Diagnosis, Iron Deficiency Anemia

Over the past 3 weeks I've noticed strange symptoms regarding my body, but I didn't know they were probably all linked to the same problem. I normally have allergies and asthma both of which are more problematic during my pregnancies, but these were weird things other than those (which were aggravating enough, mind you). I've noticed that I would sit at the table after our supper meals and eat everybody's leftover ice from their cups. Then it seemed I was pulling a whole tray from the freezer and eating it when it got to just the right consistency. After that, I would get another tray, etc. Ice just tastes.so.good. Several had mentioned to me, low iron, anemia, etc., and while I'm not a nurse or medically trained person, I'm not a dummy to a few things in the medical world and knew that the craving ice thing probably meant low iron. However, I thought with my eating half-way healthy and taking Juice Plus daily that surely I was getting enough iron. I was so sure of my health that I had even stopped my Prenatal Vitamins.

Well on to more weird, albeit, interesting symptoms--I have always loved to smell soap. But, here lately, I really, really love the smell of soap--to the point of stopping by the bathroom to smell the wonderful aroma from a bar of Ivory soap. I have been loving bathtime where I could just really lather up really good and honestly, the soap smells good enough to taste. But I haven't. Yet. I also love to smell my deoderant which is Tom's of Maine Honeysuckle Rose. It is so yummy. Today, I decided to google my symptoms after I was craving chalk--not to eat, mind you (yet), but I just wanted to write with a piece of chalk--do an art project or something that used chalk.

Other side symptoms of mine include: muscle twitching at night (my legs will jump with no warning), very itchy skin (sometimes I can't sleep b/c of itchy skin), constipation (we all know that happens during pregnancy anyway) for a few days, then diarrhea, and fatigue. I really didn't think I have been tired until I look back over the last couple of weeks and I've had to really push myself to 'get up and go'.

Well, Google names it Iron Deficiency Anemia and don't worry about me, worry about the person who eats dirt, feces, or even chews toilet paper. Yes, there are several things that people ingest when they have this severely. But, I was happy to see soap, chalk, and other cravings for smell and texture, on the list.

Back to my prenatal vitamins. And probably I'll be adding an additional 20 mg of Iron to my ingestion.

As for now, Ice is still the best thing I've ever tasted.