clexane during pregnancy

Steph, The injections don't bother me too much yet. As my belly gets bigger and the skin gets tighter they do sting a bit more. I have figured out what areas of my belly hurt the most and avoid them. I also try to inject slowly which keeps the sting from getting too bad. I am sure as I get farther along I might need to try the ice. Please let us know the great news after your scans. I really need lots of positive stories to help me through the next few months.

DeDe, It is great ot hear that your new OB is giving you better care. I do not think any woman with a loss in the second trimester should go without testing. My doctor tested me for a bunch of things right away. They just all came back normal. After my second loss I went to a specialist and they tested me for even more things and still no answer. There are just some things that doctors cannot test for yet and others they do not know to test for yet. All we know right now is that something is causing clots.
How are your injections going? Are you going to have an early ultrasound?

We dont have private options where I live so am registering with the Community Midwife program at the hospital. I receive all the care from the midwife and have access to my ob as well. Normally appts dont start til 18 weeks (which is ridiculous) but they'll start to see me earlier. I hope. I am waiting on a call from them to come in for my first appt and I'll definitely ask for a scan, expecially now I've found out about the scan I should have to check blood flow.

Injections are ok. Started off with my husband doing them but I got sick of the suspense with that so i just do it myself and it's over and done with in a flash. It stings if I go too fast also so I just push the clexane in slowly.

Hi everyone

I lost my first baby son, Zachary at 35 weeks and 5 days. I have also been told about the clotting and they never picked up on it. I am 6 weeks pregnant now and have been put on low dose Aspirin. My OB told me we would not go the injections until down the track if neccessary. I am so scared!! Zachary was a big boy at 3.2kgs but there was still some clotting in the placenta etc. My OB said that this did not neccessarily contribute to us losing Zachary. I am really scared now and I have so far to go!!!!

I am praying you all have happy and healthy pregnancies!

Theresa

Hi Zachary's mum,
We lost our angels almost the same time last year and we are both 6 weeks pregnant now too!!! Exciting times. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
I thought I had a wait ahead of me to get to the hump of 18 weeks so I can understand how scared you are.

Best wishes

De

That is awesome De!!!!! We can hold each others hands :D

AFM Had my first OB appointment today. I have to have a bunch of blood tests and I am having to monitor my blood sugars 7 times a day. My fingers feel like pin cushions :D I have also been put onto 100mg of Aspirin a day.

He tried to do an ultrasound but we just saw a small spot (I am only 6 weeks tomorrow so he said we might not see much). I have an ultrasound booked for the 9th Feb and another appointment on the 18th Feb with both OB and Diabetic specilaist (now referred to as DiabSpec) Hahaha

Just wanted to say hello to all of you - I don't know if I ever saw this thread.

I am also on clexane and aspirin for this pregnancy after 5 miscarriages. I was found to have lupus anticoagulant and prothrombin gene mutation. Sticky blood!

I started clexane at 6 weeks (was a patient at the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic at Royal Women's in Melbourne) and so far everything is great with me and bubs. We have our 19 week scan on Feb 10th.

I was using Lovenox (generic clexane) at first and actually found those syringes easier to use. I am now on clexane proper and I have a hard time pressing down the plunger with one hand, so I have had more bruising and stinging, but I think I have found a way around that. I have iced from the beginning and think it's a HUGE help.

Anyhow, I wish you all the best and hope we have healthy babies in our arms before too long. It's a somewhat difficult road for us, but I think it will be worth it in the end!

hiya

glad u r almost half way there! i am currently 34 wks and am told i can come off clexane!! yay!! i also use ice but as you get bigger it hurts more. keep us all updated xx

Hi - I am so glad I have found this thread.

I have suffered two M/C 's within the last 18 months and am currently TTC. After my 2nd M/C it was discovered that I had APS, yes sticky blood and I currently take 100mg Aspirin every day. I will start the Clexane once I have a BFP!...

I am very anxious about this and anxious about stopping it in the third tri too!.. I have been feeling so alone in this journey as none of my friends or anyone I know for that matter has this problem!!

