The answer is a BIG YES! It is important to take iron and calcium tablets after delivery as well. If you are confused about which supplements I am referring to. I am speaking about the same supplements which you were asked to take during the second and third trimester of your pregnancy to meet the iron and calcium demands of your body. Before telling why you should take and what is the role of iron and calcium after delivery.

I have few questions to ask.

Do you feel tired the whole day? Are the bones above the knee hurting even if you stand just for few minutes? Does your back hurt just after 10 minutes of feeding your baby? Do you feel sleepy most of the time?

If your answer is yes, even for one of the above questions then I want to ask you one more question.

When was the last time you had your Iron and calcium tablets after delivery ?

If you have had your tablets on time even after delivery and still you have tiredness please do a blood test to know if you have any deficiency. If not, then before you tell your answer to defend yourself for why you could not take the iron and calcium tablets after delivery. Let me share my experience and I hope, it helps you understand the importance of taking Iron and calcium supplements especially when you are still breastfeeding your baby.

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My story of ignoring my body completely…

This incident happened two months after lockdown to say precisely somewhere in the mid of June 2020. I’m a 30-year-old mother of 15 months young baby girl. I had a normal delivery and my doctor had advised me to continue with Iron and calcium tablets after delivery till I breastfeed my baby but she never told me the reason behind it.

iron and calcium tablets after delivery are important

I had the Iron and calcium supplements for a month irregularly and after that, I completely ignored it or say could not eat it on time due to postpartum issues initially and then all my attention was towards the baby.

I use to be tired most of the time I thought that’s how the body will be after delivery. I was in mom’s place for the first 6 months. It was all was good…

The Tiring Travels

Then I had to travel to my in-laws’ place and again back to mom’s place and then again back to Pune. I reside in Pune currently. I use to get tired easily and then I thought. It’s because of the weather, travel.

Not even a second, I thought it could be because of some issue in my body that I’m feeling tired this often.

Tiring flight travels after delivery

Coming to Pune in February, it was only 3 of us and within a month lockdown started. Having a 9-month-old at home I used to do all the chores and hubby guy use to share some of the work how much ever he could but still there was lot to do.

The Starting point of the Painful Journey

By the end of February, I started developing slight pain in my arms and gradually the pain started increasing and I ignored it, as usual, thinking it’s a common pain as I’m doing more physical work than before.

Then slowly my back started hurting and then my legs and then again the complete spine and yes I ignored all these symptoms thinking it’s due to too much of work I have been doing. As the weeks passed, the pain also started increasing or to say multiplying.

A Painful Backache

I had met with an accident 6 years back and I had my knee operated (ACL tear) and always had one or other small issues with that leg.

We celebrated our daughter’s first birthday on the 10th of June. Just 5 days after her birthday, I had severe pain in that operated knee and the next day I could not walk. As the corona was at its peak I still did not want to go to the doctor. I kept a cold compress, took a hot water bath. Nothing was helping me much. But, you won’t believe, not even once the thought of my gynecologist telling me to have iron and calcium tablets after delivery crossed my mind.

Multiple Doctor Visits

In the next 2 days, I was having too much pain in both knees and I started limping. My operated knee had turned sore. This scared the hell out of me and that’s when I realized if not now then never (I know I always realize only when it’s too late or worse), I went to an orthopedist across the street and I told him all my issues.

Multiple Doctor Visits

He asked me to take a blood test and come back. I also had a set of X-rays to make sure my ligaments are intact. Luckily it was proper and my ligaments did not buckle off (if buckled then I have to go through the surgery again).

Because of the corona, I opted for home collection from one of the pathology labs near my home. I was asked to fast a minimum of 8 hours for doing this blood test routine. The collection staff collected early morning fasting blood at around 8 a.m.

After a day, a mail popped into my Gmail from the pathology lab. When I opened the mail to see the blood test result, I could not believe seeing so many bold marks in my report. I was vitamin d3 deficient, b12 in the border, iron deficient (I was anemic).

Blood test report to check iron and calcium after delivery

After taking a copy of the report in my Whatsapp, I went back to the same doctor. The conversation was something like below:

Doc: are u breastfeeding?

Me: yes 

Doc: how old is your baby?

Me: 13 months

Doc: Do you take your iron and calcium supplements?

Me: No

Doc(bluntly): You better stop breastfeeding your baby. It’s not good for you. Your baby has got enough milk now. You can stop it and better go to sleep in another room so that your baby can quit that habit.

Me: I did not say anything. My eyes were filled (I wanted to breastfeed my child for at least 2.5 years and started thinking how can I stop her from having her favorite drink which she needs every time to soothe herself. As I did struggle during the initial days to increase my supply, now when I have supply why is the doctor speaking negatively).

(For a moment, I had a passed a verdict in my mind telling he is not breastfeeding friendly doctor… But the next few lines he told made me understand I was judgemental)

Doc: If you know feeding is essential for your baby’s growth then why dint you know taking iron and calcium tablets after delivery is also essential. Don’t you want to live to see your child growing?

Doc: your report says you are not at border level rather deficient. Deficiency can make you bedridden if not treated well. What took you so long? He gave me an earful and made me realize how badly I have ignored my body.

With the blood reports in hand, I again went to my gynecologist and all she said was to start taking your iron and calcium tablets religiously till the time you breastfeed your baby (after you complete all the deficiency dosages).

Why you should take a Blood Test?

So please, if you have severe body pain or feel tired throughout the day and have ignored taking supplements for one or the other reasons. Then I suggest you get tested first to know what issues are causing this tiredness instead of blindly taking the medication.

Just take a blood test routine which gives all information regarding Vitamin D3, B12, Iron, Albumin, and Uric Acid. They can come to your home and take the test.

Do you want to know the result of my ignorance?

I had to have 4 types of tablets, syrup for the next 3 months along with vitamin D3 shots. Also, do physiotherapy for my operated knees till my bones heal properly.

Ignoring supplements and breastfeeding had exhausted all my calcium reserves and seem to have made my bones more brittle.

Bandaged leg due to calcium and iron deficiency.

When I am writing this I am way better than I was a few months before. It is very important to take Iron and calcium tablets after delivery and follow a routine.

 I want to conclude by saying – do not ignore your body; please have your supplements as advised by your doctor. You are the lifeline of your baby. Your body is as important as your little ones. I understand your complete focus is on the baby most of the time but self-care is also important.

For your baby, you are the world. What if the baby loses his or her world? Can you imagine? I neither want to.

 Thank god I have a chance to bounce back some could not. I repeat again, if you are breastfeeding and have severe body pains and aches it might be due to one or the other medical issues apart from overworking and sleeplessness you have due to the baby. 

Thanks for reading my blog! If any queries, please comment below I would love to help you.

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