vegetarian, pregnant, anemic, and ILL! Floradix not doing the trick...

[atlantafemme]

So my blood tests came back 4 weeks ago, when I was 28 weeks, saying I've very anemic. Up until around a week before that test, I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy--no morning sickness or major fatigue. But then I got really tired. And then nausea took over my life just as I was entering my 3rd trimester.

I'm 32 weeks pregnant now and have been taking slow FE iron and floradix. My midwife group first recommended the slow FE pills. When I was still exhausted and having occasional racing heart rates as well as feeling faint two weeks later, another midwife suggested I take floradix instead. Now it's been two more weeks and I feel worse than ever. I'm constantly tired and nauseated and have a hard time eating much of anything. I feel like some of the nausea may be coming from my stomach being cramped by the baby but I've also read that iron supplementation isn't tolerated at all by some people.

I have a good and varied diet full of lots of iron-rich foods and have been veg for most of my life with no iron problems. And I know to ingest vitamin c and not calcium with the iron to increase absorption. I really want both to feel better and to make sure my baby is getting enough iron. I DO NOT want to eat meat--that thought alone nauseates me even more just from an emotional standpoint b/c I'm veg for ethical reasons--but I'm getting desperate here.

Anyone else have anemia in pregnancy and found other ways to manage besides floradix?

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

[mrsbrunette]

do you think you could handle spirulina? just asking b/c of your morning sickness. i was borderline anemic toward the end of my pregnancy and ditched the iron pills they gave me (they had red food coloring). instead i made daily spirulina smoothies and at the next appointment my iron and b12 levels were through the roof. my midwife was pleasantly shocked!

[cathe]

Here's some info and recipes that are tolerated pretty when you're feeling sick.

Iron

Iron is needed for the formation of blood and to transport oxygen to cells. Maternal blood volume increases about 25 percent during pregnancy so increased iron intake is important. Iron from animal sources (heme iron) is more easily absorbed than iron from plant sources (nonheme iron). To aid your body’s absorption of nonheme iron, eat vitamin C-rich foods with iron-rich plant foods. Soaking and/or sprouting grains, legumes, and nuts helps to make the minerals more absorbable. It is also beneficial to cook in cast-iron pans.
The tannins in coffee and black tea decrease iron absorption so it’s best to avoid them. Drink herbal teas, especially red raspberry leaf and nettle teas, which supply minerals. Iron needs decrease when you are lactating and not experiencing a menstrual cycle.

Good sources of iron: Amaranth, blackstrap molasses, beans and legumes, dark leafy green vegetables, dried fruit, fortified cereal, nettle tea, nuts, quinoa, sea vegetables (especially hiziki), seeds (especially pumpkin and sunflower), tofu

Iron Booster Tonic
This iron-rich tea helps to prevent anemia. The recipe makes enough for several days. Keep leftovers refrigerated and reheat as needed.

3 tablespoons dried nettle leaves
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried red raspberry leaves
2 tablespoons dried peppermint leaves

Place herbs in 1-quart, heatproof jar. Fill with boiling water. Cover and infuse at least 8 hours.

Makes 1 quart

Ginger-Lentil Soup
Lentils are a good source of iron and the kale or cabbage supplies vitamin C to aid absorption. Ginger and kombu make the lentils more digestible. Don’t worry if you can’t finish the whole pot in one meal; this soup tastes even better the second (or third) day.

1 cup lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 strip kombu (optional)
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
1 onion, minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups chopped kale or green cabbage
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons ginger juice (page xxx) or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso

Place lentils, rice, kombu, bay leaf, and water in large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil while chopping vegetables. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots and continue to simmer (covered) for 30 to 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil as this will destroy the beneficial enzymes in the miso.

Makes 8 servings

High-Protein Porridge
This cereal is a good source of IRON and B vitamins, as well as protein. Serve it with blackstrap molasses for extra iron and calcium.

1/3 cup quinoa
1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup amaranth
5 cups water
Pinch sea salt
1/4 cup flax or sesame seeds, ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional)

Rinse quinoa. Place grains, water, and sea salt in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent cereal from sticking to bottom of pan. Stir in ground seeds and spices.

Makes 4 servings

Meal Shake
This smoothie is a powerhouse of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

2 tablespoons raw almonds or cashews
1 tablespoon raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy) or kefir
1/4 cup juice (apple, pineapple, etc.)
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil or 1 tablespoon chia gel (page xxx)
1/4 teaspoon spirulina powder (optional)

Place nuts and seeds in blender and grind to powder. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.