Oh, and I love hearing the success baby stories with APS too!! Gives me hope!

I will be stalking!!

Kellie

hi kellie

Im so sorry for your losses, but hopefully with the aspirin and clexane you will be fine! Unlike you, i haven't been tested for sticky blood, they just found tiny clood clots in my placenta. I am nearly 25 weeks gone and everything is fine, im stopping clexane in two days time and am a bit wary about this too. My OB said that the aspirin is the main medication and clexane is like a secondary precaution. Without them both i wouldn't have been able to carry my little girl this far. Did you get high blood pressure with your two angels? I developed it so early, when i was 25wks, but my bp now is quite low. Good luck, i know how it feels feeling alone, i don't think even my partner quite understands how devestated i still feel even though he feels the same. Let me know how you get on xx

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hiya

glad u r almost half way there! i am currently 34 wks and am told i can come off clexane!! yay!! i also use ice but as you get bigger it hurts more. keep us all updated xx

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Yes, I guess I am getting close to the halfway mark. Wow!

You must be excited to be stopping the injections soon. I have to ask my OB at my next appt when I'll be stopping. I don't think it'll be that early...

What have you been told about taking it after delivery? I was told 10 days, but I have read many more women took it for 6 weeks... Hmmmm....

Thanks for the reply Steph... your story is a real inspiration for me! I hope I get to at least 34 weeks one day! Please keep us updated on your following weeks to come..

Just a couple of questions that have been playing on my mind for those who have been through this:
When did you stop the aspirin?
When you come off the clexane, do you just wait until the bub comes naturally? or if you get to a certain point and haven't had the bub they induce you?
Do you go straight back onto celxane once you have the bub?

Hopefully this month will be our month and I will start stabbing myself soon! I never thought I would be excited about giving myself needles!! LOL

Hi Girlies and Guys,

I have been reading through these threads as i have been advised to take clexane and aspirin at the first sign of pregnancy and since then i have been so cautious as to what i take checking labels and warning signs on med packaging etc.

it was september 2007 when me and paul started talking about a family and from then on we started trying.....after a little while we both started to feel we were infertile which is kind of ridiculous knowing that people spend years practising this sexual encounter for a mini them.

Then beginning of feb 08 came along and i had missed a period but pregnancy test came back negative, then the next and the next so eventually i took it upon myself to blag a whole load of rubbish to the nurses at the hospital how i didnt have a doctors due to a house move etc. etc. can they test my blood by this time i was 28days late, but as procedure as lucky as i was to get them to do this i had the test waiting and waiting the nurses had a look, seconded it and even shon it in the light (it wasnt very noticeable but was there) and this is when my ordeal began..........

3days later and i had a complete miscarriage. wait one period and then try again, this time i tried another home kit as didn't have faith in the old Clearblue. Digital Boots own will do two days before my period was due and the pregnant happy vibes went off again this tim i had reached my midwife appointment the week before my first twelve week scan i was in again.

To cut a long and painful story short i knew there was something wrong and i have gone through the mtions of blaming myself trying every recommendation throughout pregnancy before buying all the pregnancy mags getting an idea of how to take care of myself before, during and after. But the second time they ran some tests and it was found my antibodies were attacking the pregnancy and to take aspirin.

So on the third and fourth pregnancy as soon as i found out which was really early because i wanted to know as soon as possible because of complications i thought we weren't catching it early enough. I started the aspirin but seemes to miscarriage before my 6th wk these times which made me anxious about taking pregnacare with aspirin.

My consultant scanned me through my cycle after my first period after the fourth miscarriage and we seen that all my pregnancies had been on my right ovary,(as they alternate) and maybe we should try the left so i had to wait for my next period n then my next one fall pregnant we also found the perfect day for me to concieve as the size of my egg, follicles and womb lining were perfect which was day 12 of my cycle.

Now after a long and stressful 2008 my worst year ever and i actually cried new years eve lol!!!!

i am due my period on 30th Jan, and have taken six pregnancy tests three different makes, and their is a positive line on all of them quite faint but they are there. This will be my first pregnancy with clexane and aspirin so i am nervous as hell and quite anxious as to what is actually going to happen with me.

