About a month after I gave birth I started experiencing frequent headaches, and then the fatigue started setting in. I never really gave it much thought, as I was sure that it was just part of the normal new-parent fatigue topped with the fact that I had two older boys to take care of as well.
Lately I started getting dizzy spells, and this is when I became worried that something was wrong. I tried to get an appointment at our local health clinic, but the earliest one they have is in February. I got the appointment just in case. They advised me to go to the ER, if the dizziness became worse. I have no intention of going to the ER though, as I am almost positive that it is iron-deficiency anemia. I have never had a problem with this before, but since I am a vegetarian and I am nursing, it seems like it could be the likely problem.
For the past couple of days I have been trying to cook with a consciousness of making the foods more iron rich. I have also been better at taking my vitamins, but I am considering adding iron supplements. Apparently drinking fruit juice, when eating will help with the iron-absorbancy, so I save the water for in between meals, and my occasional diet coke has been completely banned.
I got the following from Webmd:
It used to be called "iron-poor blood," but now we know it as anemia. Whatever you call it, one way to help treat it is to eat foods rich in iron (most doctors recommend taking a supplement, too).
To boost the amount of iron in your diet, try these foods:
- Red meat
- Egg yolks
- Dark, leafy greens (spinach, collards)
- Dried fruit (prunes, raisins)
- Iron-enriched cereals and grains (check the labels)
- Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops)
- Turkey or chicken giblets
- Beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans
- Liver
- Artichokes
And here's a tip: If you eat iron-rich foods along with foods that provide plenty of vitamin C, your body can better absorb the iron.
So far I have been strictly breastfeeding the baby, but he is almost four months and showing signs of food readiness, so I am now going to begin to introduce baby cereal, which is iron fortified. I know he is already getting iron from his vitamins, but since he seems very interested, when we eat I might as well get him started on the baby food.
Have you ever had iron-deficiency anemia? If so what were your symptoms, and how fast did you get back on track?
Do you have any iron-rich vegetarian food dishes.
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Comments: 36
I hope your problems are just from low iron, and aren't something more serious. Good luck.
Can I also gently encourage you to get a medical opinion, too? Your symptoms could be the sign of something more serious, and you have your family depending on you. Hope you are feeling better soon!
I had less than half the needed iron in my blood when I was checked - can't remember exactly what it was, this was 13 yrs. ago.
My cause was internal bleeding, so surgery stopped it. However, re-building my strength took a year - of course, it was slowed due to the major surgery.
I ate a lot of meat, dark veggies, and eggs, but I still had to have an iron supplement for about 4 months.
I hope you feel better soon! Maybe if it gets worse before your appointment, you can use one of those urgent care "MD Now" type clinics. It would cost far less than the ER.
I honestly think I have it still because I'm constantly dealing with headaches and tiredness, bordering on exhaustion. I know taking care of three kids is hard but it has to be more than that! The doctors have always just said to eat more iron-rich foods but never really gave me more info on how to cope with it. Craving spinach, berries and orange juice makes sense though- my body must be in much need of vitamin C and iron!
Another thing that contributes to low energy and fatigue is something quite common to most of us and many of us don't know it. Vitamin D deficiency. The first time I was tested it was so low it barely registered. Seriously, if it hadn't been tested when it was, I doubt very much if I would even still be here. Check out Dr. Mercola's site and use his search engine to find the archive articles about vitamin D. He has more information than you can possibly read all of, but make sure you check about which is the right vitamin D test to have. I can't think of it right off hand. There are two tests, and he mentions which one is most important or most ideal to have for accuracy. Anyway, you want your levels to be between 50 and 80 to be at the optimal level. It's better for your overall immune system, which is critical, regardless of what your personal feelings about getting vaccinations. Your vitamin D levels are actually more critical than all of those vaccinations overall.
Iron and vitamin D. Next would be vitamin B 12. It matters which kind you supplement with. Naturally, it's best to get your nutrition from your food, but you'll find as you get older that it is still essential to supplement in addition to eating a well-balanced diet. Low B12 will also effect your energy and fatigue levels.
My stored iron (ferratin) was 1, and that is very bad. I'm feeling much better now that I had the transfusion.
I also take iron supplements & a B-Complex supplement. The B vitamins, especially b-12 really help with energy.
I can't believe they are making you wait until February! I would try to get in somewhere else just in case.
I had become really bad at remembering to take my prenatal vitamins after
I gave birth, but from now on that will have to change. I'm going to see if it gets better, and if not I will go to one of the urgent care centers. I am keeping my February appointment though, as a check up won't hurt.
Continue making sure you are eating as many iron rich foods as you can, especially as snacks- keeping dried fruit on hand, for instance, when you take your long walks and nibbling off it as you walk will help.
If you like nuts, Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame, & Tahini are all high in iron foods, also great for snacking.
This link also includes Vegetarian Iron Rich Foods:
http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/iron.html