Hellllooooo Anemia

Another reason why things have been going downhill around here lol...

I went to have some blood tests last week, I have a dodgy thyroid (hypothyroid) so I need to have my levels checked every 4-6 weeks during pregnancy, to make sure I am taking enough for the baby as well as myself. My midwife also wanted me to have iron studies done, and antibodies screening and all that jazz. Especially as I have been so tired and faint.

Got the bloods back, my thyroid is behaving itself impecably! Which is fabulous. I am on a lesser dose now than I was before I even fell pregnant with LM. And half the dose I was on by this stage of pregnancy with LM. I have not had to up the dose yet which is fantastic. It means what thyroid function I have is actually improving by the looks of it!

But my iron levels where severly low. Apparently I am severley anemic. Which is REALLY bad, especially as I am planning to homebirth. But thank goodness for this new GP and my midwife, as without them both, I would not even know. The hospital checked only one level of my iron about 2.5 months back, and it was showing as perfectly fine. And the latest pathology request was not even going to check it. Useless bastards...

So I was sent off with orders to take fefol 3 times a day (with vit c of course ;) to help absorbption) tuck into the steak and other iron rich foods (sorry, I just can't face liver and kidneys *blergh*) to hopefully build my stores in time for the birth.

Let's hope I can do it!

I started yesterday arvo, after buying my sup's, by taking fefol with a boost juice of apple/orange/beetroot and carrot. Last night I ate a load of alfalfa, a steak (which smelt and TASTED divine! First time this pregnancy... I have had a severe meat aversion) with a fresh orange juice, and took another fefol. Then had some dried apricots for desert. This morning I had a green smoothy with my fefol.

This Mornings Green Smoothie Recipe....

Generous handful of spinach
1 frozen banana
1/8 of a rockmelon
Juice of one Orange
Sprig of Tarragon
1 Raw egg
Water
2 Heaped Teaspoons "BowelBiotics+" (to help counteract the effects of the amount of iron I am taking, plus this product has probiotics in it (metamucil or just plain psyllium husks would so the same otherwise) which I have read is important in 3rd trimester for the baby, to help develop their gut flora and help prevent things like eczema, which has been a major problem with LM)

Tastes AWESOME! Rockmelon and Tarragon together taste like licorice allsorts ;) Lovely together in salad's too!

The orange juice has to be fresh, I am finding bottled juices give me really bad reflux. But if it is fresh, there are no issue's. I think it has something to do with acid/alkaline forming foods. I need to look into this more. But I suspect that bottled juices (talking organic, no additive stuff) turns into an acid forming food as it is allowed to sit. Where as fresh squeezed has not had time, and so remains alkaline forming, so long as it is consumed immediately.

I have also cut gluten (which I should have done for my thyroid a long time ago... but that is another story) and dairy, as they have both been causing really bad reflux. I wish I had known about this stuff when I was pregnant with LM, as I had to take prescription drugs to keep the reflux in check with her. Most people get a bit of reflux late pregnancy, but this is on a completely different plane. Nothing worked for it. At all. And it was HORRENDOUS. I still get a little bit of reflux (what pregnant woman doesn't?) but it is manageable and barable. And if it is getting a bit too full on (ie- I ate way too much lol) a rennie will help. So nice to know I wont have to resort to major drugs this time... and even those where not helping by the end with LM. But I refused to take anything harsher.

Belly~Dweller is getting bigger by the day :) Lots of rolling, I love him to bits already, even when he kicks me in the ribs all night like the night before last :P Looking forward to meeting this little person on his birthday!

Anyway, off to have my walk (to help with the blood pressure) and then a little rest :P

Keep your fingers crossed for my iron levels please!!!!