I have phoned the clinic and i have to go down this morning to be shown how to do this to myself and to also confirm and book in for scans as i will be under my consultants care until i have a successful pregnancy. BUT one thing i am quite anxious about now is could it have been the early internal scans adding to this horror???? and am quite reluctant to have them weekly again due to the past two pregnancies.

I am so so sorry this has dragged on but it has done me the world of good to get it out there and to see people understand and feel how i have felt so thankyou for giving me that pleasure,

hope to hear from you all soon.

Much love Sherrie, Paul and Lexy (lexy is our new puppy) x x x x x x x x x

Hi Girlies and Guys,

I have been reading through these threads as i have been advised to take clexane and aspirin at the first sign of pregnancy and since then i have been so cautious as to what i take checking labels and warning signs on med packaging etc.

it was september 2007 when me and paul started talking about a family and from then on we started trying.....after a little while we both started to feel we were infertile which is kind of ridiculous knowing that people spend years practising this sexual encounter for a mini them.

Then beginning of feb 08 came along and i had missed a period but pregnancy test came back negative, then the next and the next so eventually i took it upon myself to blag a whole load of rubbish to the nurses at the hospital how i didnt have a doctors due to a house move etc. etc. can they test my blood by this time i was 28days late, but as procedure as lucky as i was to get them to do this i had the test waiting and waiting the nurses had a look, seconded it and even shon it in the light (it wasnt very noticeable but was there) and this is when my ordeal began..........

3days later and i had a complete miscarriage. wait one period and then try again, this time i tried another home kit as didn't have faith in the old Clearblue. Digital Boots own will do two days before my period was due and the pregnant happy vibes went off again this tim i had reached my midwife appointment the week before my first twelve week scan i was in again.

To cut a long and painful story short i knew there was something wrong and i have gone through the mtions of blaming myself trying every recommendation throughout pregnancy before buying all the pregnancy mags getting an idea of how to take care of myself before, during and after. But the second time they ran some tests and it was found my antibodies were attacking the pregnancy and to take aspirin.

So on the third and fourth pregnancy as soon as i found out which was really early because i wanted to know as soon as possible because of complications i thought we weren't catching it early enough. I started the aspirin but seemes to miscarriage before my 6th wk these times which made me anxious about taking pregnacare with aspirin.

My consultant scanned me through my cycle after my first period after the fourth miscarriage and we seen that all my pregnancies had been on my right ovary,(as they alternate) and maybe we should try the left so i had to wait for my next period n then my next one fall pregnant we also found the perfect day for me to concieve as the size of my egg, follicles and womb lining were perfect which was day 12 of my cycle.

Now after a long and stressful 2008 my worst year ever and i actually cried new years eve lol!!!!

i am due my period on 30th Jan, and have taken six pregnancy tests three different makes, and their is a positive line on all of them quite faint but they are there. This will be my first pregnancy with clexane and aspirin so i am nervous as hell and quite anxious as to what is actually going to happen with me.

I have phoned the clinic and i have to go down this morning to be shown how to do this to myself and to also confirm and book in for scans as i will be under my consultants care until i have a successful pregnancy. BUT one thing i am quite anxious about now is could it have been the early internal scans adding to this horror???? and am quite reluctant to have them weekly again due to the past two pregnancies.

I am so so sorry this has dragged on but it has done me the world of good to get it out there and to see people understand and feel how i have felt so thankyou for giving me that pleasure,

hope to hear from you all soon.

Much love Sherrie, Paul and Lexy (lexy is our new puppy) x x x x x x x x x

Did anyone on Clexane have to be induced because of the drug?

Can you give some more info Tanya?

As you would know clexane is an anticoagulant - and as such "thins the blood"... This helps with placental development and function.

Severe reactions are rare and it is used frequently in women with recurrent miscarriage or in women that have had an otherwise unexplained stillbirth or late loss...

