Iron in pregnancy

Elen

Hi!

Does anyone know what is the best iron they recommend in pregnancy?
We were adviced by one of the midwives in the antenatal classes in Holles that it is going coming to the birth to take supplements, she mentioned the name of one of the best ones, but I cannot remember!

Dizzyblonde

Was it Geritol? That used to be the recommended one. If you can't remember, give Holles Street a buzz. They'll be happy to tell you.

littlebug

Galfer is the one I was recommended.

shrapnel222

my wife takes spatone with orange juice (helps assimilate iron better).

she also takes pregnacare

lezizi

I was taking clonfolic for the first 12 weeks i think and then Galfer FA after that, they are the iron supplements with folic acid in them. I dont think you start taking iron till after a certain week.

Nevyn

I was taking iron before I got pregnant.
Your body has to make more blood to circulate between yourself and the baby which is why the iron is needed.

Elen

That is it!!! Galfer... I knew it sounded like something else (golfer) lol.

Thanks a million!!!!

Khannie

My wifes doctor also recommended spatone + orange juice for what it's worth. I'm sure it's much of a muchness once you get the right amount.

Elen

I think as long as it has 100mgr then that is what you need.
The only problem is it can leave your stomach in bits...

littlebug

Elen wrote:

I think as long as it has 100mgr then that is what you need.
The only problem is it can leave your stomach in bits...

It can I found galfer really hard on my stomach so I stopped taking it for a while and tried to get extra dietary iron. I did get very anaemic so I ended up having to take a double dose for a couple of weeks and then I switched to spatone.

Hotblack Desiato

Hmmm we were told that iron (which was more or less routine once upon a time) is only recommended now if your blood test indicates a deficiency.
Apparently it's awful for the constipation which can be bad enough anyway :eek:

Oh and when I saw 'what iron do you recommend' my first thought was... our Tefal isn't bad

simu

ninja900 wrote:

Hmmm we were told that iron (which was more or less routine once upon a time) is only recommended now if your blood test indicates a deficiency.

Same here. You might not need any.

RIRI

Me too,

Holles St told me to start taking iron (I wasn't anemic) but when I mentioned to my GP that these were really upsetting my stomach she said that unless you are anemic there is no need for it.

That Galfer really is hard on the belly, check with your GP - if you do need the iron thay might be a ble to recomment something a little easier on your tum.

Elen

Thanks to all of you for all the advices

I was recommended in the antenatal classes to have coming up to labour (I am 35 weeks now) even if we were not deficient they said it was not harmfull. They say, because of all the blood that you can loose in labour, it is better to go in high in iron.
I mentioned it to my GP and she said to go ahead, but didnt do any blood tests.

I had it yesterday for the first time, after my dinner, and with a bit of orange juice and I am still suffering. I have had an upset stomach for the whole night
I already had a bit of heartburn lately, but last night it was up to another level... I am going to try to have it with my lunch tomorrow, to sww if it goes down any better. Otherwise, I am not taking it.

Nevyn

Well you can also try and up the types of food that has high levels of iron in it.

http://www.sandiegobloodbank.org/donating_blood/iron_rich_foods.php

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/nutrition/a/06_iron_foods.htm

dame

Try having it with breakfast. That way it has all day to go through your system and should be settled long before you go to bed. Orange juice can be quite harsh on the stomach so try having it with water or milk instead. Having it at the start or middle of the meal might help too. That way it gets mixed up and digested with the food rather than sitting on top waiting for the rest to be digested first.

deisemum

ninja900 wrote:

Hmmm we were told that iron (which was more or less routine once upon a time) is only recommended now if your blood test indicates a deficiency.
Apparently it's awful for the constipation which can be bad enough anyway :eek:

I was told the same thing when I was pregnant with my now 12 year old, this was in the UK

While I was pregnant with my almost 10 year old over here, the midwives routinely promoted taking iron. I wouldn't take it because it was making me feel sicker than I already was

However when I was pregnant with my first I read in a pregnancy magazine that eating 2 dried apricots a day would more than meet your daily iron requirements since they are a rich easily digested source of iron. It worked for me.

Jo King

I heard that taking black molasses is very good, it is high in iron but does not upset the system.

englander

Wife was told two things by two different consulants on each pregnancy.
My wifes blood count was borderline low for both.

Pregnancy 1 , Consultant 1 : Advises her to take Galfer FA which she did.
Result - normal 7lb11 baby

Pregnancy 2, Consultant 2 : Advises not to take any because latest research has proven that taking iron supplement results in lower birth weight.
I'll let you know the result in a few months.


It mystifies me all the studying and all the research done in the world and two consultants (experts in their field!) in the space of 10 mile of each other often have very different ideas on what to do/not to do in exactly teh same circumstances. Doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence.

EcologiKids

Khannie wrote: »

My wifes doctor also recommended spatone + orange juice for what it's worth. I'm sure it's much of a muchness once you get the right amount.

Spatone is easier to take as you can get it in sachet form - so can help decrease any chance of constipation. I used to mix it with orange juice to help disguise the taste and also as orange juice helps with iron absorption.
Best of luck with your pregnancy!
Nicola

neoB

Thaed those links are great.
I have an ignorant nutrionist and I told her that I rarely eat meat because it makes me sick and doesn't digest well. Of course she gets preachy on me which I understand but ticked me off because she wasn't being understanding.
She didn't tell me what would be good other than me spinach that I stuff my face with. I can't take vitamins/pills so this will do. I know it helped with the last baby and I see a lot more I can handle in that list !
cheers

beaushalloe

OMG! it seems kinda real that we're trying for a baby now that im posting question!!!!
Anyway...im a vegetarian, (with a really poor diet, chips all the way!!) and ive just started to take folic acid, but obviously i would be low on iron, do i take it or not?

what else might i need to supppliment? a head peadiatric nutritionalist once told me that all vitamin suppliments did (with the exception of eving primrose oil) was make expensive urine!!(her exact words)

silja

Beau- I wouldn;t recommend a strong iron supplement such as Galfer before 12 weeks. I'd take a good pregnancy multi-vitamin such as Pregnacare (which have a veggie version), which will have some iron in it. Also ring your chosen hospital and get bloods done (for iron etc), and following that a referal to their nutritionist asap. I had one (pregnant with twins, veggie too, though quite a healthy diet), and she really put my mind at rest and also gave me some good tips about my diet.