07/01/2026
I speak to so many moms in my practice who have been surviving (not thriving) on an empty tank and feeling so depleted, all day long. 🪫
When I ask when was the last time they had bloodwork done, including ferritin (iron), they say not since their pregnancy. 3, 4, 5 years ago. No one has bothered to check since.
When baby comes, mom gets forgotten about. All of a sudden, visits to the doctor become about how the baby is doing - are they growing enough, eating enough, hitting every developmental milestone. Meanwhile, mom barely has enough energy to get through the day. We can't pour from an empty cup.
Some signs/symptoms of iron deficiency:
🌸Chronic fatigue and brain fog
🌸Pale skin
🌸Shortness of breath and exercise intolerance
🌸Feeling cold all the time
🌸Hair loss (different from regular postpartum hair loss)
🌸Elevated heart rate
🌸Weakness/dizziness
A simple blood test can help us identify & treat iron deficiency. Ferritin is the marker that we typically use to assess for iron deficiency. Ferritin is your storage form of iron and reflects your reserves (what you have in the tank). Levels should be between 60-100 ug/L ideally.
In Canada, anything below 30 ug/L is considered to be deficient. However, many labs have reference ranges between 10-291 ug/L for ferritin. This means that your doctor may not say anything is wrong if your ferritin is 17, but that is significantly low and not optimal.
I test for & treat iron deficiency in my practice every day. There is a strong correlation between low iron levels and postpartum depression. Running bloodwork & treating to reach optimal levels is so important for postpartum maternal health. 🩷
Do you have questions about iron deficiency or postpartum bloodwork? Send me a message - I plan on creating more educational posts soon 🤍🌿
♡ Dr. Emily
📍27 Water St, Suite 203, Pictou NS
📍27 Beech Hill Road, Antigonish NS
💌[email protected]
💻www.doctoremily.ca
🗓bluebellnaturalmedicine.janeapp.com
☎️902-322-3070