HTH... :hug:

I have a client who has had two m/c. It was discovered that she had a clotting disorder and was put on clexane as well as low dose asprin. She is now due to give birth and the dr has told her she will be induced @ 39 weeks so they know that the clexane will be out of her system. Now from what I have read, she should be offered a lower dosage so she can go into spontaneous labour, however this option has not been given to her.

I would love to hear from anyone who had to be on the clexane up to the birth and again after wards.

Thanx Deb :)
xx

I can understand why the doctor has done this and I would support that... Clexane on board during labour can cause catastrophic bleeding. Ceasing the meds or decreasing them will leave her at risk of a potentially fatal clot in her or perhaps the peril of her child.

I had chosen an induction for Imogen at 38 weeks for this reason - as you know fate had other plans...;)

If she has a diagnosed clotting disorder and has required anticoagulant therapy for her pregnancy there is no way I would be advising to cease or decrease. The risk whilst it may appear low is an unknown.

She would cease clexane and then 24 hours later hve the induction and she would need ted stockings during labour and clexane is usually continued for a few weeks later...

Being the mother of 6 Angels and given what happened with Imogen - I would not personally be happy with a reduction in clexane.

Thanks Deb,
I found this and thought it was interesting....

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"Women who have had a VTE more than three months previously and who are still receiving a therapeutic dose of LMWH can be switched to a prophylactic dose at 38 weeks' gestation, allowing spontaneous labour to occur. Again, LMWH are withheld at the onset of labour (C2). Alternatively, if a woman wishes to be assured of access to epidural anaesthesia, induction of labour can be offered, with the last dose of LMWH on the day before the day of induction (C2). "

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From; eMJA: A Working Group on behalf of the Obstetric Medicine Group of Australasia et al., Anticoagulation in pregnancy and the puerperium

Tanya

Yes Tanya but a prophylactic dose will vary depending on the condition. 40mgs is usually seen as a prophylactic doseage and one that is generally given during pregnancy for queried or known maternal clotting disorders. (I was on this & I had my last doseage Friday PM and Imogen was born via c/section on Sunday 12Pm). I still bled significantly (I was still on asprin).

I am just saying from the perspective of a mother that has lost numerous babies due to an undiagnosed condition - there was no way I was going to risk a catastrophe - for me that meant I would be induced. I needed the controlled environment.

I wouldn't personally support the cesation of anticoagulant therapy - I would opt for a well informed induction. I am looking through different glasses I know... :hug:

That is excellent, thank you Deb. I have had no experience with this drug and your insight is priceless!!

I hope it helped darling - I have researched this so much that my obs reckons I deserve a title! I also know that due to my own experiences - and supporting others with similar ones that I am more cautious than some... ;)

I just want to add. I had a myocardial infarction 2 days after Imogen's birth. This was thought to be caused by a clot forming in a cardiac vessel. Clotting issues are at their highest 6 weeks post op OR postpartum...

Anticoagulation should in a diagnosed condition be continued into the postpartum period... I am currently back on the lovely needles with a black and bruised belly because of my recent hiccups... :rolleyes:

So if the 40mgs is usually seen as a prophylactic doseage what is the Low molecular weight heparins that the above link is talking about?

clexane is low weight molecular heparin. What is considered a prophylactic doseage will depend on the physician & the diagnosis. Generally it's 25-40mgs by subcutaneous injection daily.

ETA: I haven't read the link I will do that after hell hour...

Just an aside - women on LWMH -or clexane will have a managed 3rd stage due to the risk of PPH... Just something that you may not or your client may not have considered. I will try and find some substantiated literature on that for you.

Hi guys,
I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant and have been taking 100mg of Aspirin and clexane injections daily from the day we found out we were pregnant.
I've had 2 miscarriages, one at 18 weeks and thanks to a fantastic doctor was diagnosed with Prothrombin Gene Mutation (blood clotting disorder).
I have been told I will stop taking the aspirin at 34 weeks and will be induced at 38 weeks. 1 day prior to the induction day I will stop the clexane injections so as to decrease the risk of bleeding out, I can have a ceaser if required or an epidural.
I'm pleased with this as all I want is bub to be safe.
Needles are ok, I get bruising every couple of days and getting worse as the fat roles run out as belly grows.
There are many stories on here from girls who have had similar issues and are now taking clexane and have gone on to have perfectly healthy babies so this gives me lots of hope.
De

She is planning on having a managed 3rd stage Deb, although she is hoping to allow the cord to stop pausating first... should that be ok.

