My temp stayed in the low to mid 96 range for most of the day today (Wednesday), but is back to low to mid 97s this evening. My normal temp estimate I gave yesterday was a little low, because that's morning temp, and upon reading up I saw that my afternoon temp should be a little higher, probably around 98.4 based on the morning data I'd collected pre-pregnancy.

Patri informed me that low temperature can sometimes be a symptom of anemia, which I am likely to have from the loss of blood I had after the birth, and which the midwife was already suspicious that I had prior to the birth, although we never got around to testing for it. I hadn't been taking my temperature since giving birth, so it very well could have been running low for a while without my knowledge. (Patri took me out for a steak dinner last night, which could account for the fluctuation over the day :). Red meat iron is absorbed by the body much better than supplements are) I have other symptoms like being tired/groggy/mildly depressed a fair bit, but I've been chalking those up to not getting enough sleep ;) I was supposed to take iron supplements on top of what is in my usual vitamins for 2 months postpartum, I think I took them for close to that, although I stopped when I ran out, which was a few weeks ago. (I didn't like them because they made me constipated ;) I've still been taking my prenatals as I have all along, which contain 150% of the FDA recommended iron dosage.

I just ordered a self test kit, and I'm going to visit the OB/GYN tomorrow, so maybe he can give or order me a test sooner. I unfortunately have never set up with a general practitioner in the area, and when I tried this evening the nurse/receptionist recommended seeing an OB because of the combination mentioned below.

If not anemia, I'm rather at a loss as to why I'd be running a low temperature. Systemic infection will do it, but I would think that I would feel a lot worse than this if I had one! Thyroid problems will also do it, and my grandmother had a lot of them, but again, it seems unlikely that they would hit so suddenly. And I don't think I have hypothermia from being too cold! ;) I couldn't find any references on a google search as to if it could just be normal for one's temperature to drop a degree or two below normal for a few days after a fever...

I'm feeling pretty well at this point, if a bit groggy, although I'm going to wait one more day to see the baby just in case. At this point I'm mostly continuing with the plan of seeing the doctor because I haven't really stopped bleeding since giving birth. The bleeding stopped for a few days after about four weeks and thought I was done, but then it started up again and hasn't stopped since. Its just minor staining, but still, 10.5 weeks is a long time, plus I started having mild cramping again yesterday with no indication of a period. This has happened a few times over the past several weeks, although this time it was a bit stronger. So that in combination with the low temp stuff freaked me out enough to make an appointment ;)

I'd been holding off because I wanted to switch docs, and had recently gotten an OB/GYN recommendation from the cool Neonatalogist at the NICU, but he's not back from his winter vacation yet, and its probably not a bad idea to see the doc who knows my history at this point. The doc wanted me to come in anyway after I had a period to make sure the IUD was still properly in place. I don't know if it counts as a period, but the bleeding did get a little heavier and then lighter for a few days a couple of weeks ago, and the doc said that my periods shouldn't be as heavy as they used to be now that I have the IUD.