Gumdrop

Hi Angela, I am in Australia, so I'm unsure how it works in the UK. Hopefully someone with experience there will be able to give you some advice about how the system works. I have had 8 full term babies before my PSD was discovered. So it is possible to go through an entire pregnancy without blood thinners. I'm just telling you my story, not that I recommend you don't use the drugs, as I do believe they help enormously. I just don't want you to stress if your dr says to wait before you start the injections. I am 15 weeks with #11 and as soon as I suspected I started doing the injections as I lost 2 in a row last year and had a clot as well. My dr agreed that I had done the right thing this time and is keeping me on them until after bub arrives. I think drs take each patient as they come and each situation as it comes. Wishing you all the best in your TTC journey. Cheers, Kathy

Wishing you all the best for a safe delivery for you and your precious bub, and also for the kind of delivery you're hoping for too. Can't wait to hear your happy news!

Hi Jill, It doesn't hurt to get a bruise like that checked out, no need to be embarrassed to see the dr, better to have your mind at rest. You never can tell how your body will react, it may not be a problem at all this time, but it may the next. If a clot forms, it can cause numbness, coldness and swelling. It may also look pale and it will cause a fair amount of pain. Just be aware of any new symptoms and get medical help if it changes suddenly. Bruises suddenly become much more alarming once you're aware of PSD, hey? I do hope all is well and you heal up quickly and without any problems. Cheers, Kathy

Hi Zafyri, I'm in Australia and I haven't been told that I need to stay any longer than for a normal mum. I usually get told I can stay as long or as little as I like. I usually take aspirin and heparin injections after bub arrives and stop the heparin after 6 weeks and continue on aspirin forever. The plus side of going home is that you get up more and move about which decreases your chances of clotting, so it is a good thing if you're feeling up to it. i would talk to your dr about it at your next visit and see what he/she recommends for you. Congratulations and best of luck for a smooth and healthy pregnancy and delivery! Cheers, Kathy

Hi Orangefoot, well, it's still numb and painful, if that makes any sense. It's been nearly a month, and I didn't bother going to the dr as I tend to heal pretty quickly anyway. It's possible I broke the very tip of my finger but it'll heal eventually. Just another war wound to add to the collection and it didn't cause any other problems, so I was relieved about that. However, have placed myself back on clexane as I've just lost my second bub in 5 weeks and I want to try and head off any nasty clots before they think about forming. Will go and post more about it in the pregnancy thread.

Hi, I managed to crush a finger quite badly this afternoon whilst changing a tyre on my car. Should I be worried about a clot forming at the site? My finger is quite black and the bruising has gone all the way through my finger to the under side of my fingernail. Haven't seen a doc yet, still deciding if it warrants a check up or not. All advice greatly appreciated, thanks.

Hi Chrissy, I'm sorry you've been through such an awful time. It is hard to go on when you've lost so many, I remember losing 3 in a row and thinking that was enough for me and then discovering I was pregnant again. It terrified me and when I told my husband, he didn't want to know because he didn't feel up to losing another one. It was a very lonely place to be and I'm so grateful to not have had that experience again. It is hard for both of you and your husband sounds like a good man to support you through all this. I don't mean to discredit my hubby, I know it was more than he could deal with at the time. I only discovered my PSD after I'd had 8 kids and too many miscarriages to want to remember. So I had no treatment during pregnancy for those 8 and they made it through. My point is, that even with all the losses, there will still be cause for celebration. With your drs help and the meds you take, there is a very good chance you will have a healthy baby from a healthy mum. I've since had 2 more babies and had only minimal treatment but lots of monitoring and I'm pleased to report no miscarriages since then. I was told not to have any more babies when they discovered the PSD, (apparrently 8 should be enough, lol!) and I was very worried when I found I was expecting again. Then I realized that I had survived and our kids had survived without treatment, so I pulled myself together and got on with enjoying each day that I had. I still can't help looking for signs that I'd lost the baby right up till the day bub arrived, I guess losing the others made me a bit paranoid. I would love to have more kids, but will be more than satisfied if there aren't anymore. I'm prepared to go through the heartache again, but hope and pray that I never have to again. I know you might be in too much pain still to make a decision, but I hope my story has given you some hope and encouraged you. Wishing you all the best for your journey and you can be sure that everyone here will be so excited when you announce an impending arrival, they'll mourn with you if the need arises and they'll be ecstatic with you when the baby arrives. Big hugs, Kathy