Good Luck DeDe :D

Thanks Tanya,
I have been reading your doula website. Do you travel to Wangaratta?

De

No - if the placenta is medically managed she will have the shot and the placenta will come away soon after the baby is birthed. Unless, she specifically requests that they hold off - I'm not sure how I feel about that... The Birthing Goddess in me is saying - hold off... The medical side of me is saying: "don't risk a PPH..." (remembering that the risk of bleeding is higher anyway..."

I am thinking if it was me:... I would research it a lot more.... :D But I do believe that she is at higher risk of bleed... I think I would request it was delayed - give the babe a good 5 minutes - use all the good possies to best affect that. Then go for it...

I will think more and will phone a friend and get back... :hug:

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Hi guys,
I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant and have been taking 100mg of Aspirin and clexane injections daily from the day we found out we were pregnant.
I've had 2 miscarriages, one at 18 weeks and thanks to a fantastic doctor was diagnosed with Prothrombin Gene Mutation (blood clotting disorder).
I have been told I will stop taking the aspirin at 34 weeks and will be induced at 38 weeks. 1 day prior to the induction day I will stop the clexane injections so as to decrease the risk of bleeding out, I can have a ceaser if required or an epidural.
I'm pleased with this as all I want is bub to be safe.
Needles are ok, I get bruising every couple of days and getting worse as the fat roles run out as belly grows.
There are many stories on here from girls who have had similar issues and are now taking clexane and have gone on to have perfectly healthy babies so this gives me lots of hope.
De

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Hi DeDe -

This is almost exactly what my OB is doing, except I will be induced one day shy of 39 weeks. We actually set the date at my appointment today. I am stopping aspirin now, and will take my last clexane shot of 40 mg the day before induction. (I should go and update my ticker with my induction date of June 26th!!)

I also have PGM.

My shots are becoming more of a challenge as well, but still not as bad as when I was injecting incorrectly earlier on and I looked like a punching bag!!

Best of luck to you!!

Thanx Deb, I will have a look through some medical journals and see what i can find.

DeDe, I was born in Wang :) I am going to Wang today... there is a homebirth meet there (if you are interested let me know, there is one every month) AND my sister lives there :) Of course I would travel to Wang for a client :)

xx

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DeDe, I was born in Wang I am going to Wang today... there is a homebirth meet there (if you are interested let me know, there is one every month

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Sorry but I don't understand why DeDe would want to go to a homebirth meet when she has said she is being induced at 38wks to avoid risks associated with having been on clexane/aspirin??

Homebirth meets are great places to learn about a different approach to birth and parenting. Tanya is a doula and as such is involved in birthing in all settings. DeDe can have a medically managed birth and still have a Doula - AND still be interested in seeking like minded women to connect with.:)

Thanks flowerchild :) So sort of like going to a nursing mothers get-together even though you are bottlefeeding because you like to talk to women who breastfeed? and you all have babies in common anyway!!

The homebirth meet is for all women seeking a 'normal' birth. I have only had hospital births (aside from Banjo) and so have some of the other women that attend. We don't just discuss homebirth.... Just a bunch of empowered women gathering to support each other :)

I wouldn't know about that WH - it sounds a bit confusing to me & I am not really understanding your post.

Homebirth meetings are a really good way of exploring birth options and discussing birth and early mothering. I would not compare it to a nursing mothers meet if you were bottle feeding.

Hi

I have never posted on any chat site before but I have looked often and found the advice to be quite helpful. I now have a pressing query but I can't find a direct answer to my question. I apologise if I haven't posted this query in the correct area.

