You’re doing what you’ve been told: Taking iron pills. Eating greens. Adding jaggery to your meals.
And still, your blood test says: anemia during pregnancy. You stare at the report and think what more am I supposed to do?
Turns out, there’s a little more to it than just swallowing tablets.
Not All Iron Gets Absorbed
Let’s start here, iron doesn’t work like a painkiller. You can’t just take it and assume it’s doing its job.
Did you know tea and coffee actually block iron absorption?
Even milk, if taken too close to your pill, can cancel out its effect. And if you’re taking it with your lunch or dinner the other minerals might be getting in the way too.
Try this: take your tablet on an empty stomach, with a squeeze of lemon or a glass of orange juice. Vitamin C acts like a booster.
Maybe It's Not Iron At All
Yep. Not all anemia is from iron deficiency. A lot of women especially those on vegetarian diets struggle with low B12 or folate. And no amount of iron can fix that.
Sometimes, it’s your gut. If you’ve been constipated, inflamed, or just not digesting well you may not be absorbing anything properly, not just iron.
This is where a proper pregnancy diet plan helps. One that balances iron, B12, folate, protein, and fiber not just whatever Google says is “good for pregnancy.”
Blood Loss You Didn’t Notice?
Here’s something nobody tells you:
Tiny, slow, internal bleeding (like from hemorrhoids or even a low-lying placenta) can make your hemoglobin crash and you won’t even feel it happening. So if you’re still tired despite all efforts, ask your doctor to double-check that angle. At Flowrence Hospital, we’ve seen this more often than you’d think.
Last But Not Least The Iron Itself
Some tablets are hard to absorb. Some don’t suit your body. If your stomach feels weird after taking them, or your constipation got worse that’s a sign. There are liquids, injectables, and alternate forms available. You just need someone to listen to your symptoms and guide you right.
Flowrence Cares, Beyond the Report
We don’t look at your hemoglobin and say, “Just increase your dose.” We look at why it's not working.
Because you deserve more than the basics. You deserve care that listens to your body’s silence.
Being pregnant is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to drag through it feeling weak. Let’s get your energy back the right way.
