Blood Count at 28 Weeks, But why Now?

	Your result	Standard range	Units
WBC COUNT	8.0	3.5 - 12.5	K/uL
Red blood cells count	3.71	3.60 - 5.70	M/uL
Hgb	10.9	11.5 - 15.0	g/dL
Hematocrit	32.9	34.0 - 46.0	%
MCV	89	80 - 100	fL
RDW, RBC	13.0	12.0 - 16.5	%
Platelets count	235	140 - 400	K/uL

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Notice the two low blood result? Both Hemoglobin and Hematocrit

That means that I’m slightly anemic which is a common condition that occurs during pregnancy.  Here are some common symptoms of anemia:

Fatigue and feeling weak all the time
Pale skin
Recurrent headaches, ranging from mild to severe
Feeling dizzy and unable to do any work
A feeling of numbness or coldness in the hands and legs
Irregular and rapid heartbeats
Body temperature tends to lower
Mild chest pain
Shortness of breath
Becoming irritable
Pica, or an abnormal craving to eat weird things like clay, paint, mud and sometimes even ice
Tingling sensation in the palms and feet

I’ve been having mild headaches and fatigue. You might point out my pale skin but that’s just my European heritage!

Taking a low dose iron supplement is the best way to treat anemia. Unfortunately, this can be difficult if you are already experiencing nausea.  I recommend, and am taking, Sweet Herb Medicinals’ liquid iron. It tends to be more easily tolerated by women with morning sickness. Capsules are great for women who aren’t dealing with this annoying problem! 

http://www.sweetherbmedicinals.com 

However, if you are only a few points off  (in my case 32.9 instead of 34 and 10.9 instead of 11.5) it can be managed by eating iron-rich foods.

Here are a few great ones to add to your diet:

1.  Spinach

2.  Red meat

3.  Nuts: pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds

4.  Chicken liver

5.  Tofu

6.  Broccoli

7.  Eggs