You will have regular check-ups as an outpatient. If you notice a rash after injecting, you should inform your doctor so that the type of heparin can be changed. Treatment is usually recommended for the remainder of your pregnancy and for at least 6 weeks after the birth.
The minimum treatment time is 3 months and you may need to continue it for longer. If you think you are going into labour, do not have any more injections. Phone your maternity unit and tell them you are on heparin treatment. They will advise you what to do. An epidural injection a regional anaesthetic injection given into the space around the nerves in your back to numb your lower body cannot be given until 24 hours after your last heparin injection.
You will have the option of alternative pain relief. If the plan is to induce labour, you should stop your injections 24 hours before the planned date. If you are having a planned caesarean section, your last heparin injection should be 24 hours before the planned delivery.
Heparin will usually be restarted within 4 hours of the operation. If your baby needs to be born by emergency caesarean section within 24 hours of your last injection, you will not be able to have an epidural or spinal injection. Instead you will need a general anaesthetic for your operation. Treatment should be continued for at least 6 weeks after birth.
You are likely to need treatment for longer if your DVT or PE was diagnosed late in pregnancy or after birth. There is a choice of treatment after birth of continuing with injections of heparin or using warfarin tablets. Your doctor will discuss your options with you. After birth you will usually be given an appointment with your GP, obstetrician or haematologist. At your appointment the doctor will:.
If you are asked to make a choice, you may have lots of questions that you want to ask. You may also want to talk over your options with your family or friends. It can help to write a list of the questions you want answered and take it to your appointment. To begin with, try to make sure you get the answers to 3 key questions , if you are asked to make a choice about your healthcare:.
Three questions that patients can ask to improve the quality of information physicians give about treatment options: A cross-over trial. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. You may be aware of some pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
Fortunately, DVT and PE are treatable and even preventable among women who are most at risk; most moms with blood clotting conditions have perfectly healthy pregnancies and deliveries. Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is the development of a blood clot in a deep vein. During pregnancy, up to 90 percent of DVTs occur in the left leg. Early treatment can keep a clot from breaking off and traveling through the circulatory system to the lungs called a pulmonary embolism, or PE , which can be life-threatening.
Venous thromboembolism VTE , which includes both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, occurs in about two in every 1, pregnancies. While those numbers make it a relatively uncommon complication, VTE actually crops up about four to five times more frequently in expecting women than in other women of the same age — and 20 times more frequently in the six weeks after birth. By eight weeks postpartum, your risk should drop back to normal.
The most common symptoms of deep vein thrombosis during pregnancy and postpartum usually occur in just one leg and include:. Experts do know that during pregnancy, the level of blood-clotting proteins increases, while anti-clotting protein levels get lower.
Other factors that can contribute to DVT during pregnancy may include an enlarged uterus, which increases pressure on the veins that return the blood to the heart from the lower body, as well as lack of movement due to bed rest. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have a clotting disorder or if blood clots run in your family. You should also be aware of the signs of a blood clot, since early treatment can reduce the risks of complications like PE. VTE has been linked to preeclampsia. Many people with preeclampsia have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy, thriving babies.
A PE can stop blood from reaching the lungs and can be deadly. Although blood clots are preventable, a PE is one of the most common causes of pregnancy-related death in the United States. Pregnant women may also experience less blood flow to the legs later in pregnancy because the blood vessels around the pelvis are pressed upon by the growing baby.
The likelihood of developing a blood clot increases with the more risk factors you have. Use the Blood Clot Risk Checklist for pregnant women to help you determine your risk. Through my personal story, I hope that other women can better understand the very real possibility of a blood clot during pregnancy, and perhaps even save a life.
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