If your ferritin and haemoglobin levels are low in pregnancy, you may be offered an iron infusion to boost them. This iron helps your body to make red blood cells, which are important for carrying oxygen through your body. You will likely only be offered an iron infusion if you have tried oral iron and it’s not working or you cannot tolerate the side effects.
In Horowhenua and ManawatÅ«, iron infusions are generally carried out at Te Papaioea Birthing Centre in Palmerston North or KÅhungahunga Maternity Unit in Levin. If you need to come to the Antenatal Day Unit in Birthing Suite at the hospital for other reasons, an iron infusion can be carried out there.
For an iron infusion, you will need to have a cannula (a thin plastic tube) inserted into a vein, which can be uncomfortable or painful. Once this is inserted, it will be flushed with a small amount of saline, and then the infusion will be run over 20-30 minutes. Once it is finished, the line will be flushed with saline again and then the cannula can be removed from your vein. The process takes around an hour in total.
An iron infusion is not an instant fix – it will take around two weeks for you to start feeling the effects of the extra iron, as it takes your body a while to make more red blood cells.
There is a risk of skin staining with an iron infusion – if the iron gets out of your vein, then it can leave a mark on your skin. This is uncommon but can happen.