Aspirin in early pregnancy?

[anxiouswaiting]

Is anyone taking aspirin in early pregnancy?

I have had 3 miscarriages - 2 last year and 1 10 years ago with a different partner. GP says 'it's one of those things'.

I am now pregnant again and I have read lot sof women with recurrent miscarriages who take aspirin 75mg and it helps them keep their pregnancy.

In my last pregnancies I was told to take it from 12 weeks due to bmi and previous pre-eclampsia in other pregnancies. I wondered whether taking it earlier might help me keep this baby.

From what I have read it might help but won't hurt at such a low dose. I also read it is often used for those going through ivf.

Has anyone got any experience?

Congratulations x

I have factor v leiden so take it along witg clexane which seems to be doing the job as I'm now 31 weeks.

Asprin can't hurt (not a doc/dont know yiur medical history etc) i think although if there's something really wrong im not sure how much help it gives.

Were your mcs consecutive? Have you been referred to an RMC?

@MulderitsmeX My first mc was 10 years ago with an ex partner. The in October I lost at 12+6 and in December at 4+3. My living children are 13 and 16.

I haven't been referred, I will have to lose this one as well before I get referred because the 1st one was with a different partner and so long ago. I just keep getting told it is bad luck.

I'm seeing my consultant on Thursday so will be getting the aspirin 75mg again right the way through. Mine is for weight issues though I am 50kg lighter than 3yrs ago when I had DD.

As far as I'm aware the aspirin doesn't stop miscarriage but lessens risks due to HBP, weight issues and DVT?

Not a doctor though.

If on aspirin in our area you are consultant based - not sure on your area but good luck!

I was on aspirin - the consultant said she would put every pregnant lady on it if she could.

It was absolutely fine for me and I had a straightforward pregnancy- I took it from early on but mine was due to being quite anxious and therefore my BP going up. The only thing you might want to ask is when to stop taking it- the consultant said don’t stop, but the midwife told me to stop at about 37 weeks and I’m glad I did as had bad bleeding after the placenta delivery and needed clotting drugs- aspirin wouldn’t have helped this!

Hi OP-congrats first of all. Second...well your GP is in no way qualified to actually say that. You're right, the third miscarriage you should be referred to a recurrent miscarriage unit where an actual specialist can keep an eye on you and run some tests. It's quite inappropriate for your GP to say things like that to you actually I think-sometimes it's not 'one of those things' and it makes us women sound like we're making a fuss when actually miscarriages are really traumatic especially when they keep happening.

Yes I think aspirin can't hurt. It's not a miracle drug though. I took it this pregnancy and it stuck after x3 miscarriages. I was however also on thyroxine (get your thyroid level checked-TSH levels over 3 is too high. Don't let the GP fob you off with 'it's normal'-ask for the levels and push-there is excellent evidence that 25mg of thyroxine a day can really help and it's so cheap to prescribe) and high dose folic acid and progesterone (which I don't think helped).

Crossing everything this is a sticky bean

Congratulations OP! My story is very similar to yours having had several losses. I never got referred, despite no living children, and decided to try one more time last year... I'm due my rainbow baby next week and the only thing I did differently this time around was 75mg of asprin.

I got told at my booking appointment that they would normally recommend this from 12 weeks (I started as soon as I got the positive result) but it wouldn't do any harm taking it earlier and got given a high dose of folic acid to take as well.

I truly believe asprin is what helped our little bean stick!

Hope everything goes well for you whatever you decide x

Thanks for the replies.

Some of you mentioned folic acid - I am on 5mg per day plus what is in my pregnacare because I have a bmi over 30, I have been taking that since my last pregnancy.

I never had a DVT or high blood pressure except from during the end of my 1st pregnancy when they suspected pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks. My 2nd pregnancy my blood pressure was fine all the way through. They have said though that I need aspirin from 12 weeks because I have had pre-eclampsia once.

I was told a firm no when I asked about progesterone previously by GP and endocrinologist despite having PCOS and know progesterone deficiency in the past.

I guess it is just so frustrating not knowing what has caused my losses and I want to do anything I can to increase the chances of this one sticking, but want to make sure that by doing that I am not increasing any risks either.

