Blood thinners question

[2boysnamedR]

Does any one know about the criteria for injecting thinners from conception?

I have four kids, feeling a tad broody. Am 41. Have history of pre eclampsia and had to inject from birth for six weeks with last baby. Mum and dad both had dvts ( later in life and mum smokes and did a standing job for 15 years).

The midwife wanted me to inject throughout but I didn't see the consultant until 20 weeks and he said I didn't need to. I had no clot factor risk from blood tests.

However midwife on discharge wasn't happy so I injected after birth.

So over 40 with four previous births. Would I have to take thinners for the whole time? How do you inject once there is no loose skin? It feels like a good enough reason alone to stop feeling broody

I'm injecting Clexane (Heparin) once a day. In terms of criteria, I had a risk assessment as part of my booking in appointment (c8 weeks). They score you based on various risk factors - I'm 40, overweight and my mother died of a pulmonary embolism, and that scored me 3.5. (3 or above puts you in a higher risk category.) I was referred to a consultant haematologist, who put me on Clexane from then until 6 weeks after birth.

I'm now 33+3, so my belly is pretty stretched. But I inject in what's left of my muffin top on the very outer sides of my stomach without a problem. You can also inject in your thighs if you need to. As long as you can 'pinch an inch'!

I was nervous about the prospect of injecting blood thinners, but what convinced me was that the midwife who booked me in told me she'd developed more than a dozen blood clots in her lungs during her second pregnancy, which weren't spotted until she was 24 weeks and became very unwell and collapsed. (After a spell in hospital, she ended up on TWO Clexane injections a day!) She also said blood clots are one of the biggest causes of maternal death during pregnancy (albeit rare), and the risk of developing a clot for non-high risk population is around 1 in 100. So on balance it was a no-brainer for me.

Hope that's useful, and best of luck with the broodiness.

I am overweight but there's no loose skin on my legs. I did all my injections around my very loose post baby belly. Sorry to hear about your mum. My dad died of the same thing. I can assume I would be injecting daily. I said my dad died of a heart attack.

It's ok once you get used to it I guess. I remember the midwife telling me that lots of mums go home and just throw them in the bin. I think it took me two weeks to get a good method.

I think I need a hormone suppressant injection instead!

I have injected clexane throughout my 2 previous and one current pregnancies but have tested positive for antiphosolipid antibodies.

I'm pretty skinny and can still pinch skin around my tummy from conception to 40 weeks! You get used to it pretty fast. And, the lids on clexane appear to have got much easier to remove. This has changed my life!

And now I think about it, I'm pretty sure the haematology nurse said you don't actually need to pinch the skin. I immediately discounted it though. Can't be changing the method at this late stage.

Oh yes I would have to pinch - it's that feeling that dulls out the pain of the fluid going in.

Good news about the lids too. I managed to inject my finger pulling the blasted lids off, lucky I didn't pull it full force into my face.

I wish I remember now if my skin was only tight around the belly button. I don't think my sides would be so tight. Seems like a possibility.

Really, the lids thing is such an improvement that you should have another baby just for that alone...

I was prescribed it from conception (and before) because of having had clots previously and having a clotting disorder. I was managed very cautiously - if you haven't had previous clots I'm surprised you're being told this, so maybe ask more questions about how they've made that decision
I didn't pinch skin and never have and I've used this for very long stretches - sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't, that's the luck of the draw. Have you tried using your buttocks if you can reach round?

I've been on two Clexane since conception too, and yes, you can use tummy or thigh. And presumably bum. Though not keen on sitting on the lumpy bits you can get! Apparently you don't have to pinch the skin but I always do. Don't masage the injection site afterwards as you'll bruise more. Wish they made the pens with sharper bloody needles though, they always seem slightly blunt.