In plain words
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron inside your cells. A blood test measures how much is circulating, and that number reflects your iron reserves. Ferritin often falls before does, so a low level can show iron is running low early. During pregnancy, the baby and placenta draw on iron, so ferritin can fall through the second and third trimesters. After birth, blood loss can lower it further. Ferritin is one piece of the picture. Your provider will look at other blood numbers too, and may ask about your diet and symptoms. Tiredness, dizziness, and shortness of breath are reasons to talk with your provider soon.
The deeper version
Serum ferritin is an , so infection and inflammation can raise it and mask deficiency. The WHO (2020) guideline on ferritin concentrations for assessing iron status uses thresholds that vary by age, sex, pregnancy, and the presence of inflammation. Ferritin below 15 micrograms per liter is commonly cited as indicating depleted stores in healthy adults, and pregnancy cut-offs differ by trimester and by guideline. Declines in ferritin across pregnancy are documented in cohort studies, and without anemia is common. Interpreting ferritin alongside C-reactive protein and improves specificity.
Where it comes up
- Low iron and anemiaPregnancy: Your Body
- Iron-rich foods and how to absorb themPregnancy: Eating
- Anemia and exhaustion after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- Exhaustion in the first trimesterPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about ferritin
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Sources
- World Health Organization — Serum ferritin concentrations for assessment of iron status and iron deficiency in populations, 2020
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Clinical guidance on anemia in pregnancy and the postpartum period