Hello

I had my 36 week consultant appointment today, all was ok, was sent for a growth scan too while I was there as I was measuring small, but baby was normal size on the scan, apparently I just have a compact bump! Mind you doesn't look compact to me, feel like a whale!

Anyway at the end of the appointment I was given a box of Pregaday iron tablets as I had a blood test done 2 weeks ago and I now have slightly lowered iron levels of 10.3 - I have been dreading this happening all along as I have severe constipation as it is, I only go to the loo once or twice a week (and I am on laxatives too!) and also I know that iron tablets make a lot of people sick/nauseous and as I am phobic of being/feeling sick this is a total nightmare for me. I haven't taken a tablet yet as I am too scared to! I should have asked at the hospital if there was any alternative to taking them but I had been there a couple of hours and was fed up and wanted to go so didn't think to raise my concerns especially as they handed me the tablets just as I was about to leave.

Has anyone here had slightly low iron levels and managed to self help through diet or other methods rather than take the tablets?

Are there any alternative/natural iron treatments?

Any help/advice much appreciated :-)

Yep me ...

Iam exactly the same as you 100% , I with 2 previous pregnancies had real real bad iron levels with them .

This time i am as allways in pregnancy very very badly constipated to the point were i go 1-2 times a week and get real bad bum pains etc .
My levels at 11 weeks came back at 8.5 , I got an iron presciption i took for 1 week and decided i couldnt carry on .
I decided to take some Pregnancy Vitamins from asdas , Wich are enriched with iron , And looked on the net for Iron en riched meal ideas .
My next bloods done at 28 weeks came back at 10.5 , They still want me to go on prega day as they say that still slightly low , But it proves i can get my levels up by myself .
I am just carrying on the way iam , I am not been a bad mummy doing this .. I physically cannot stand the affects thats all .

Good luck hun . xxxx .

Ah thanks hun. I do have some Pregnacare multivitamins with iron, are they the kind of thing you take? I must admit I've been terrible, bought them but never took them!

I only have 4 weeks to go (in theory!) and am really peed off to have made it so far with ok iron levels and now I am low so close to the end

I will go and buy some spinich etc tomorrow though!!!

I got told I needed to take iron and folic acid after my 28 week bloods and now have awful constipation and the colour is downright scary when I do manage to go I've been told that psyllium husks would be helpful and are ok to take while you're pregnant but haven't got round to going to the shop to get any yet

I have been also prescribed iron tablets ... trying getting some lactose syrup this stops the constipation. My cousin works in a chemist and she advised me today that.

Iron are a pain but you need them for yourselves... tip is to look at the skin under your eyeballs inside if that makes sense. That should be red if its pink or whitish pink you defo need the iron tablets.

Yep there the kind of vitamins i take hun .

I wouldnt advise against medical advice and say dont take your iron tablets , I just understand compleatley and wanted to show i got my levels up quiet allot just by trying a different diet pattern and vitamins .
Good luck hun . xxx .

I have already been on lactulose syrup (and Fybogel and Califig) for months but even with taking all that I still only go once or twice a week which is really awful, so you see I am really worried about being constipated even more

Thanks, what are psyllium husks???

Thanks I realise that I 'should' take them but I am going to try looking at other options first, especially as I am so near the end now. I spoke to a friend of mine yesterday and found out she also got given them and was on them for about a week but they made her so ill she stopped and just did the diet thing, then she took them after the baby was born when the side effects didn't bother her so much.

I compleatley understand hun . As i said iam with you 100% .
Good luck .

And the diet really does work . xxxx .