Makes 2 servings

Good luck - hope you feel better soon.

[the_lissa]

Do you cook with a cast iron pan?

[tanyalynn]

Are you sure you're okay on B12? Consider adding a sublingual? Anemia can be affected by poor B12 status as well, and I don't know the names of the tests that would distinguish between that and iron (or if it's a combo).

[phytoangel]

hey mama! i am feeling ya. i had problems after i gave birth to dd, but maintained during pregnancy. i would suggest a good b12, probiotics, alfalfa and spirulina. definitely look into the probiotic thing along with b12. bad gut absorption will really negate any of your iron efforts, but you can build it back up with the probiotics and b12.

good luck!

[pimama]

I was also very anemic during my pregnancy. My naturopath had me come into her office for weekly shots of iron ( I forget the name) and I also took Hematic Response daily. I couldn't take the Floradix and am also a vegan.
Hope this help!!

[eepster]

Do you eat eggs? You could do free range organic egg yolks.

If you don't have blood sugar issues, then prunes are a good idea during pregnancy. They have iron, but also keep your bowels moving, which might make your digestive system more comfortable.

[Equuskia]

Early in my pregnancy when I was nauseous, I found that taking alfalfa and ginger supplements really helped the nauseous feeling.

[atlantafemme]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I was waiting on my updated test results to respond. After 4 weeks of daily Floradix and slow FE iron (prescribed by my midwife), my iron levels actually DROPPED. Ugh. Huge bummer.

So now, I'm taking a heavier-duty (as in like 100mg) supplement, eating my iron-rich veg foods, and hoping for the best. I feel like taking anything else on top of that would be overload b/c 100 mg already seems like overload... but I'll keep all your suggestions in mind.

Thanks again.

[apartautonomous]

all of these suggestions here are wonderful.
have you tried/heard of liquid chlorophyll? anemic vegan that struggled through my recent pregnancy here....until i took both the liquid and pill form of it a few times a day and my levels went up through to labour and birth. pm me for more info. if you're interested.

[mumbot]

Probably the worst advice I've seen on several posts listed on these boards about VEG pregnancies and IRON deficiency is that so many people are saying to take your iron supplements with calcium fortified orange juice and to eat calcium rich foods, etc. NEVER TAKE IRON AND CALCIUM AT THE SAME TIME!!! They bind together and your body will barely absorb either of them! Regular orange juice or anything high in vitamin C is recommended to take with iron for optimal absorption (best to take the LIQUID IRON by Floradix to avoid constipation). Take your calcium at least an hour later... make sure you are not combining the two!! I had a successful vegan pregnancy keeping this in mind with no signs of anemia.

[lookatreestar]

Originally Posted by apartautonomous 

all of these suggestions here are wonderful.
have you tried/heard of liquid chlorophyll? anemic vegan that struggled through my recent pregnancy here....until i took both the liquid and pill form of it a few times a day and my levels went up through to labour and birth. pm me for more info. if you're interested.

yup, i also did the chlorophyll (along with floradix) and it got my iron back up after birth.

[sagewinna]

After my miscarriage I was anemic and my midwife had me on Hemoplex suppliments. They are really high in B-12 ad well as iron and other good things, and she said she's had better results with that than with Floradix.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by mumbot 

Probably the worst advice I've seen on several posts listed on these boards about VEG pregnancies and IRON deficiency is that so many people are saying to take your iron supplements with calcium fortified orange juice and to eat calcium rich foods, etc. NEVER TAKE IRON AND CALCIUM AT THE SAME TIME!!! They bind together and your body will barely absorb either of them! Regular orange juice or anything high in vitamin C is recommended to take with iron for optimal absorption (best to take the LIQUID IRON by Floradix to avoid constipation). Take your calcium at least an hour later... make sure you are not combining the two!! I had a successful vegan pregnancy keeping this in mind with no signs of anemia.

None of the posts in this thread suggest taking calcium at all, and this thread is so old that I'm sure the OP has resolved the problem by now and had her baby.

[mumbot]

Yeah, I was referring more to some of the Anemia posts I saw on the forums in general - true this is an old post, so it was just a suggestion for anyone looking up advice and finding one of these posts.

[BeanyMama]

I take the Hema-Plex iron by Nature's Plus. It's hard to find- my mw brings it to me! It's awesome because it is veg-derived iron, plus Bs and magnesium sans calcium and some other stuff. It's also gentle on my belly and digestive system. It works way better than Floradix for me and makes a huge difference.