My history is as follows:-

TTC ICSI May 06

May 06 cycle 1 one embies BFN
Oct 06 cycle 2 three embies, 2 chem preg
Apr 07 cycle 3 three embies, BFP, blighted ovum wk 6 scan
Nov 07 cycle 4 one embryo BFN
Sept 08 cycle 5 two embies, two trf'd, chem preg
Jan 09 cycle 6 two embies, one trf'd, BFN (took HCG - unable to determine chem preg), frozen embryo trf'd Ju 09, BFP, heartbeat at 7 week 5 day scan

MTHFR gene, NK cells in uterus and blood. Am taking the following meds:-

5mg folate
40 mg clexane
cartia - 100 mg aspirin
20mg prednisolone

Dr Sacks diagnosed me with the NK cells in April this year.

I went back to my FS and now that I am pregnant, I feel that I am being treated as a normal patient but I know that I am not. I will be using an obstetrician (not a special IVF obstetrician) and have my first appointment with him next week when I am 9 weeks and 5 days. My FS and he has advised that normal protocol is to taper off the prednisolone from 12 weeks. Same with all the other meds I am taking (except the folate). I believe that I should be on these meds for alot longer - I prefer that.

Does anyone have a similar story to mine? I want to find out how long other people have been on it because this NK cells things is not well known at all - my FS still doesn't believe that I am pregnant from the prednisolone - he is suggesting it could be any of the number of things that I am taking.

Sorry for the long winded post. :)

Hi Abbyeness, congratulations on your pregnancy! Seems this pg has so much potential of course it is understandable that you are caucious about the meds you have been taking.

I am not pregnant atm but I was diagonosed by Dr. Gavin Sack in June with high NK cells through b/t. So I am due to start the protocal in August. It happens I just got the protocal today so I feel its compelling to let you know although personally I haven't had any experience on this ...yet.

The protocal states that start predinison from Day 1 of FSH and continue till 12 weeks pg, Clexane start after egg pick up and continue till 24 weeks. If I get pregnant this cycle (fingers crossed), I'd like Dr Sack continue to be my OB, so I completely understand your concern. Is it possible to book an appt with Dr S and seek his advice? I hope whatever you do will give you peace of mind for the rest of your pregnancy!

cuddlepie x

Thanks Cuddlepie. I cross my fingers for you in August but the fact that they found NK cells in your blood should mean that this immune suppressive therapy should improve your chances. I didn't expect the result that I did when I started taking the prednisolone but it happened very quickly, its still hard to believe.

Yes, I might just give Dr S a call and touch base with him. I met up with the obstetrician last week and told him about my situation and he was happy with how things were progressing - but I will confirm with Dr S.

Another thing I might add is that I am not sure if prednisolone has the same side effects on people but I was anxious in taking it at first. However I found that I felt alot better in terms of energy and some of my other medical conditions improved. The only thing is that I caught a cold the other week and it seemed to prolong a little longer than it should. I was a little worried as I wasn't sure how I was going to be. I am all good now. I guess best thing is just to avoid people with colds and flus (as people are doing anyway)

Good luck and best wishes

Abbeyness

Thanks Abbeyness for sharing your experience, its jut so beneficial to know. I am a bit anxious about taking Pred. due to its side effect but there is basically no choice but to give it a try ...glad to hear that you don't have much nasty side effect but more energy, I guess just need to keep those virus/flu at bay then you will be right.

Can I ask if this was your first try after taking prednisolone then got pregnant? Did you start on the 1st day of FSH? Knowing the success story just gave me lot of hope that this could work.

Thanks hun...cuddlepie x

Hi Cuddlepie

Yes, this is the first time I had tried prednisolone. This was actually from a frozen embryo. I started taking it a few days before my period and then did a frozen cycle as normal. This is the furthest pregnancy that I have had but I am still anxious about the pregnancy (I am 11 weeks 3 days now - and am slowly accepting that this pregnancy might work). I have just had too many bad results and I honestly think that the prednisolone worked for me as I was constantly having chemical pregnancies.

I hope prednisolone provides success for you as well.

Abbeyenss

I have so much confidence and hope for you Abbeyness that this one will go all the way. Sending you lots of :stickyvibes: and strength hun...

cuddlepie xx