Blood Thinners & Delivery ??

lulu3061

I'm currently on 60mg Lovenox 2x per day and will switch to Heparin closer to my due date.  Frankly, I am scared to death of labor...I know absolutely no one who has delivered on thinners and for some reason the fact that I'm on them just terrifies me. 

Who has delivered while on Lovenox/Heparin and how did it go?  Was it a fairly normal delivery?  Any advice or experience is welcomed and greatly appreciated! 

MAtoNC

I was induced so that I could time the cessation of my lovenox. I think they had me stop a day or two before induction.

Of course, the downside of inducing is that sometimes you don't progress. This was me, so they ended up doing a c-section. It went smoothly, I healed quickly.

Right after surgery, they had those compression squeezy things on my legs. They kept them on until the catheter was removed and I was up and walking. They had me wearing TED socks after that.

Good Luck. I'm sure everything will be fine!

honey740

lulu3061:

I'm currently on 60mg Lovenox 2x per day and will switch to Heparin closer to my due date.  Frankly, I am scared to death of labor...I know absolutely no one who has delivered on thinners and for some reason the fact that I'm on them just terrifies me. 

Who has delivered while on Lovenox/Heparin and how did it go?  Was it a fairly normal delivery?  Any advice or experience is welcomed and greatly appreciated! 

My sister is 37 weeks and just switched to Heparin, her MD said it is out of your system in 6 hours. I am sure this is why they switched you/her. If they were inducing her, they would have kept her on the Lovenox, (they could just take her off before induction) since it's better than Heparin but stays in your system longer.  HTH!!

edited to add: she will be having an epidural 

Brooke208

I was on 100mg of Lovenox two times per day and was induced with DD.  I actually had a huge DVT at the time.  They stopped the Lovenox right before administering Pitocin and I was off the blood thinners until RIGHT after DD was delivered.  I did start hemorrhaging but they were able to stop it with a shot in my uterus as well as more Pitocin. 

After delivery I was on IV heparin for 2 days and then was put back on Lovenox as well as put on Coumadin.  I was able to stop the Lovenox about 3 months after DD was born, then continued the Coumadin until about a month or so ago.

I was not allowed to have an epidural or spinal, though.

ETA:  I actually think they stopped the Lovenox and put me on Heparin while I was on the Pitocin, and then stopped the Heparin when I got closer to delivery.  Sorry, the details have already slipped my mind!

aglenn

I was on Lovenox twice a day and switched to heparin around 38 weeks, I think.  Delivery was totally fine, other than being LONG.  I had my last heparin shot at bedtime, started having contractions in the middle of the night...my labor was so very long (I will spare you the details) that everything was way out of my system before I got to the hospital.  I had an epi and had no complications at all.  Hope that helps!

sweetpea18

Heparin is very short acting, that's why they switch you when you get closer to deliverying.  The medication will be out of your system, so to speak, by the time you deliver. 

I was on lovenox and aspirin when I went into preterm labor with my dd.  I had to wait until 24 hrs past my last injection to get my epi.  The anestheologist also checked my levels before giving me the epi. I had no issues with excessive bleeding.  The only issue I had was being bruise to high heaven from the nurse messing up my iv! 

whendeez

I am on the same dose of lovenox as you are.  I switched with my first and with this baby at 36 weeks to heparin.  I had a consultation with an anesthesioligist with my first and I have another appt with the next week which is really helpful.  If you doc has not mentioned this you may want to ask.  It is my understanding that the reason for the switch to heparin is that they can reverse heparin with some type of vitamin if they need to in a hurry.  The anesthesiologist will put you at ease.  I was surprised how often they work with patients on lovenox/heparin. 

W&J'sMommy

My first was vaginal, spontaneous delivery.  I had switched to Heparin around 35 weeks, went into labor in the morning (a couple hours after a heparin dose) they gave me an epidural 12 hours after I had had the heparin.  I had no complications from the blood thinners.  I actually did hemmoridge about 30 minutes after his birth, but was assured by everyone that it was due to his size (huge placenta) and nothing to do with the heparin, which I believe b/c at that point it had been 24 hours since my last dose.

My second was a scheduled c/s, no complications.

I don't think it ever stops being scary, I'm scared about this birth.  My only advice is to be an advocate for yourself.  Make sure everyone that sees you in the hospital knows that you're on blood thinners.  And if you don't feel right at all, tell someone, don't assume it's normal.  Also make sure your H is aware of what is going on at all times. 

MH is the one who realized that I was hemmoridging with DS, he said I didn't look right, the nurse told him I was just sleeping, he came to check on me and saw blood dripping on the floor.  I wonder all the time what would have happened had he not followed his instinct.

 

nurseJK

Thank you for posting this! My cousin has the same thing I do and has an amnio to check for lung development then is induced with each child. So, they have her stop her blood thinners ahead. I thought it was that they didn't want us going into labor and having a baby and bleeding out. Needless to say, was at high risk (total beetch but different story) on tuesday and she was like you don't need to be induced on heparin, just no more shots after labor starts. I was like HUH? But like I said, major beetch and wasn't going to argue/ask questions. I was actually really upset about being induced because I worry that with it being my first kid I won't progress and they will want to do a c-section! What a relief. Makes me feel like my pg is somewhat "normal".

trickywoo

I've had two babies with lovenox.  I also was induced so that I could take my last shot 24 hours before. 

In my experience, labor went exactly as my first birth (which was pre FVL diagnosis).  At any rate, your OB should be familiar with when to stop your thinners and start you back up again.  They may watch you a little more closely post partum to make sure your uterus is contracting well, but you'll probably have a normal delivery.

If it helps, I just posted my birth story over in July 2010 moms - no problems and a healthy baby here.

Try not to worry, hon!  The biggest risk with clotting disorders is not knowing about them.  So since you're aware and being treated, you're in good shape!

Meagan78

Yikes. I was just diagnosed with DVT at 24 weeks pregnant.  It didn't even occur to me that it might cause issues with delivery (duh!).  I'm on Lovenox 2x/day.  Dx was yesterday so the whole induction/epidural issue is yet one more thing to raise with my doc.