Has anyone gotten IV iron infusions for anemia while pregnant?

[To-Fu]

I've got three IV infusion sessions coming up and I'm wondering about what to expect and when I can get some of my energy/health back. I'm 32 weeks along today, so it really could come soon enough.

Has anyone else done this? How was it? When did you start noticing a difference?

[theoldmommers]

Hi, To-Fu. I haven't had this, but a friend who is due about a week after me is in the same situation. She was told that it will take a couple of weeks to feel the effects. However, I saw her about a week after she completed the treatment and her color was better and she seemed much perkier. She has other health issues so maybe you'll feel it yourself sooner. She also said that the treatment itself was no big deal. I thought it might be a bit icky.

[jocelyndale]

Not while pregnant--but oh, how I wanted one. I was flirting with the level where my hematologist would consider it, but she decided to wait until postpartum. And yes, I always notice increased energy and function (appetite, less breathlessness, alertness) a few days after my levels get up to reasonable numbers.

[To-Fu]

Thanks so much. Sounds like good news so far. It's so late in pregnancy and I really don't want to gamble and spend the rest of the time fighting to get my iron levels up.

Any more input would be so appreciated!

[Heinleinesque]

I wasn't pregnant when I had my iron transfusion, but the doctor told me it would take about a week to feel the effects. In reality, I felt like a million bucks within just a couple days. (I credit the infusion with giving me the energy to get my health under control and enabling me to conceive. I had been trying, while battling severe anemia, for ten years.) Now I'm pregnant and my iron is plummeting and I'm considering doing it again.

[jocelyndale]

My hematologist was hesitant to do an infusion while I was pregnant because of the risk of anaphylaxis. I have a history of anaphylaxis (foods, latex), which makes her a bit more careful/watchful when I have IV iron. She didn't want to risk it while I was pregnant. She was also only willing to do it before the third trimester, for whatever reason.

As I said, I was really wanting one. They just make me feel so awesome.

[lilhippie7]

i had 25 iv iron infusions back in 98 in the 2 month of my pregnacy with my son, at the time we didnt know i had a tumor in my abdomen that had been causing multi misscarriges, but a hemotoligist got a hold of my records and offered to do these iv iron infustions with risk to my unborn child, which at that point didnt really scare me i wanted my lil boy. it saved my pregnacy my son is 13 now, how ever during the pregnacy his femur bones where not normal size, I went through alot of test for dwarfism, they checked his heart too it turns out that he was born club foot in both feet, it was severe, there was not talk about wether or not the iv iron infusions had caused this. I did carry him breech the entire time and club feet they still dont know the cause. i hope this helps i am sharing the info of the scares to my unborn child not to scare you, my sons feet were corrected by one of the best surgeons in Indpls. Indiana of riley hospital for children. wether or not the iv iron infusions where a cause i honestly never got an answer. my son is a healthy 13 year old and never have i regretted taken those treatment. now they did break them down due to me being pregnant so each day for 5 weeks, they put 100 mg of iron in, so they had to do it slowly. i hope this helps:) good luck:)