Step Out of the Fog with Flora Ferritin+

02/01/2023

I was tired.  Although being a mom to three busy children IS tiresome, this tired was different.  For me it was exhaustion and a groggy feeling, like I was walking around in a fog of some sort. And I woke up feeling mentally tired from the get-go and by 5pm I was hitting a wall. 

Something was off and I wasn’t at my best, so I booked a doctor’s appointment and had my iron levels checked. After going over my blood test results, we made a plan to have me start taking Flora Ferritin Iron Supplement, and check my levels again after 3 months. As I sit here writing this, I am almost due for that follow-up bloodwork appointment, and I am energized and excited. I have been diligent in taking my iron and I can honestly FEEL the difference. I know my results will show an improvement!

Finding an iron supplement that works and isn’t hard on my stomach has been challenging; Ferritin+ has been a complete game changer. After only 3 months I am no longer waking up feeling exhausted and there are no longer any 5pm exhaustion walls being hit. I am more alert and happier than I have felt in quite a while. This makes me wonder how long I have been dealing with low iron, my issues were always just chalked up to me being a “tired mom”. Society often dismisses mother’s feelings that aren’t normal and attributes them to motherhood. Some days are obviously more tiring than others but feeling permanently exhausted is not normal.

If you answer yes to any of the following potential symptoms of low iron, you may want to consider making an appointment for a blood test to get your levels checked:

• Are you continually tired
  
• Is your appetite lacking?
• Do you have difficulty concentrating?
• Do you notice your skin is pale and you have dark circles under your eyes?
  
• Are you often feeling chilly when you should be warm or are you catching colds easily?
• Is your hair brittle and are your fingernails chipping easily?
• Is your hair thinning or are you experiencing hair loss?
• Are you a vegetarian?

I only checked two of those boxes. Tiredness and concentration were the only things I noticed being affected. You do NOT need to answer yes to each of those questions to have low iron. If you aren’t feeling right, please don’t merely attribute them to being a busy parent. Because I did, I allowed myself to struggle unnecessarily for far too long.

Not-so-fun-fact: it is estimated that 1 in 4 women suffer from low iron – this makes it the most common nutritional deficiency and is also the leading cause of anemia (not having enough healthy red blood cells to provide oxygen to your body). Getting checked is a very easy bloodwork appointment – your doctor should happily give you a requisition for that, plus a quick follow-up appointment to go over your results and make a plan, if needed.

Why did I choose Flora Ferritin+ for my iron journey? I have been on iron supplements before and I remember the stomach issues associated with them, but Ferritin+ is different than the iron supplements of my past. Ferritin+ is made with organic peas, and it is a natural protein-coated form of iron that provides a controlled release and efficient absorption. What does this all mean for me? It means that my stomach isn’t made upset by the supplement and my iron levels are increasing, including my stored iron levels – this stored iron is where the long-term magic happens for iron levels. 

A tip that I did for myself so I never had to question if I took my Ferritin+: I write the days on the back of the pill packs, then I know I have taken it and if I ever do question myself (a common occurrence for me), I can check the pack and know I did not miss a day!

I have been on it for a few months now and have had zero stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. The only results I am experiencing from taking this tiny pill every morning with my breakfast is the feeling of being ME again. I feel like I have stepped out of the fog, that I can take on my daily tasks (and more), and keep up with the hustle and bustle of three kids, running my business, and keeping my social life going. I no longer daydream all afternoon of curling up in my bed. Instead, I am out getting stuff done, living my life, and that spring in my step is here to stay!

Written by Kerri Perkins, the Director for Mommy Connections Lethbridge.

Kerri and her husband are both born and raised in Lethbridge, and have happily made a life there with their three 

kids.  Kerri took over the Mommy Connections chapter in Lethbridge in May 2015 while pregnant with her third child and feeling like she needed a change in career to something more fulfilling than accounting was providing her, Mommy Connections was exactly what she was looking for. She has always enjoyed planning playdates, parties, and celebrations, and the idea to do this for an audience larger than just her personal circle filled her with excitement and energy. Getting to watch moms and caregivers make memories with their children, friends with others from the community, and connections with the city around them has been her most rewarding professional journey to date!