neither iron nor maiden

[susie_flo]

Dear Fiends...  besides nomming down on blood red steak, what is the best way to get iron?   I think I might be deficient because I'm feeling way more tired than I should be at 22 weeks.  Am a veritable shell of a woman.  (Will I feel better after eating a full bag of spinach, watercress and rocket all to myself?)

I left work slightly early today and managed to get a seat on the tube (wonders!)  ... about 3 seconds later I entered the land of nod and was terribly disappointed to be shaken awake at Richmond station when I thought I was all cosy in bed.

So I have purchased meals-of-semi-readiness from Tesco Finest and I think I might convince G to just flop down and watch some televisual delights with me this evening.   Obv not real telly...   which is offering Top Gear and a reality show where Michel Roux trains waiters.  Even BBC4, which can usually be relied upon for unexpected interest, is stretching things tonight with a documentary on the invention of the shipping container.   

But we do at least have Monday's Uni C recorded and I also quite fancy another episode of The Killing, which is proving to be excellent but grim (hence we're not tending to watch them back-to-back).   Oh, but where is a new series of Misfits when I need it?  And, second-season-of-Archer...   why are you taking so long to be on British telly? 

Well -  I suppose that's enough exposure for my inner vacuum.  (Apologies that "tomorrow" didn't bring wit and springiness after all)

I shall just finish by saying that I Lol'd at this cartoon that Mr Vacuum sent me:  (look at the one on the bottom left)

Comments

[chiller.livejournal.com]

Lovely, lovely LIVER! Chicken livers, floured, with a few herbs and a bit of garlic salt and fresh garlic in the flour, then shallow-fried until crisp on the outside and creamy-smooth on the inside! Absolutely tons of iron.

Hope you feel better soon.x

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Eeeh... liver would be a bit of a leap for me, but I won't rule it out of nothing else works

[chiller.livejournal.com]

It's seriously yummy, but I appreciate that it's one of those things like porridge where, if you haven't grown up with it, it probably seems a bit awful.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

It's just that I've been pesci for so long I have forgotten what it is like to eat mammal or bird flesh. (I did used to love liver pate when I was a wee sprog, though)

[chiller.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe that's the way to go! But you're right, if you haven't eaten meat for a long while, for heaven's sake eat something bland like beef first.

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

Are you getting enough vitamin C? If you're deficient in vitamin C, you don't absorb iron properly, so an extra glass or two of OJ may help?

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Well it can't hurt to up my intake. I shall start tomorrow.

[sara-lou.livejournal.com]

Check http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search and see what comes up for what you want to eat per 100g. Otherwise, yes, fortified cereal. Ruprecht will have to go back to the AllBran! xx

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks - will take a look

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

You're right - it is recommending All Brsn to me!

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

Honestly? Speaking as someone with recurrent anaemia by far the best is to take proper iron tablets - ferrous sulphate fron the doctor which they won't give you unless you say the doctor has told you you're anaemic. Take them with vitamin C (half a redoxon washes it down nicely) avoiding food, milky drinks or caffeine for an hour before or after to give it the best chance to absorb. I tend to take one before bed because fitting it in during the day can be hard. Does make a difference though.

B6 helps absorb iron so it's worth supplementing with that too - though you can have that with food so it's less of an issue.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that - I am supposed to book a GP check up in 2 weeks, so I will bring it up then, and msybe try to eat better in the meantime.

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

Sorry, couldn't correct typo. You can get heavy duty iron tablets from the pharmacy. Or you could try taking Sanatogen (or another of those liquid vitamin supplements).

[green-badger.livejournal.com]

Ferrous sulphate is revolting stuff - it makes me feel really sick if I have it without food. Does work though.

Otherwise, red meat and seafood are the best sources (though not sure if you're allowed seafood when pregnant). And black treacle, and chocolate - oh the hardship. ;) xxx

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Someone has also warned me that strong iron supplements cause constipation.... which is already a side effect of pregnancy that I am unkeen to exacerbate (sorry for TMI!)

Time to experiment with a week of All Bran - oh the joy...

[green-badger.livejournal.com]

Hmm, they didn't for me, but did make me sick and give me an upset stomach. Nasty! I'd much rather get iron in food. Hope the All Bran helps. xxx

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Even BBC4, which can usually be relied upon for unexpected interest, is stretching things tonight with a documentary on the invention of the shipping container.

And a thing about waves!

Well, I thought it sounded interesting...


Are you sure you're anaemic? I had the impression that extreme tiredness can occur at any stage of sprog-carrying. Perhaps some sort of test would be in order before chowing down on liver & spinach? (yum!)

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

I was totslly knackered for the first 3 months, which is def normal - but my leaflets are teling me I should be all perky in the middle stage.

I confess I'm not really sure it is anaemia - just a guess, based on my pesc diet. I suppose it can't hurt to try and eat better anyway... (even if Ruprecht does keep insisting on tunnocks tea cakes)

[ms-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Fig roll biscuits and figs in general, and what everyone else has said.

Law and Order Criminal Intent with the truly fabulous Detective Goren C5 10pm and the lovely Jethro Gibbs in NCIS on C5 right now :-)

Been to photography talk this evening - got some top tips, will try and write it up tomorrow :-)

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love fig rolls!

(And look forward to hearing the photography tips)

[lazy-hoor.livejournal.com]

AFAIK Spatone is safe to take while preggers.

Also, I am led to believe that what you've described is a normal symptom of having a tiny creature leeching all your nutrients!

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Actually, that exhaustion is pretty normal. I was grindingly tired for the first 5 months of my pregnancy. Then, amazingly, it stopped.

Keep eating well. Lots of fresh leafy green veggies and red meat is good. Take your vitamins and sleep as much as you can.