The TV personality and mother-of four Stacey Solomon tells Hannah Britt why women shouldn't suffer their symptoms in silence – and why the fight to be heard starts at home.
Stacey is on a mission to get the nation talking about women's health. "It's not easy being a woman. Years ago I had an abnormal smear test and it really scared me.
"I think because of what happened with Jade (Goody, the star of Big Brother who passed away in 2009, aged 27, from cervical cancer) we're not really educated about what it actually means to have an 'abnormal' smear, which is a problem in itself," says the presenter and Loose Women panellist, 33.
"But I remember, later, when I was pregnant with Rex in 2019, asking my doctor if when my cervix stretched while giving birth it would affect any mutated cells.
"And his reply was, 'I'll be honest with you, we don't know. There just isn't enough research into women's health – nobody's tested that out'."
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Dave Benett/Getty Images)The lack of knowledge rattled Stacey, who's mum to Zachary, 14, Leighton, 10, Rex, three, and one-year-old Rose.
"It seemed mad to me that he couldn't give me an answer. Since the beginning of time we've been giving birth and had cervixes. What is happening that we just aren’t doing the research into women’s bodies?" says Stacey, who shot to fame after coming third in The X Factor in 2009.
She places the blame on a lack of women in senior healthcare positions.
"If the people at the top aren't concerned, it won't filter down so research can help the people at the bottom," explains Stacey, who this year married presenter Joe Swash, 40, who is dad to Rex and Rose.
"It's sad and scary. But I do think this is changing and I do think women are becoming a much bigger voice across all areas, be that politics, healthcare, or anything else.
"And the more we talk about women's health issues, the more fight there will be for the research into everything we women just 'have to deal with' – new medicines and different answers. That's all we can do – shout about it."
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Instagram)The fight, Stacey believes, begins at home. The mum of four has made sure not to shy away from talking with her family about everything to do with women's health, from pregnancy to periods.
"My periods are heavy for about three days, with a fourth day of a half period. I’ve never had a light period," says Stacey, who won the 10th series of I'm A Celebrity in 2010.
"In the week leading up to it I feel rubbish. I catastrophise everything. You know when someone doesn't put a kiss at the end of their text and you think, 'they hate me, what have I done?' That's me.
"Joe always knows it's the week before and tells me, 'You're due on'. He grew up with his two sisters and his mum, he lost his dad when he was very young and grew up around all women.
"I'm really lucky with Joe because it's part of his make-up, he's totally with it. He's been buying tampons since he was 10. He doesn't think anything of it."
And she's made sure her sons will follow suit.
"Zachary and Leighton are great too. They grew up with me – their dads weren't in the house. So they're fully aware of what my period is. I'll say I feel so rubbish and they'll understand. They're good boys," says Stacey. "I do think they should know all about periods."
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Instagram/ @staceysolomon)Known for the household hacks she regularly shares with her 5.4 million followers on Instagram, Stacey now fronts BBC decluttering series Sort Your Life Out.
She is busy filming the second and third instalments, in addition to her other presenting work and keeping on top of hectic family life.
Being so busy, it is vital Stacey keeps her energy up, but her heavy periods impact how she feels, as they cause her iron levels to drop significantly each month during her period.
"When I first got periods and my hormones changed, I began getting symptoms," she explains. "At first I just put it down to being a typical tired teenager – I couldn’t wait for my next nap and was ravenous all the time."
It wasn't until she was expecting Leighton that she discovered the cause. "During my first pregnancy at 17, tests revealed that I was actually anaemic," she explains.
Symptoms of anaemia include tiredness and lack of energy, shortness of breath and noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations) and the NHS says it is often caused by blood loss or pregnancy, with 14% of women affected during childbearing years.
"It's been that way ever since," says Stacey, who is supporting Active Iron’s "Better Days. Period" campaign.
"I tend to drop when my period is due, as well as when I'm pregnant. Being low in iron makes me feel dizzy when I get out of bed and really lethargic – a lot like jet lag – with a lack of concentration.
"I feel like I can't focus on anything for a decent amount of time. I also tend to feel emotional with it, too."
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Instagram)Deficiency can be treated with iron tablets and by eating iron-rich foods such as meat, dark-green leafy vegetables, cereals and bread, dried fruit and pulses.
The NHS says men need 8.7mg iron a day and women 14.8mg between the ages of 19 to 50, dropping to 8.7mg after 50.
During that first pregnancy, and with her three subsequent babies, Stacey was prescribed a high-dose iron supplement. It helped, but the dosage didn't agree with her.
"My body struggles with it, my tummy especially – it makes me constipated, my poo goes black," she says candidly. "It really is horrible."
Stacey is no longer anaemic.
"It took me a while to get here though," she says. "For a long while doctors simply told me the fatigue I felt was nothing to worry about. Unless you're dangerously low in iron, you usually don’t get much help.
"When I'm tested, my results are borderline. So although I feel awful, it's not enough to tip me over the scales and be classed as a deficient.
"I looked into what I could take myself that wasn’t as strong as what I took when I was pregnant and found Active Iron. When I’m not pregnant, I much prefer a lower dose iron supplement, it’s been a game changer."
Stacey is not alone. Research from Active Iron reveals 61% of women have had period symptoms disregarded by loved ones or healthcare professionals.
"I do think there is a really massive problem with women’s health in general," she says. "It’s underfunded, under-researched and frustrating."
She hopes speaking out will encourage others to do the same.
"I feel more in control and it's nice to know that I don't have to live with the symptoms I used to have," she says. "Ask for help. It might be a light-bulb moment like it was for me."
The Better Days. Period campaign aims to encourage women to take action against fatigue during their period. Visit activeiron.com to claim 25% off Active Iron products, using the code AIRON25
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