iron

I am anemic, I've always been anemic. But I had no idea how it effects me until this week. So we go to the Feast and I take my iron supplements. (I can't very well explain how iron effects hemoglobin and how that determines anemia...I just know I have weak blood and to get stronger blood I have to take iron which makes strong hemoglobin). I forget one of them, but no biggy...I'll be fine, right? Wrong. The Feast will wear anyone out, but I was just ridiculously tired the whole time.

Here's the scenario: my first blood test at 20 weeks read 9.8 (it has to be a 10). Easy to get up - just implement a couple supplements (Floradix, which is iron and B vitamins, and Chloroxygen, which is concentrated nettle.) Around 32 weeks it read 8.6. (Blood volume is increasing, no biggy...keep up with the supplements.) Then at 37 weeks (last Thursday) it read 7.8. This is not 2 days after we got back from the Feast. The reason it has to be a 10 is because I am very high risk for hemorrhage if it's not at least that. That, of course, would mean no homebirth. Needless to say, I was freaking out a little. There's nothing like having your plans and hopes and dreams crushed. That may sound dramatic, but I really do feel like I am in for the most exhillirating and rewarding experience of my physical life. So my midwives freak out a little and tell me everything I need to do, including discussing with my boss cutting back and figuring out my last day.

This is the new regiment:
homeopathic (ferrus phosphoricum) before anything wets my tongue (this will make the iron assimilate better)
15 minutes later Cranactin & Acidopholus
15 minutes later Chloroxygen & Floradix
breakfast consisting of 2 tablespoons of molasses on something & an egg
tea containing nettle
lunch with protein and high iron foods
walk home from work
Chloroxygen & Floradix
snack high in iron
Chloroxygen & Floradix
dinner high in iron
another brisk, preferably longer, walk
nettle tea

After 4 days of the regiment, I am feeling so much better. I had no idea how trying to control my iron levels would make a difference. Feeling and being are two different things. So we go to our next appointment this evening, and my iron is at what? 10.3. Yeah, and my midwives weren't sure it was possible to get it up in 4 days. My energy levels are not quite where they need to be. But I can vouche for the fact that walking and having appropriate iron levels is invigorating.

As of today, we are back on board, ready for the homebirth. There was a slight scare that I may have a placenta previa, as the baby really hadn't descended at all into the pelvic region -- he's just a-sittin' high, making me measure a 41 from time to time. But by today he had descended a bit and is headed in the right direction.