concerned heparin and baby aspirin for next pregnancy

[sunshine13]

Sorry I have never done this before so forgive me it I write too much I am not familiar with any of this.
Back on March 5 2008 at 19 and a half weeks I gave birth my daughter who my first child do to a very severe case of preeclampsia. She was stillborn and even if she wasn?t they told me that there was nothing they could have done even if she was born alive. This was the worst day of my life having to give birth to a baby that I would be able to keep. We had just found out that we were having a little girl the week before all this happened. Her measurements were a little small and they we not able to get them all because she was moving a round too much so I was to come back 2 wks later for another ultrasound.
My ob and the high risk specialist I saw have decided that even after the blood tests came back negative for any blood clotting disorders they still want be to take baby aspirin and heparin with my next pregnancy due to my placenta having a lot of clotting. They are concerned that I may have some clotting disorder that is yet to be discovered being the one they were checking me for was just discovered 5 yrs ago.
It is all so much to take in, I am concerned about taking the medication but then I am afraid that if I don?t I could very well end up losing another child. I am concerned about the side effects, has anyone taken the heparin and baby aspirin? What advice can you give?

[Rozzie27]

Hi Sunshine,

So sorry for your loss. I had a stillborn as well. I had low levels of antibodies that can cause clotting, although no clots were found.

I'm pregnant again and am on aspirin and low molecular weight heparin. There can be side effects though not for most people. I feel no different to normal. I saw an immunologist (who's also a haematologist) and he told me that the risks on the medication are quite low.

Unfortunately I do know of women like you who have no evidence of a clotting disorders but then lose babies due to clots. They have gone on to have healthy babies with treatment, so I think this is your best bet. The fact that your doctors are willing to treat you is great, some women have to fight to get treatment.

If you have any questions give me a buzz,

Rozzie

[Flowerchild]

Hello Sunshine and welcome to Belly Belly. I am sorry it's under such sad circumstances - I am sorry to read of the loss of your daughter.

It's very true that we don't know all the reason for losses and many many many women lose babies and there is no cause known.

I am one of those women too. I said goodbye to two daughters and one son before I gave birth to Imogen in October last year. She is my 5th live child.

My tests all came back borderline - there was great debate over weather it was antiphospholipid syndrome, lupus you name it. I have all the symptoms but my tests are inconclusive. It was decided that I clearly have "something" that we don't yet have a name or a test for. None of my babies had abnormal chromosomal karotyping.

I commenced on clexane from a bfp at 10 dpo. I commenced on asprin prior to conception, high doseage folate and prednisone. Prednisone is a steroidal drug - I just had a very very strong hunch that I needed it and it does help some women.
At 26 weeks and 5 days I developed severe upper right sided shouldertip pain. It was excruciating. I was admitted to hospital and my platelets (the part of your blood that helps blood to clot) were critically low, my kidneys were beginning to fail and my liver functions were burko. I was transferred to a tertiary hospital where the surgeons believed I had HELLP syndrome (severe preeclampsia) and the medicos believed I had a "severe autoimmune episode of unknown name". I was given steroids (by this time in my pregnancy I had been convinced to wean off the prednisone I was on against my better judgement I did this.) to help my daughters lungs develop. At 26 weeks her chances of survival were only about 50%. I was having bloods done every 2 hours - and I was nursed in high dependency. About 6 hours after my first steroid injection my platelets went up and my kidney function improved. Just a coincidence! Harked the surgeons. AHA! Harked the medicos - it's autoimmune. This continued on and off until I reached 27 weeks and 5 days. I was told she needed to come out as I was dying. They were afraid due to the very very scary level of my platelets and my liver had begun to bleed. I said I need to get to 28 weeks - so she was then born at 28 weeks.

As I write I have the most beautiful daughter sleeping peacefully, healthy (except for constant colds. )

It is scary being on daily injections - but it does work for a great number of women. Given your experience with "severe preeclampsia" I would leave no stone unturned. I would investigate the autoimmune thing. I will include a link for you that you can look at a thread on this. The thread is HERE

I know how sad and how confused you must be feeling - I felt like that too. But the clexane/asprin regime is a fairly standard treatment for women who have had stillbirth or recurrent miscarriage.

