Hi newtothis,

I have FVL and am also Heterozygote. This was diagnosed through blood tests after i lost my first child Katelyn 18 weeks into our pregnancy. I dont want to scare you because we have been told differing opinions by specialists and doctors relating to the actual cause of Katelyn's death but my belief is that she passed away due to a blood clot that developed because of my FVL. To try and reassure you though one specialist i saw in Perth who is highly regarded in his field said that he had treated heaps of women with FVL who had not had an outcome such as mine. I couldnt trust my body anymore so as soon as i was pregnant with my second child Lucy (who thankfully is here safe and healthy) i started aspirin treatment of 100mg per day (commonly known as a baby aspirin due to the dosage) and then once we had an ultrasound at 7 weeks to determine we had a heartbeat we switched to Clexane injections of 40mg per day up until 36 hours before her birth. I was absolutely packing myself about having to do the needles (as im sure you are too) but honestly once you get into the swing of it and learn all about how to do it so it doesnt hurt so much they get easier. My biggest tip is needle in quick - Clexane in SLOW. I am pregnant now with my third child and i opted straight for the Clexane again because without it i lost my daughter and with it i was able to hold a beautiful screaming daughter in my arms. Now like i said i dont mean to scare you because FVL doesnt mean that everyone has a bad outcome - obviously you know this because you have a friend who has successfully negotiated two pregnancies. There is no way after my experiences that i would ever consider a pregnancy without clexane treatment. If you have any questions please let me know as i am an open book. At the end of the day you need to do your research and listen to your healthcare providers and make yourself an informed decision based on what you think is the right thing to do.

Love Sarah xx