This post is sponsored by Shield Therapeutics but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
Always Exhausted and Foggy? It Might Not Be ‘Just Stress’ After All
All moms know the drill: juggling work, school runs, dinner prep, and life in general, all while running on fumes. Maybe you’ve noticed that no matter how much sleep you get, you’re constantly tired or mentally foggy. It’s easy to chalk it up to stress or the chaos that comes with motherhood—but when your symptoms are brushed off as “just a phase,” it can become easy to ignore what your body is trying to tell you.
For many women, persistent exhaustion and brain fog may actually be linked to iron deficiency—an underrecognized but common health issue. Research estimates that up to one-third of women of reproductive age in the United States may not have enough iron in their bodies, and about one in five women experiences excessive menstrual blood loss, a leading cause of iron deficiency in their 40s. Take Dani, a mother of three, who experienced this firsthand:
“When I had my first baby, I didn’t know the importance of iron in my body or how pregnancy could affect my body’s iron stores. My provider gave me a common, high-dose iron supplement. After a few weeks, my numbers weren’t getting better, and the side effects were miserable.*”
Like many women, Dani’s exhaustion wasn’t “just stress”—her body was actually asking for help. Fortunately, there are effective treatment options available. FDA-approved ACCRUFeR® (ferric maltol) is clinically proven to raise iron levels. Here’s how iron deficiency can show up, when it may be worth paying closer attention, and what options your doctor might discuss with you.
Recognizing iron deficiency symptoms that mimic “mom exhaustion”
Iron deficiency often shows up in subtle but disruptive ways. Many women assume their symptoms are simply part of a busy season of life, which can delay testing and treatment. Common signs can include deep fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest, low stamina, brain fog, trouble concentrating, and feeling mentally slower or less sharp than usual. Unlike everyday tiredness, iron-related fatigue can feel heavier and more persistent, often interfering with daily responsibilities.
Women are particularly vulnerable to low iron due to menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and perimenopause. Pregnancy increases iron needs for both mother and baby, yet testing methods that rely only on hemoglobin may miss up to 70–80 percent of pregnant women with treatable iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can also develop before anemia, meaning symptoms may appear even when routine blood work looks “normal.”
How to start addressing your iron deficiency
Talk directly with your doctor
You can start by asking your provider whether blood tests that look at iron levels—such as hemoglobin or ferritin—might be appropriate.
Be your own advocate. Persistent iron deficiency symptoms deserve attention, and early intervention can significantly improve energy, focus, and overall quality of life.
Ask your doctor whether prescription options like ACCRUFeR®, an FDA-approved medication used to treat adults and children ages 10 and older with iron deficiency, could be a good fit for you. Traditional over-the-counter iron supplements are associated with gastrointestinal issues reported by up to 70 percent of patients. ACCRUFeR is designed differently. It uses a proprietary MALTOL SHIELD™ technology to help protect iron as it moves through the stomach and into the small intestine, where it’s absorbed—an approach that minimizes the risk of GI side effects. In clinical studies, fewer than 5 percent of patients taking ACCRUFeR® discontinued treatment due to GI side effects. Plus, some patients saw improvements in iron levels within four weeks, though individual results can vary.
Real results for real moms
Many women discover the impact of iron deficiency, but don’t realize how much it affects their daily lives until they find an effective treatment.
Dani experienced this first-hand, “I started taking ACCRUFeR right after my third baby was born. For me, it’s been really easy to take and has just become part of my routine. After five weeks on ACCRUFeR, my hemoglobin was finally in the 12s, which was personally a great success!**” As she puts it, “Women deserve effective, tolerable, and affordable iron options. I can say that ACCRUFeR® has been a game changer for me.”
While every experience is different, some women with iron deficiency have found prescription treatments like ACCRUFeR® helpful. If parts of Dani’s story felt familiar, or the symptoms above hit close to home, rest assured that it’s not all in your head or “just part of motherhood.” You deserve answers—and starting with a conversation and the right testing can be an important first step. For Important Safety Information and full Prescribing Information for ACCRUFeR®, visit accrufer.com/product-information.
*ACCRUFeR® has not been studied in human pregnancy. Risks during pregnancy are unknown. **Results may vary. Normal hemoglobin levels are >12 g/dL for women and >13 g/dL for men.
As the Branded Content Editorial Assistant, McKenna collaborates with our sales team by creating both written and social media content, collecting and analyzing performance data to report back to our partners, and assisting our editors with their everyday tasks to ensure a smooth and productive process.
Since becoming a young mama in 2020, Steph has found joy in creating beautiful yet relatable content surrounding the raw realities of motherhood. She believes showcasing both the wonders and struggles of being a parent helps other mothers understand that they are not alone in their journey.
This post is sponsored by Shield Therapeutics, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