You might like to join the TTC thread HERE

Big hugs my love as you heal.

[sunshine13]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me and for the reassurances. I have been reading up on the meds and there is so much out there on them and then there are all the medical terms which are hard to understand. I thought it would be best to get with other women who have had the treatment or are on it. Thank you for all the information that you both gave me it is very helpful! I will get back with more I just havent had a lot of free time I have many other questions.

[Gabi]

Hi Sunshine,

I lost my first two babies to clotting and I took Low molecular weight heparin and baby aspirin in my last pregnancy. This time I carried to term and delivered a healthy little boy.

I also had my progesterone monitored and had to take that for a while too because my levels started to drop. I found it very stressful to take this medication, and there were many times I felt like we came close to losing our little boy. But it was definitely worth it, these meds kept my baby alive.

It was only after losing my babies and being tested that I started to think about other things in my life which may be linked to a blood clotting disorder. But my diagnosis is not clear either. I don't really understand it.

Sorry to hear of the loss of your little girl. She sounds precious.

[Divvy]

Dear Sunshine
I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your beautiful child.

I had severe pre-eclampsia with DS1, was hospitalised at about 29w and he was born at 34w, severe IUGR.

I lost my second pregnancy at 17.5w, but had had baby aspirin since about 8w.

My third pregnancy, which resulted in DS2, I was on labetelol (BP medication) from about 12w and baby aspirin from about 6w. He was born 9 days overdue! And huge!

Pre-eclampsia is a very dangerous condition, but it can be managed medically. Best wishes for the future.

[Laney]

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

I just wanted to let you know that I had an unexplained loss at 22 weeks. They did a million blood tests and checked my son and placenta for problems. There was nothing wrong that they could find. I was pregnant again in 3 months with my daughter. The doctors told me that my first loss was a fluke and it would never happen again, no need for any treatments. Around 17 weeks I had an ultrasound that showed she was a week behind in growth. I had an ultrasound every week and she just kept getting farther and farther behind. We lost her at 28 weeks. She never got big enough to survive on her own. After I delivered they took a close look at the placenta and 25% of it was clotted off and dead. I am now taking a baby aspirin and a shot of heparin every day. We are going to try to conceive again this month. We hope this combination will give us our earth angel.

Parker 7/27/07 @ 22 weeks
Shelby 5/27/08 @ 28 weeks

[Flowerchild]

I hope it does too Laney - that's my prayer for you...

[sunshine13]

Oh bless you! I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I am glad to hear that the Low molecular weight heparin and baby aspirin worked for you. If you do not mind me asking what kind of side effects did you have?
I am so glad that you replied to me I just want to hear from everyone out there that had to take Low molecular weight heparin and baby aspirin.
I am so afraid to take the meds based on the doctors thinking that I may have a blood clotting disorder which is unknown. But at the same time I do not want to go through the loss of another baby. Thanks again!

[sunshine13]

Laney,
I too am sorry for loss how terrible it must have been for you. I wish no one had to go through what we have none of it makes sense!
You are the second person that I have heard of that is taking a baby aspirin and a shot of heparin every day before pregnancy. Can you tell me why your doctors are having you take it before? I just wonder why I am not too. What side effects have you had if any, I just want to know what may be ahead.
I hope the combination gives you a angle on earth too!
Please keep me posted.

[sunshine13]

Dear Divvy,

Thank you for sharing with me, I am sorry for the loss of your second pregnancy. But happy for you that you with the help of the medical attention you received we able to have your two DS's. Please do not think by me saying that I think that it makes your loss any easier to handle, I am just saying that I am happy that you were able to over come the pre-eclampsia and deliver two beautiful sons.
Yes Pre-eclampsia is a very terrible condition, I wish that more research will be done and that they figure out what it is that causes it. Thank you again.

