What can happen with having low iron?

Question

hi people im 16 and due to have my baby girl Oceana in 9 days!

at the start of my pregnancy my iron level was 68 but then droped to 7 and is now droped even more to 3...i dont fully understand what can happen...i heard that ya can bleed to death after you give birth is that true? i have just started taking iron pills but it wont help in time for when bubs is born...what can happen to me? :(

Answer 1

are you positive its three?  if its that low, you shouldnt be able to sit up.  at all, and no im not joking.  mine was 4 and i had doctors coming to visit me because they couldnt believe i was awake and coherent enough to talk to them.  PLEASE make sure youre right.  and yes, it means you could bleed to death.  thats the worst case scenario, though.  most likely they will load you up with pitocin to get your uterus to contract as soon as possible which isnt a good thing either....

Answer 2

Are you sure it is at 3? Like the first poster said, that is way too low and you wouldn't be able to sit here and type if it was that low. I have been anemic since I was 11. About a year ago my iron level dropped to a 5, and that was with my taking 2 iron supplements per day. I had a blood transfusion done the very day that my levels were tested. At 5, mine were way too low, and it can be life-threatening. Since I was anemic before my pregnancy, I am currently taking 4 iron pills per day to keep my levels at a healthy rate.

Answer 3

If your doctors are aware of your low iron level they will mark you down as a high risk labor. You can but it is a very very very rare. Im on iron pills as well. with low iron it simply means that you will have to be monitored more carefully. My best friend quit taking her iron pills after going into preterm labor twice and she had a healthy labor and delivery the only thing was she had low iron afterwards and had to continue her medicine. It is dangerous but make sure make sure  that you tell them you have low iron and that youve only been put on iron pills recently!! Good luck to you both!

Answer 4

yes iron pills work as soon as your body digests them. no you wont bleed to death. you might feel more tiered. you should be just fine. congrats and good luck i was 15 when i had my oldest. it is a long hard road ahead.