LOW PLATELETS COUNT

[Dawn2820]

Have any of you suffered from this?

what happened to you? and what birth experience did you have??

i have this i am nearly 34 weeks and worried i will lose lots of blood when in labour

[macdoodle]

Levels do drop in pregnancy anyway (dilutional effect) how low are they they can transfuse platelets if a problem

[Dawn2820]

lowest were 29 but was checked yesterday and they are now 77 but dreading they will fall again

[hunnychild]

Hi Dawn,

I had low platelets throughout my pregnancy with dd. Basically, they monitored it via blood tests at ante natal every month and at hospital when I went into labour so they could keep some on standby for a transfusion if I needed it. Fortunately I didn't and I had a normal birth, although they did have to give me two of the injections you get in the third stage as I was bleeding quite a bit. Everything was fine though.

Good luck, I'm sure everything will work out ok for you.

[Dawn2820]

HI HUN Thanks for your reply.

can i ask you if you went to full term? - did they offer to start you early ??

[LiegeAndLief]

I had low platelets as part of HELLP syndrome (complication of pre-eclampsia), don't know if this is comparable to just having low platelets but mine fluctuated a lot. At 29 weeks they were 16 (I think) but they went back up to normal and I had a cs at 34 weeks with no problem. Premature baby due to pre-eclampsia NOT low platelets before you start to panic! Hope yours stay up and you have an uneventful birth

[LiegeAndLief]

Well I mean uneventful apart from the huge event of the baby arriving

[hunnychild]

Dawn,

sorry its taken a while to reply. yes, I did go to full term, and then another 13 days! they never even mentioned offering to start me early. I don't think my platelets ever dropped quite as low as yours though, so I don't know if that makes a difference. hth

[Yurtgirl]

I had low platelets years before pregnancy. Mine went as low as 6!!! Goodness knows what it must be like in pregnancy!

[Bennj]

Hi Dawn,

I had low platelets at the end of my pregnancy. It means your blood wont clot very well so transfusion etc maybe needed - this sounds more drastic than it is!

I was having a c-section as my baby was breech so they couldn't risk my platelets dropping any further. I was monitored each week by blood test. Platelets do drop anyway in pregnancy as blood weakens down a little.

My platelets were about 89 and that was the lowest point they let them go to. I had a section at 37 weeks.

Good luck with it all - its very common!

[coleyboy]

If push comes to shove, apart from receiving a transfusion there are other things they can give you to help your clotting.

Platelet transfusions are quick, and I am sure they can be done whilst you are in labour if necessary.

Think of all the questions/scenarios you can, then ask the mw. So if you do have a low count when in labour you can be aware of your options.