What to expect from an iron infusion during pregnancy

So they told you to enjoy pregnancy, to rest up as much as you can because once bub arrives you’ll be changing nappies and feeding them every 2 hours.

The thing is that not every mom gets to enjoy pregnancy, especially when they are working full time and not feeling 100%. Sounds familiar?

With both Sydney’s and this pregnancy, on top of everything else, I have been experiencing low iron. This is actually quite common, because the baby sucks literally everything from their mum’s body. There are instance though, when you may end up being anemic – or like me, with very low ferritin and somewhat decent hemoglobin, and still feel like you have been hit by a train on a regular basis.

Usually, the first thing your GP or specialist will do is recommending you start taking iron supplements. Easy.

In my instance though, as soon as the supplements have kicked in, I started to experience the worse hyperemesis symptoms all over again so guess what? I had to stop.

Last week, after yet another trip to the anti-natal clinic of my local hospital for IV fluids, the doctors realised that maybe an iron infusion would help me feeling a bit better overall and I was finally referred to have one yesterday.

What do you need to do to prepare for an iron infusion? Literally almost nothing, just ensure you have plenty of fluids before hand to make it easy to find a vein, bring some snacks, a book or a pair of headphones if you wish. You’ll be sitting on a chair for about 2-3 hours, so some entertainment might help.

They’ll check bub heart rate to start with, to ensure they are happy and fine.

Then, the doctor or nurse will inform you of the possible side effects, which apparently are quite rare, that are staining of the skin if the canula isn’t inserted well and other things such as vomiting, itchiness, hot flashes, etc.

They will start off with a slow release to ensure you are not experiencing any of the above. If you are, do let them know straight away. They will also monitor and record your blood pressure and temperature regularly.

You might also be advised to stop taking any iron supplements, if you are taking any, for a week.

Finally, they will check bub’s heart rate again and you are good to go.

If everything goes as planned, you will start ‘feeling better’ within one to two weeks from the infusion.

I personally don’t feel any different 24 hours later, but I will let you know in a couple of weeks.

EDIT on 16/10/2023

48 hours after the infusion I experienced one of the worst migraine ever and my body felt quite “achy”.

A week later I still didn’t feel too much of an improvement.

Today, two weeks later, I can say that I don’t feel as dizzy and light-headed anymore and that the infusion has definitely made a difference on my energy level. The nausea and all that jazz hasn’t improved, but I’d imagine that is due to suffering hyperemesis gravidarum which is still hanging around with its symptoms.

Please note that this is my personal experience and that we are all different. Therefore, we might be experiencing different symptoms or side effects, and you should seek professional medical advice to assess your personal situation.