If you have a big bleed (postpartum haemorrhage) at birth of more than 500mL, you may be offered a blood test at least six hours after birth to see what your haemoglobin levels are. If the results show a haemoglobin level of 80-100g/L, then you may be offered an iron infusion to help your body build back the red blood cells you lost. If you are offered an iron infusion after birth, the team at the hospital will carry this out while you are an inpatient.
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.