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Childbirth

Clexane and childbirth

7 replies

tessofthedurbervilles · 26/03/2009 11:05

Prone to dvt's and consultant has prescribed clexane....will this have any impact on my choices for as natural a birth as I can have?

OP posts:

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vbacqueen1 · 26/03/2009 12:15

The more natural you can keep it, the better. As you know, Clexane is a blood thinner so the more you can do to avoid surgery, the better.

I supported a woman last year with a DVT in one leg and she developed another at 39 weeks. There was talk about putting a filter near her heart, and then talk of an elective section which was just madness, but fortunately my client went into natural labour the day before.

The best advice I can give you is to wait to go into labour naturally, stop taking the Clexane as soon as you know labour has started, and hopefully you'll go on to have a very straightforward birth. If you decide you really really have to have an epidural, you should be ok for it as long as there is a minimum 12 hour gap from your last injection.

HTH.

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rempy · 26/03/2009 12:17

Yep, vbac is right, you will really need to go for a natural delivery, as epidural contraindicated for 12 hours after dose, although there are options (spinal, GA) if you do need assistance/operative delivery.

You need to carry it on post del too as I'm sure you're aware.

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Pollyanna · 26/03/2009 12:19

you probably won't be allowed a home birth or a birth in a midwife led unit (etc). You will have to be in the hospital with consultants etc around. Once there, you should be ok having a completely drug free birth if that's what you want.

( I have had 5 babies on clexane and natural births with all 5, but never allowed to be at home despite having very straightforward births due to risk of bleeding/risk of bloodclot etc).

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susiey · 26/03/2009 17:38

I have to be on clexane throughout pregnancy
I had 2 natural deliverieso
I have to be on a drip of blod thinner during labour so have to be in labour suite not at home or in midwife led unit

I have to go to hospital a day before they start my labour they take me off clexane and put me on the drip then the next morning they start to induce me.

I stayed on the drip for 24 hours after my delivery then I go back on clexane for 6 weeks after I have the baby

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rubyslippers · 26/03/2009 17:41

i am on clexane at the moment for the reasons you describe

i had a natural delivery with DS and aiming for the same this time around

i was told the same as vbacqueen re stopping the clexane and that it will depend on the anaesthetist as to whether they will give an epidural

i am hoping to deliver in the birthing unit at the hospital = MW has said the consultants are pretty good (it is also in the same building as the labour ward so i can be rushed to there if necessary)

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weeglenny · 26/03/2009 19:46

I'm also on clexane due to previous DVTs, and had an epidural when in labour with DS - though I was in labour for a couple of days so didn't have to worry about having the injection 12 hours before the epidural. It may be different in different hospitals but at about 35 weeks IIRC I had an appointment with the anaesthetist who went through all the different pain relief options that would be available to me,which was really helpful.

And I've also got to take the clexane for 6 weeks post-birth (though they did offer Warfarin as an alternative option last time).

HTH

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tessofthedurbervilles · 27/03/2009 11:44

Just wanted to thank you all for the responses, much appreciated and super helpful, now feel more informed and in control and not worried I will bleed to death!