hi all! i'm 39 and five weeks pregnant. two previous miscarriages. at my pregnancy confirmation appt today, the doctor recommended i start taking 81mg of aspirin daily. other than my age, i have no other known risk factors for preeclampsia, so i was a bit surprised to hear the recommendation so early in my pregnancy. i'm feeling uncertain about what to do. any advice?
Re: low-dose aspirin prescribed in first trimester
I try not to even take tylenol. As of now they claim it is "OK" whilst pregnant. Medicine is evolving as they are always learning. Making me ever the skeptic. I stop any and all meds possible. Now that is just me. My doctors all think that's overkill, but you can't even eat some foods while pregnant. It just feels wrong. I'll take wicked morning sickness over meds to prevent or help it. Again, this is just my practice when pregnant. I do end up taking tums as my heartburn radiates through me when I'm pregnant. I never do when not pregnant. Again you have to do what's best for you.
I would definitely have a discussion with your OB about it. I am very vocal about minimal meds and interventions with my OB, if something is suggested, I know they have a definitive reason and we discuss the why. Maybe there is a good reason and it wasn't communicated? There are no stupid questions.
This lady went strictly off bmi chart weight to height ratio. She told me because of my BMI. I am at greater risk of getting preclampsia, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure. So this is what is recommended. I stated in my 5 other pregnancies I never got any of these and I was nearly the same BMI.
She also said my blood work was surprisingly perfect and that I was very healthy....
I could not believe her bedside manner. So I said well as you've said I'm very healthy as surprising as that is, so why would I medicate myself when baby aspirin while pregnant has shown to cause low amniotic fluid as well as kidney issues in the baby?
She said it has shown to prevent preclampsyia and that stopping at 36 weeks makes it safe.
I have no sign of getting these other than that I'm heavier for my height than most women?, I asked. She said yes and your age is getting up there. I told her I'd pass. I like to treat not medicate. So I'll continue to exercise and stay active and do what I've done with every other pregnancy and see how it goes. She told me we would have 4 more US. Which is more than I've ever had. She was sending me to a specialty screener for 3 of them. So I told her as exciting as it is to see the baby I'd rather not have that many so long as everything looks fine. I also asked why she was sending me elsewhere and she said because of my BMI. I asked her if she understood BMI? And she said we go off the chart. I said that is the most ignorant answer I've ever heard and from a "doctor" no less. I declined the extra US. I will have one more at 20 weeks.
She had me do bloodwork for chromosomal screening and I asked again why it was mandated and again it was because of my BMI. I just laughed and said I didn't want it. She said she was doing it and I said I will not pay for it if insurance does not cover it.
She also went to get the heart rate and said we may have to go a different route if the dopplar can't pick it up. I knew exactly what she was insinuating and told her not once has a doctor or midwife taken more thank 5 seconds to find the heart rate on me. She said I'd be surprised.
Guess what. She found it immediately. Then she said she was surprised and that I have a toned stomach. 😱 when I tell you it took everything in me not to tell her about her BMI and her rat face... I mean she had no arm workout, no figure and the most peach fuzz I'd ever seen, but I don't judge. I was short and cordial.
I could squat that woman. I could deadlift and toss her 20 times over. For her to insinuate that I'm unhealthy was just incredibly eye opening to me. Our medical system is very messed up in the USA.
Needless to say as soon as I got home I called my midwife and booked her for a homebirth. Haha 🤣 looks like we are going granola again this go around and I couldn't be more excited.
Thought I'd share my story of baby aspirin being prescribed as I've never had a doc do it before. I am so glad I have researched so much in my years that I could easily and confidently know I was being misguided and advocate for myself and baby. It's alarming as all my pregnancies have been full term, healthy, no complication pregnancies. I would understand if that wasn't the case, but she refused to listen to me. So they lost my business as that is all we are to most these offices, cash cows.
Remember ladies, you choose your doctor, if you don't like them or vibe with them don't keep them. There are plenty of people to care for you in most locations.