Community› The Bump Message Boards› Natural Birth
Natural Birth
New Discussion

Talk to me about low platelets

dani2480dani2480 member
in Natural Birth

Back in early April I had some bloodwork done that showed my platelet count was a little under the minimum threshold (at 137, with the threshold at 150). My doctor had me come back early May and retest, and it went down a bit more to 134. I tested again last weekend, and now it has dropped to 115. It is gestational (as all bloodwork done before I got pregnant was perfectly normal), and I'm aware that's something that goes away after the baby is born. However, when I asked my doctor for more info on it she basically said "well, it's something we don't know much about".

She said her biggest "concern" is that if the numbers continue to drop too low (I think she said under 75) that I would not be able to get an epidural. Although, I'm not planning on getting one anyway, so that's fine by me (but it's good to know, just in case, and it also would mean I'd be forced to have general anesthesia if I had to have a medically necessary c-section). I think it may actually be "good" in that my doctor is sort of forced to work with me more on my natural birth plans since an epidural may not even be an option if things get "worse".

I did ask her though if there was anything I can do to either bring the numbers up, or at least slow the drop, and she said "not really", except for some sort of steroid treatment (which is not an option for me, and she agreed). Does anyone know anything about any natural "treatments" for low platelets? Foods I can eat or avoid, for instance?

Also, has anyone experienced this condition (gestational thrombocytopenia) during pregnancy and had it have any other complications, particularly with a desired natural childbirth (e.g. issues with bleeding from trauma/delivering the placenta)? Or any other info you think I should know/be thinking about?


image
Mama's Clone - 07/18/12

image
Report Reply to Post

Re: Talk to me about low platelets

  • JoJo507JoJo507 member

    Weird that you mentioned this because I just got the same news today. All my midwife said was that she would "keep an eye on it". She didn't offer any ways to combat it so I wonder if that means there's nothing we could do on our own? Sorry I'm not more help but GL to you.

    BabyFruit Ticker

     


    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Harper'smomHarper'smom
    I was in danger of risking out of my birth center for low platelets and the MWs asked me to take wheat grass. I took the powdered kind that you mix into a drink. Not tasty but it helped me get my VBAC. My iron was also low and a few supplements did not work. When I started taking the wheat grass I switched to hemogenics iron and cookinng with cast iron and a few weeks later I was back in the safe zone.
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers
    Report Reply
  • dani2480dani2480 member

    imageHarper'smom:
    I was in danger of risking out of my birth center for low platelets and the MWs asked me to take wheat grass. I took the powdered kind that you mix into a drink. Not tasty but it helped me get my VBAC. My iron was also low and a few supplements did not work. When I started taking the wheat grass I switched to hemogenics iron and cookinng with cast iron and a few weeks later I was back in the safe zone.

    Thanks for the suggestion!

    image
    Mama's Clone - 07/18/12

    image
    Report Reply
  • vbrooksutkvbrooksutk

    Hi there!  I have a chronically low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) anyway, so I was sent to the hematologist immediately upon gettin' knocked up. :)  I have been going for bloodwork regularly, and have gone from 140 at the beginning of my pregnancy down to 91 (as of 36wks).

    As far as I know, you need to just wait it out.  Not much if anything you can do naturally - gestational thrombocytopenia isn't understood very well at all.  If your PC gets too low at the very end, they may put you on prednizone (which is the plan for me if it gets down to the 50-60 range), but even where I'm at is still in the "green" zone according to my hematologist.  He said he wouldn't get concerned until it got below 70.

    We're also planning on having a natural birth (no epi, no C) but you never know what's going to happen once you get to the delivery room - so I'm happy that I've known about this complication all along so that we're all on the same page.  And make sure you tell any on-call doctors/nurses/anaesthesiologists that may not be in the loop that you have a low platelet count.   It can be dangerous if you end up in an emergency C or something and they don't know.

     Best of luck! :)

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Anniversary image
    Report Reply
  • vbrooksutkvbrooksutk

    Oh, and as a quick follow up - I'm also on iron supplements which help with anemia but not the platelet count itself.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Anniversary image
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"