I am Thal minor and planning to have my first child

Hello,

I am 23 and planning to have my first child. A few years ago, I was severely ill and had to deal with lots of problems related to my health. Now, my health has been improved a lot, I do yoga at least 2 times a week and eat healthy. Needless to say, my better half has really put effort when it comes to my well being.

Now we are ready to raise children and want to try for our first child. He looks completely healthy and has never gotten a test. I look healthy too but not really healthy and carry this life long problem, Thal, which makes me sick every now and then. He is gonna get the complete test in May but if he turns out to be YES, say minor, what is the percentage of our child being a major or intermediate? I worry so much, really. I also have hormones imbalance problems and was on medication for that too. I don't know yet but I think I would rather not take risks because I don't want to see my baby with major life-threatening  health issues.

Ahh, I worry so much that the thought of "what if" could even make me cry here right now. I will know the result in May but I just can't wait until then. You know this feeling, worry and tingling feeling in my chest. At the moment, I don't even know if my post does make sense because I can't think anything clearly. Thanks for the replies.

Hi and welcome,

Yes, your partner should be tested before proceeding. Chances are he is not a carrier, but you need to know for sure. If he is a carrier, there is a 25% chance of having a thal major. I do not trust the odds at all, as I have known families with three thal majors, so I always say don't rely on odds to protect you. Hopefully, this won't even be an issue for you.

For yourself, you should be taking folic acid before trying to conceive, as this is recommended for all women trying to get pregnant and throughout pregnancy, as this has been found to reduce birth defects in general. Also, because there is a tendency for thal minors to have miscarriages, I always suggest natural vitamin E for its mild blood thinning properties.

In the meantime, don't worry. If your partner has never had anemia or shown any sign of thal, he is probably not a carrier. He should be tested to confirm this, but the chances are he is not a carrier. Your main focus now should be on addressing any health issues you might have and getting your body ready to try to become pregnant. Good nutrition is a must with thal minors, as is whatever exercise you can manage, so you are already on the right track.

Hi Andy, first of all I want to say thanks to bringing this forum for us, Thal patients.

You are truly amazing, really, and you have so much knowledge about Thal, probably much more than most docs. I have a few questions here. I am already taking folic acid 5mg a day since I have learned that I have Thal. I do not know much about Vitamin E yet. Can I just start taking Vit E now or do I have to wait till my pregnancy?

I fear of miscarriage of and any difficulties during the delivery of my baby. Another thing is I am intolerant of iron rich foods or multivitamins that contain Iron. Literally, my haematologist told to stay away from anything that is related to Iron but she did not tell me why. I was told to drink at least a cup of tea every day because of its rich anti-oxidant agent.

If you happen to know why, please share me the knowledge to clear out my confusion. I really appreciate your effort to reply all of our questions and messages. Cheers!

Hi, welcome to the group!
I am Thal Minor and currently 29 weeks pregnant.  Even though you are intolerant to iron, I am as well, the baby needs it and will take from you what it needs.  I have been seeing a hematologist, in addition to my OB, for the past 2 months due to lower hemoglobin and iron deficiency from the pregnancy.  I have tried to get enough iron naturally and through slow release Fe, but ended up getting one iron transfusion last week (I must say I do feel more energetic now).  I will see the Doc every 2 weeks now to monitor.  The hematologist is very knowlegible about Thal, which was a very pleasant suprise!  She has discussed the concern about too much iron with Thal, but with the pregnancy it is hard to get enough iron.  The nice thing about an iron transfusion, if you need it, is that you don't get the gastrointestinal issues from trying to take the pills.  I did pretty well up until the last few weeks here, as the baby gets bigger they take more from you.  I also followed Andy's advice and always take my folic acid and vitamin E.  Best of luck!  There are many amazing people on here to provide info and support!
Crissy

Hi Happy,

I am actually in favor of starting all thals on natural vitamin E at birth and continuing lifelong. Although I always recommend vitamin E for all pregnant women, I also advise all to take it daily. Make sure it is a natural E, as synthetic is basically a toxic derivative of the chemical industry. A complex of mixed tocopherols is best. I have taken 400 IU daily for over 35 years and absolutely swear by it. Don't wait. Take E today.

When your Hb level is chronically low, your body reacts by absorbing more iron from your gut, even if the low Hb isn't caused by lack of iron. Depending on how low your Hb drops, this can cause some problems over time. Excess iron feeds bacteria, viruses and cancers. The body has no way to eliminate excess iron so it just builds and builds over time if too much iron is taken. Your doctor may be practicing caution or perhaps has noted that your iron levels are higher than they should be. Drinking tea with meals inhibits the absorption of iron, so your doctor has suggested this. I would ask the doctor if you have had iron levels measured high or if this is simply a precaution to prevent unwanted iron build up. If you do have high iron stores, green tea extract and IP6 can be used to remove iron from your body.