alicenwonderland]

i found out recently that my HCT is only 32, but i'm not really feeling the effects, and my doc didn't mention taking iron or anything. Maybe i should ask?

[magz88]

The doctor told me my iron had dropped from 119 to 112 today. They suggested eating 24 g more a day of iron-rich foods. I also bought some prenatal vitamins that have 18 per pill so hopefully I won't go any lower.

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

Hmm Alice. Not sure what my numerical level is because I have a hopeless memory for figures and would have to go and try to decipher my records to find out. What I do know is I am "borderline" anaemic but they have given me the iron because I had anaemia post-partum last time as well so I am "prone". It wouldn't hurt for you to check though hon!

I think I am feeling SO bad with it because of working full-time in such a busy and physically/mentally demanding job as well as having one child already at home to take care of...basically because my plate is full as WELL as being anaemic if you see what I mean. And plus it's getting hot and humid here again and my classroom is like a greenhouse, and that doesn't help.