Trying to hold ourselves together and find our new normal after loosing our precious twin babies at 20 weeks to HELLP Syndrome.
Baby Boy A and Baby Girl B, conceived after 20 months and IUI plus injectibles; born still on November 12, 2008.

A blog about pregnancy loss and infertility. And whatever comes next. A blog about hanging on together and holding each other up.


Monday, April 26, 2010

Did I Tell You? (On Clotting Disorders)

I know this post seems out of the blue - everything will be explained in he next post. But as I was typing The Next Post, I was reminded of something that I meant to tell you, and I'm not sure if I have yet, just in case it might help someone reading.

You might recall that, when I was in the hospital with HELLP Syndrome, I tested positive with a whole host of clotting disorders (lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies igm, protein S deficiency, and MTHFR). After my pregnancy, however, I only tested positive for slight protein S deficiency and MTHFR - I was no longer actually a clotter in the eyes of my hematologist. (Which is wonderful in terms of my overall health.) In the eyes of my MFM however, I for some reason became a clotter when pregnant

You might recall that the role of clotting disorders in pregnancy is still being understood. That the evidence linking clotting disorders and preeclampsia is not concrete, and is actually becoming shakier over time. Nonetheless, due to my history, I was on Lovenox throughout this pregnancy.

You might also recall that my MFM has a remarkable way of not providing direct or concrete answers to questions :)

You might therefore understand my surprise when he - twice now- directly answered my question of "What happened?" What went right? Why was this pregnancy so strangely uneventful?

I first asked him in the delivery room while he was stitching me up (What? I had a captive audience!), and again at my 6 week appointment. He clearly and succinctly responded: 1) I was carrying a single child rather than multiples, and 2) "We realized that [I] needed to be anticoagulated."

So there you go.

I'm not saying that my MFM knows any more than the next. There is certainly a wide range of opinions out there on the subject of whether and which women should be anticoagulated during pregnancy. But I will tell you that, in my eyes, my MFM is the reason this baby is laying across my lap right now. And if he says that Lovenox was the magic ticket, then that's all right with me. And for anyone out there facing a similar circumstance - I just wanted to share.

9 comments:

Devon said...

amen to that!

although my pregnancy wasn't uneventful, i do have a baby home now and thats all that matters! and my MFM thinks i abrupted at 20 weeks and that the lovenox kept my blood thin enough to keep things quiet until 31...and my numbers were SO borderline. so i'm incredibly thankful for a doctor who would take a leap of faith...just like you are too!

yea lovenox!

Heather said...

I really had to push for the lovenox on pregnancy #2; none of my doctors would confirm or deny the relationship between my Factor V Leiden and HELLP, but I had done my research and wanted whatever treatment I could get. He's here, and healthy, and we made it to 36 weeks. If the Lovenox helped, still unknown, but it definitely didn't hurt.

K said...

THANK you.

My hematologist also saw no need despite my numbers but my MFM stuck by me and said I did need it. It was so frustrating and some days I feel like I'm almost taking it as a placebo, but this helps remind me that I'm doing this for my baby.

niobe said...

As you know, in my mind (and it's likely a matter of justifying my own decisions) I go back and forth about things like Lovenox. But, of course, I'm absolutely thrilled at the way things turned out for you and since, as you point out, the evidence is kind of ambiguous, I'm especially thrilled that your MFM thinks it was a major factor in your case.

Because I've always wondered if the things that we call PE/HELLP are really a whole bunch of different conditions, perhaps with different solutions, rather than a one-size-fits-all cure.

Lindsay said...

I have the Factor V Leiden and MTHFR disorders. It was undiagnosed until this pregnancy. I fully believe the Lovenox is what got my boy here safe and sound. I'm still having to poke myself with it, but that's ok. Hopefully not for too much longer now..

Debbie said...

SO glad it was uneventful for you!! and so glad you're posting again! :)

*Laura Angel said...

I will be on lovenox as well and I am so happy that that worked for you!

My MFM is the same way...kind of never directly answers. But thats ok. Like you said if were more prone to clotting during pregnancy ...so be it Ill take the lovenox!

Joy said...

Thanks for the info.
I wasn't tested for anything until 6w pp. My OB said testing before that could lead to false positives. Now I wish she had.
She's already said she wants me on lovenex next time, which I feel good about.
I did test positive for Hetero MTHFR but was already on extra folic acid & low dose aspirin last pregnancy.

It's all so weird.

3d ultrasounds said...

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