Hi, my last midwife check up 2 weeks ago at 32 weeks the midwife told me at 36 weeks I’ll have to have another blood test to see if I’ve got my iron up to acceptable levels as they suspect I wont have enough iron to get me through childbirth.
I was so surprised she said that as I’ve always had an anaemia problem in pregnancy but had never been told that before, so I forgot to ask her what she meant exactly. How can I not get through childbirth, exactly? Anyone know what she meant? I’ll be finding up at my next check-up, but I’d like a heads up.
I’m on 325mg iron and 500mg vitamin c each day plus pregnancy multivitamin and extra folic acid.
The website below should answer your questions and more, but to sum it up iron is necessary for the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the other cells. During pregnancy your blood volume increases up to 50%. Not having enough can cause you to feel tired, lightheaded, etc. If you do not have sufficient iron store toward the end of your pregnancy you are more likely to have problems if you lose a lot of blood during the delivery and more likely to need a blood transfusion. Hope this helps, but the site below may explain it better than I could.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_iron-deficiency-anemia-in-pregnancy_3073.bc
So I’m unlikely to die then? I thought that might have been what she meant. I had looked it up on the net but that was the particular question in my mind I needed answered. Because how else can a person NOT make it thru childbirth but to die.?
Oh you poor thing! I hate it when doctors throw stuff at us like we’re always supposed to know what they mean.
I agree with what patience said. I believe it just means that if you are very low on iron it increases your need for a blood transfusion because of the amount of blood that can be lost during childbirth. I was very low in my last pregnancy, but everything went smoothly.
I am hoping that if there was a cause for alarm there would have been more done in regards to you iron levels than just saying what your midwife told you, but definitely ask her at your next appointment. Continue doing what you are doing as far as taking your iron and other supplements, but if you are truly concerned then maybe you could contact her before your next appointment to get clarification.
Although I am no expert and do not know your pregnancy history, it is possible that she meant make it though your childbirth “naturally”. If your iron levels weren’t up to an acceptable level and depending on the amount of blood loss during delivery you might have to have a blood transfusion.
I also had low iron during my third trimester, but everything went fine, matter of fact my labor was 10 times better than my pregnancy 