17/08/2025
If all we did was support a mother’s iron, that would be a big win.
Iron is foundational to all women — and of paramount importance in preconception, pregnancy, and post-partum in my clinic, it’s a non-negotiable.
It’s not just about energy (though that matters).
It’s about oxygen delivery, mental clarity, sleep, detox, hormone production, neurotransmitters, insulin sensitivity — and a mother’s ability to function.
But too often, I hear mothers repeat the same lines they were told in a doctor’s office:
“You’re only slightly anaemic.”
“It’s low, but it could be worse.”
This minimising needs to stop.
Iron deficiency is the disease.
Anaemia is just the end stage.
As Mr Toby Richards (Australian Vascular Surgeon and world leading authority on iron) puts it:
“Once someone is becoming anaemic, they’re already experiencing bone marrow failure.”
Ferritin under 25? That’s not “low normal” — it’s a red flag.
And low iron before birth increases the risk of postpartum blood loss, no matter the delivery type.
Most over-the-counter iron supplements are poorly absorbed (around 5%).
We may need to rethink what we call “adequate” — and how long we’re willing to wait.
Iron is the first square in the game of hopscotch that is maternal recovery. Everything else builds from there.
I go into the topic of Iron more in my newsletter.
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