Birth and clexane

[Fizzl]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of giving birth whilst on clexane/blood thinners? I've been on them since the start of my pregnancy due to a clotting disorder. My consultant has advised I continue them until I think I'm in labour and to then stop. I've been advised that I can't have an epidural within 12hrs of my last injection and that's making me a little nervous. I'm hoping I won't need an epidural, or labour will start more than 12hrs after my injection but I don't like the idea of it possibly not being available and being in excruciating pain. Worse case scenario is if I needed an c-section it would have to be under general. I know lots of women give birth without an epidural and there's lots of benefits to not having one but equally I'm also in the mindset that if it gets too much I don't want the whole experience to feel traumatic. Any words of wisdom from anyone who's been in a similar scenario?

Not really words of wisdom, but I was on fragmin and clexane in my 4th pregnancy. I was induced at 40wks due to babies large size but part of my reason for doing so was I was on clexane (and allergic to it) and I had been induced with my 1st and 3rd at 42wks so an induction at some point seemed likely. It took the worry out of deciding when to stop them.

I injected first thing when i got up in the morning, I would also not take if I had any signs of labour being imminent.

I'm 37wks wih #5 and about to be put on a 4th type of blood thinning injection (allergic to 3 so far) which has a half life of 24hrs which I'm really concerned about but I am being induced between 40-41wks, so I'm semi hoping not to go spontaneously now :(

To be honest I assumed induction would be the plan when I started the injections but it's never been mentioned. I did tell my consultant I was anxious about not being able to have an epidural and her advice was to move my injections to the morning as more likely to go into labour at night so I did do that a few weeks ago. Every morning I feel like I'm countdown to get past the 12hr mark before going into labour! I'm just hoping I'm really lucky and get plenty of warning signs that labour is imminent and don't spontaneously go into full blown labour one morning after I've injected. I have an appointment to go through my birth plan next week so I'll talk more to my midwife - just don't think there is a fail safe solution really unless induced a little early (which doesn't seem to be on the cards)

I was on blood thinners and aspirin. I had a relatively fast labour but it started in the evening so just missed the dose that night.

How many weeks are you now? Have you had a birth options discussion?

I'm also on aspirin but they've reassured me that the aspirin won't make any difference so can take that whenever. I do worry about all these blood thinners though! I got a tiny cut the other week and it poured with blood for ages.

I'm 35+2 and midwife coming on Tuesday to go through birth plan.

A fast labour which starts around 9pm would suit me perfectly! I have been reassured that if it's a fast labour I shouldn't get to the point of needing an epidural and if it's a long slow labour by the time I reach the point where I can't cope I should be past the 12hrs but I also know that these are best case scenarios and I can't help but worry labour will get really intense really quickly. I think I just want the experience to be as positive as possible and not traumatic which to me means being able to have the option of taking alllll the pain relief if I need it 😂

I've just had my induction date through. This is based purely on my age (41) and their policy to induce over 40s by 41wks.

My date is bang on 41wks, which realistically is ok as none of my others have come before 41wks and only one has turned up spontaneously at 10 days over. But is equally disappointing, longer to wait, more jabs to jab, a slight chance of spontaneous and non option birth.

Still feeling anxious about a 24hr half life. None of mine have been over 18hrs, still wanted an epidural though!

I'm surprised about the no induction. I was on clexane during my first pregnancy - I was told categorically i wouldn't be allowed to go into labour naturally as far as they could control that and that I'd be induced or planned c section (ended up being c section due to breech baby)

I also moved my clexane to the mornings

How strange - no one has suggested induction to me at all! I've seen two different consultants as well who both said the same - just to stop when I think I'm in labour. Doesn't massively fill me with confidence! Midwife I think will follow consultants advice but will talk to her again next week

@BurningBenches 41weeks does seem quite late. Did you have an epidural with your other births? The 12hr half life of clexane worries me so I can understand your anxiety being on one which has a 24hr half life. If we go into spontaneous labour the timing needs to be just right - fingers crossed it pans out!

I had to take clexane for all mine.
My first two labours were way longer than 12 hours from first twinge to the baby being born.
My second two my waters broke over 12 hours before any contractions started.

@Fizzl, I'm on them due to the combo of age, bmi and parity 3+, which didn't effect me with my first 3.

First I was induced at 42wks. I was on the drip so had an epidural not long after! In all it was less than 18hrs and of that 12/3 active labour

2nd was my only spontaneous labour at 10 days over. Again about 18hrs from first contraction but I had an epidural after 12hrs, basically when I got into active labour.

3rd was induced at 42wks again. Was prepped to have an epidural but the anaethetist was unavailable. Fortunately it was a 2hr labour so ok.

And then 4th was on clexane and induced at 40wks due to size. The clexane was absolutely not a consideration of theirs when offering to induce, it was all based on the risk of him being over 5kg, but I opted for the induction based more on that as all the others were big too, the allergy I have to it, and being able to plan. Had drip again and so had epidural.

I'm 37wks, so I'm a bit of an emotional mess. A few things really.

Throughout the pregnancy I've told people my 41wk date as when she'll arrive, but then the consultant said 40-41wks, so in my head I guess I'd hoped for a little earlier. I'm going in on 41wks, which means if there are delays/too busy it could be a day or so later.

But I don't really want to be induced earlier as Im clearly not ready then, as I'm hoping an induction at 41wks will avoid the need for a drip.

But then, like probably most pregnant women, I'd just like to go spontaneously, before induction, ideally around 40wks, with a nice manageable (or quick) labour. But as above timing would need to be good, like contractions starting early hours.

So I go round in circles really.

Hi op,

I was on Clexane for both my pregnancies and had really positive birth experiences. I didn't need an epidural for either, but could have had one if I wanted.

I had the same worries as you with my first, and was injecting twice a day at that time because I had a DVT. I was induced around 37 weeks for other reasons, and the doctor monitored and advised me when to stop the Clexane. I think we stopped a little bit earlier than necessary in the end.

My second I was only injecting once a day and went in to labour spontaneously at about 42 weeks. I was injecting in the morning, but on the day was woken by contractions at the crack of dawn so skipped it.

You're almost there now! So exciting. I hope it all goes smoothly x

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm feeling a little calmer about it all now and kind of accepting that it's out of my control and baby will start to make her appearance whether I like it or not and I'll just have to deal with whatever the situation is at the time. But it is good to hear that most of you had plenty of warning that labour was starting so the clexane was well out of your system.