So our lovely nurse called yesterday with results from friday's bloodwork. The wife's hemoglobin was a 9 (they really like it if you stay above 10). We knew this would probably happen because she has a blood disorder called thalessemia minor, which means that her red blood cells don't bind iron well. So simply taking iron doesn't really do anything. The nurse instructed us to take iron threetimes a day, which is a lot of iron for someone who won't absorb it anyway. We are thinking that perhaps they forgot she has thalassemia and are going to call tomorrow to request an appointment with a hematologist. We are not overly concerned. Her iron has been this low even without bring pregnant and with all the production of new blood cells during the last week or so, we figured it might happen.
It sure explains why she has been overly tired for even a pregnant person and why she has been craving hamburgers and steak (we don't eat red meat more than a handful of times per year). I'm seeing a lot of hamburgers in my near future.
1 day ago
4 comments:
i wouldn't wait on the nurse to call you I'd call her.
Several women who were/are strict vegetarians spoke of craving foods that were not part of their regular diet like chicken and red meats. I think things went back to normal after the pregnancy:)
We did call her. She's going to have our ob call us back. Until then, we will take some supplements, but not the originally suggested amount as it may be toxic when unabsorbed.
What about Geritol? Doesn't that have iron in liquid form? Would that be absorbable?
Hope they call you back soon!
It's not as much a matter of absorption as it is of binding to the blood cells. Iron supplements do not typically work for those with thalassemia. We are seeing a hemotologist in about 2 weeks (the soonest they can get us in)...but likely the result will be that she'll have to try and eat iron-rich foods (which work better than supplements...and we've tried geritol in the past) and may need a blood-transfusion during childbirth. Her aunt had a few when she gave birth...so we'll see.
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