Pregnancy diary week 31 – anaemia
So I remember being quite tired in the third trimester of both my previous pregnancies, but this time round the overwhelming need to sleep has taken me by surprise. I feel so exhausted I can barely walk from the bed to the bathroom without suspecting that I might keel over. Climbing up the stairs leaves me ridiculously breathless. Getting the kids into the car is a mission that seems to drain all my strength before we’ve even gone anywhere. And the school run is taking three times longer than usual as I seem to have developed the walking pace of a sloth.
Partly this is due to Pippin having grown to a size where my lungs are now a bit on the squashed size. I also didn’t have two boisterous children to look after in my previous pregnancies, or an hour long commute into work.
But then – out grabbing a few essentials from Sainsbury’s, I passed out at the checkout.
Luckily for me, the Sainsbury’s staff were very helpful and as I sat recovering on a chair with my head spinning, I was glad to see Bubby D was sitting happily in the trolley stuffing her face with a sweet and my shopping had all been bagged up ready for me. ‘This can’t be right’ I said. ‘I’d better go and speak to the Doctor’.
Which is when the doctor actually called me, and told me that there was an anomaly in my 28 week blood tests – and could I come into the surgery?
‘Would this anomaly cause passing out, breathlessness, my heart going all racey and extreme levels of tiredness?’ I asked.
Turns out yes. I’m a bit anaemic, and that means that not enough oxygen is getting around my system which explains all the weird symptoms I’ve been experiencing. Upping my iron levels should hopefully sort out all the issues I’ve been having and put me back onto the usual scale of breathlessness and exhaustion.
It’s a relief to know there’s a reason, and that I’m not just being worn into the ground!
Plus, luckily for me I really like spinach 🙂
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