Polycythemia

[Finn7ao]

Hi

My wife is 30 and we just had our first baby about 5 months ago now . She been have light bleeding for 3 months now . The dr said it’s normal until the hormones get back to balance . But she been so dizzy and fatigue so the d did a CBC and her red blood cell count is 6.1 . Is this high ? Does this mean she has polycythemia ? I can’t Understamd this because she just got through 9 months of pregnancy and a successful Cesarean . And none of this came up in any of her test until now .

[Aime]

Hi Finn7ao, congratulations on your new addition to your family and sorry to hear your wife is feeling unwell. I can’t comment on her red cell count because I’m not a medic but if you visit the MPN Voice website, you will find trustworthy information there regarding Polycythaemia.

5 months isn’t a long time for the body to recover after a C section, pregnancy, hormone upset, less sleep and all the other ways a baby changes your body and life. Ask your GP, or ask for a telephone consultation if you can’t get an appointment, to explain what the blood result means. Sometimes it can be a wait and see (and quite often counts come back normal) at the next blood test. If your wife has not been tested for a urine infection, then ask for that too. Do get answers to questions for both of you so you can get back to enjoying your new baby. Kindest regards Aime xx😻😻

[Heidi-W]

Ah congrats on the baby. Am sure the GP will be rechecking the bloods and hopefully doing her iron levels and then if the red cell count is still up they will likely liase with haem re doing additional tests. If she has been bleeding daily for 3months she is likely low in iron and therefore producing smaller red blood cells (with a low MCV) and her body may be trying to help her by upping the red cell production. It may be worth GP organising pelvic scan to check clear as daily bleeding for 3months is bit excessive. Hope they manage to get things sorted for her and good luck with little one.

Of note during pregnancy the Hb and iron levels usually do dip a bit so potentially that may have made a previously raised Hb or red cell count look normal.

Best wishes

Heidi