[jo76]

hi!
Just wanted to share part of my story with you. I have had 2 healthy and huge babies. I then lost my 3rd baby at 17wks, 5days and he was behind in growth. I then lost my 4th baby at 22 weeks, 2 days and she was also a little behind in growth. Jack had an autopsy and that resulted in no answers. After extensive tests on Madison and the placenta and blood work on me, still no answers. I have been referred to the head of obstetrics at monash and that is next thurs so i will see what he says and let you know just so you have another experience to hopefully gain some knowledge from. I am so sorry to hear of your loss and i wish you so much luck for the future. i am like you -i really want to gather as much info as i can to understand somehow why this is happeneing and to also understand what medications are out there that may help our chances!
take care!
jo

[Laney]

Hi,
I am taking heparin and aspirin before conception because my regular OB felt it was important to have thin blood at conception. My high risk OB said to start taking it as soon as I get a positive test. There are a lot of different schools of thought. I really think most doctors only advise aspirin preconception. I think some doctors wait until they see a heartbeat on ultrasound before giving you heparin. Taking the heparin can make you bleed a lot with your AF or a m/c. I have had both since being on the injections and the bleeding wasn't too bad. I have been taking baby aspirin daily for 5 months now. I started the heparin 2 months ago. I have not had any problems with it except some bruises and maybe a little dizzy the first week of injections.

Parker 7/20/07 @ 22 weeks
Shelby 5/27/08 @ 28 weeks
bean 9/5/08 @ 5 weeks

[Flowerchild]

Many obs will not commence heparin until it is confirmed that the pregnacy is intrauterine and not ectopic. If you have an ectopic pregnancy on heparin the risks are increased because of the anticoagulant therapy.

There are slightly better outcomes for women who commence anticoagulant therapy in the luteal phase of their cycle or from a positive pregnancy test.

I hope that helps...

[csab]

I am so sorry for your loss, I am not on heparin, but when ever I am expecting I am to take baby aspirin, this has been since my first 2 m/c's. I carried my last two DD's to term with taking aspirin and completely and undoubtedly believe that I only have them due to the aspirin. Back then I was not given a reason for my losses, just that I needed to take it. This year when finding out that I was expecting again another DR had taken some more BT's as too why I had my m/c's as last yr I had another 2, so he wanted to see if anything was causing it, even tho I was already on aspirin. Turned up that I have an autoimmune disorder, which is still needing more testing 3mths after my little girl is born. My Dr's were tossing up with this pgcy as to whether they have me take injections of clexane, which they decided the aspirin was doing the job so not to worry. I still had to stop the aspirin at 34-35wks just like the others.

I wish you all the best.

[eves heart]

Hi Sunshine13

I was so sorry to hear of your loss, my heart goes out to you. A similar thing happened to me in 1999. I carried my son for eight months only to be told I had a blood clotting problem too. Sadly in the November I had to give birth to him it was a very traumatic time. It took me a long time to get over the shock and hurt of loosing him. Three years later we decided to try again this time I was put on heparin and asprin after being diagnoised with (SLE) Lupus. In 2002 I gave birth to a beautiful little boy. He was not effected by taking the heparin but please check all information about heparin before you use it. Good luck Eves heart x

[mina74]

Hi eves heart, sorry to here about your loss. I also lost my baby girl late term in july 2007 and now 16.5 weeks pregnant and on clexane 40mg and asprin daily. Ive got APS with lupus, and it was so good to here of a positive outcome on the medication. I worry so much as about the babys growth every day and find it hard to sleep. The specialist im seeing seems quite confident that I,ll be fine and the blood tests all seem good at the moment. Is there any advice you can share about your time [regnant and on the meds or anyone else on the same meds? thanks mina

[flash]

Hi Sunshine,

I am saddenned to hear of the loss of your precious daughter and my thoughts are with you.

I too have an auto immune disorder which is a blood clotting disorder (antiphospholipid syndrome or lupus anticoagulant) and while not pregnant I take warfarin which you can't take during pregnancy so during my last pregnancy (which produced my beautiful 2 year old son) I also took twice daily clexane injections (high doses too 80mg twice a day 12 hrs apart) and low dose aspirin and luckly never had any side effects from either medication and neither has my son. Prior to having my son i lost 2 pregnancies in the earlier stages (10 weeks), but the combinatin of the clexane and aspirin enabled me to carry Jacob almost to term . He was a bit small for 36 weeks and 3 days (2.16kg or 4 pounds 8 ounces) but quickly grew.

It is definately something I would recommend doing and trusting the doctors with as the end result of being more likely to carry to term in my opinion far outweigh the risks.

All the best
Flash