Hi Curly, congrats on your impending arrival, not long to go now! I'm sure it'll begin to drag for you when you're feeling tired and big though. I remember it well, lol. I have a wonderful OB and a wonderful haemo, but sometimes they give me conflicting advice too. I know they both want the best outcomes for me, but they approach it differently which can be frustrating. In my opinion, you do need both drs and your OB shouldn't remove you from the haemos' care. It may be that you discover after being tested when you're not pregnant that you have acquired PSD and you will be fine when you're not pregnant. If you're told by your haemo to have certain meds while pregnant, I would stick to that plan regardless of what your other dr feels. I have had 2 pregnancies since I discovered I have PSD and I can't have clexane injections while pregnant as the risk of haemhorraging(sp?) is greater for me than clotting is due to the number of pregnancies I 've had. I do have them after and for other things too though. So, it's possible to have a safe, healthy pregnancy and delivery just on aspirin, which is all I can take. It is a juggling act and I have to say that I just have to trust that God will get us both through safely. I can think of nothing else better to do. Do what feels comfortable for you. Talk to the new haemo and if he/she is happy to let you continue on just aspirin, then you'll be more comfortable with your OB's opinion. Wishing you all the best and looking forward to hearing how you and bub are doing. Kathy

Hi Lisa, I'm sorry you've had this trouble with your first baby and I completely understand your worries for a future baby. If you look through the threads in this pregnancy one, you'll find one started by ElijahsMom called "Just have to share". There is a link in there to her experience, I'm sorry I can't do links, and I think you'll find it very similar to yours. I just have to do a bit more follow-up and I'll come back and finish this post. Cheers, Kathy

Thanks for those links Orangefoot, I should've checked back. I kept on the RRL tablets until I had 2 weeks left to go and then I stopped. I had spoken to a lady who claimed that RRL would actually inhibit your body from going into labour on it's own and she recommended eating lots of rosemary and mint to help bring on labour. I didn't take her up on the rosemary and mint as I was in serious denial and was sure I'd go into labour any day, hehe. Well, in hindsight, I think I should've stayed with the RRL, next time I will.

Hi Megs, it certainly does give you a fright when you find out you have PSD, I remember when I learnt about it, I cried! I had 8 children before it was discovered that I have PSD though, and I agree with Orangefoot that I feel safer now while pregnant than not too. I have just given birth to my 10th child and even though it is risky, it's worth it. I long ago came to the conclusion that you can't live your life wrapped in cotton wool as being immobilized is just as risky as getting a bump! You just need to consider what is right for you and take the meds that will help keep you as safe as you can be. There are still no guarantees, but I for one don't want to get to the end of my life and wish I'd taken a few more risks. Definitely find a good haemotologist and a good Obstetricion, they will help you through making the right decisions for you and your family. I wish you all the best in your journey and I hope you don't give up on your dream to have children, God bless, Kathy

Hi everyone, I've been doing a little research into taking raspberry leaf tea or tablets during pregancy. As far as I can understand, all the info is anecdotal and there isn't any real data on what this herb actually does to your body. It is supposed to help strengthen the uterus to make contractions more efficient and effective; to decrease postpartum haemorhage; reduce bleeding gums and lots of other things. Anyway, my query is, if it helps reduce bloodloss, does that mean it is thickening the blood or is it actually strengthening the body to help prevent excessive bloodloss? I have been taking RLT for a couple of weeks now and have noticed that my gums are bleeding heaps less than they were previously. I'm quite happy about that, but don't want to continue taking it if it is compromising my aspirin. I did ask at the herbal shop if it was ok to take with aspirin and they said yes, but if anyone has more info, I'd really appreciate it. I'm not on Heparin until after bub arrives (due in 5 and a half weeks) and I would hate to reduce the effectiveness of the aspirin. I'm taking it this time to see if my recovery will be quicker than it was last time when I didn't take the RLT, but will stop my experiment if anyone can show me that this is not a good idea. Cheers, Kathy

1. Dr Ross Baker 2. Haemotoligist 3. Mount Hospital 4. Perth, Australia 1. Dr Chris Nichols 2. Ob/Gyn 3. SJOG Murdoch Hospital 4. Murdoch, Australia

Hi Cheryl, Congrats to your daughter on her pregnancy and congrats to you on your impending grandmotherhood! I'm looking forward to that bit too! I agree with Maza about the injections and doing as much as you can to keep her and the developing bub clot free. If I'd known about my PSD from the start thenI might not have lost so many babies. Even if the outcome had still been the same with thinners, then at least I would have felt that I'd done all I could. I had 8 healthy babies without injections but lost count of how many ones I lost. I think I am an exception to the rule and shouldn't be used as a yardstick if you know what I mean. My haemo still shakes his head that I am still alive let alone how many of my kids have made it thru. I have since had another healthy baby without injecting as now I'm too high risk for bleeding out. I think it would be wise for your daughter to do the injections while she is not at risk of that. Good luck, Kathy

Hi Robinann, I have Psd and my haemotologist keeps checking me for lupus too. I'm sure he thinks he'll find an answer one day and I wish he would but then I wish he never does. Lupus just sounds too scary, so i hope that your doc can give you all the help you need. Good luck, Kathy