Iron supplements...Question?

Question

My doc said I should take an iron supplement (he said it a long time ago but I forgot until he asked about it at my last appt...yikes! I lied and said I had been taking them because I didn't want to admit I forgot!)

But anyway, I bought some iron supplements that are 65mg....In my prenatals there is 28mg of Iron. Does this seem like too much iron? I know it is dangerous to take too much but any experiences? He said something about prenatals and the supplements but I can't remember, and I can't call until tomorrow. (I am sure he is done hearing from me anyway!) Has anyone taken Iron supplements with prenatals and have advice? Thanks! I am 38 weeks btw.

Answer 1

Before you take iron supplements, note they aren't all equal, not just in mgs but in type of iron.  You want ferrous gluconate or ferrous fumarate to work best in your body.

The best sources for iron are from foods.

Black strap Molasses is a very good source.  My friend was anemic with one of her last pregnancies, and her midwife had her take a TBSP per day of Black strap.  Available at Whole Foods stores.

Other sources are:

Almonds (raw), avocados, leafy greens, broccoli, beets, eggs, raisins, peaches, pears, dulse, prunes, dates, whole wheat breads and pastas, poultry, red meat, lima and kidney beans, lentils, and herbs like  Nettle, dandelion, red raspberry leaf, rose hips, sarsaparilla, peppermint, lemon grasslicorice (the herb, not the candy (0; sorry).

Add as many of these to your diet as possible per day and you will do fine, plus it carries no risk of iron overdose which is actually very harmful for you!

Congratulations on your expected arrival!

:0)

Answer 2

i had to take iron supplements first trimester bc im anemic but i got off them bc they made me super sick but i never got back on them.. but i dont think i would take them until you ask your dr. better safe then sorry!!  

Answer 3

that depends on if the doctor has you taking the supplement and a prenat or if he is giving you a prenat with iron (like my wife had)

my wife had a low iron count and was told that it could be bad for her or the baby if her levels became too low

your baby takes his vitamins out of you so your going to need to becareful stay hydratied and take your supplements

Answer 4

I'm with Monica; the best and safest sources for iron are from foods. If you are already getting some supplemental from your prenatal I would just try to get the rest from diet. The daily recommended amount of iron is 18mg for non-pregnant women and 27mg for pregnant women but I don't know about those with anemia. You can follow what Monica said for foods and herb usage, all are safe during pregnancy unless you are at a high risk for miscarriage in which case you probably shouldn't use red raspberry leaf. I'm a vegetarian so I probably get most of my iron from beans (I really love bean burritos) but beef (remember a serving of beef is only a small amount) and dark greens are also good sources.