I'm on aspirin due to preeclampsia in my last pregnancy. Been told to take it till 36 weeks. It helps the cord function. 25 weeks today. And apart from forgetting it sometimes (it's dissolved in water and has to be after food) I'm fine. Baby healthy. I also am on extra folic acid. Though there is apparently no evidence that this makes a difference but hey ho, not doing any harm.

My friend had two MC and then took aspirin because she had to wait ages to see a doctor. She fell pregnant again and everything was fine, when she finally saw the doctor he said to keep taking it.

@seizethecuttlefish did you take it right from your bfp?

It's very variable area to area.

We were told to do so when pregnant again as our first had very low birth weight.

I did when pregnant this time after two mcs; a dr when checking me during one said it encourages more blood vessels to grow and ideally before 14 weeks - but I believe the jury is out regarding prevention of mc. I did have a small placenta first tome round.

It helps with preeclampsia and my sonographer at 20 weeks said she'd done a lot of research and recommended it to older women but it was not her official medical advice! The dr/ consultant said they'd changed policy and didn't routinely now recommend for low birth weight (new lack of evidence) but were happy for me to take it (clearly some still felt there might be positive effects) and that at night was better than morning or lunch (he also said 150 "was better" but I'm not sure if that was preeclampsia or not.)

I was told at 20 weeks that 20-24 weeks was the last phase when all the blood vessels were burrowing into the placenta so to definitely keep taking it then (again, not really their official policy it what they recommended!)

I couldn't get a gp to say yes at all, though a gp friend said he knew many drs thought all women should be on it.

So it's rather confusing!

It's apparently not going to hurt to try; before bed is best and never buy from a pharmacist as they freak out. Take it to the makeup counter!

I'm now 25 weeks, not sure when to stop but seeing them at 28 weeks. I take the gastric safe ones with a biscuit and milk at bedtime.

Ah yes I remember trying to buy them from a pharmacy at 12 weeks and being told no way despite it being in my maternity record to start taking them. I have managed to get some from poundland now and am just trying to decide when to start taking them.

The medical advice we were given after our first baby was after bfp for low birth weight, as I say the hospital have stopped recommending it from then only due to lack of evidence. None of them said it was an issue when I fessed up; all said "great" when they thought it was a gp / dr who had prescribed them! I just don't think they can say it's the official party line in my area, and the risks are to your stomach if taken without food.

A huge number of women are out on it by RMCs.

I think I started around 5 weeks.

I think I am going to start taking it on Wednesday when I will be 5 weeks. I don't expect it to be a miracle cure but if it won't hurt and might help then it is worth it!

I would definitely take it too.

I have a history of recurrent miscarriage and IVF failure. Each time it happens they seem to identify a new thing wrong with me.

I'm finally 9+3 after our last shot at NHS IVF and touches wood doing ok. I'm on aspirin, deltaparin injections (I have factor V Leiden), 5mg folic acid and Levothyroxine.

Unfortunately I do think you have to be one step ahead and question everything. For example, I wasn't told to increase my levothyroxine dose when I had a positive beta hcg at the IVF clinic. I read the NICE guidelines over the New Year bank holiday so decided just to increase my dose. Luckily the consultant I spoke with a few days later agreed I was absolutely right to do so, but I do wonder if I hadn't queried it, if anyone would've flagged it up.

Fingers crossed aspirin helps us all! :)

I'm taking it (just got my BFP) I took t in my first pregnancy from 12 weeks. Just found out and am going to start asap.

I had a MC last Feb so freaking out a bit!

I’m just going through my 5th mc. What kind of dose of aspirin do you take and when do you start taking it? Before bfp or as soon as you get a bfp? I’m loosing all hope

I was advised 75mg once daily, as soon as you test positive.

Sorry, somethingfromnothing I posted too soon. I'm so sorry that you are going through this. Definitely push for a referral to the recurrent miscarriage clinic if you haven't seen them already.

75mg from positive x

something

My gp said there was no evidence it helps prevent mc however a gp friend said many fertility drs would say all women should take it.

I heart, I'm furious on your behalf. I've been on Levo for 20 years. I had to fight my gp with my first son (luckily they listened and then were great) but this time had to go through the whole bloody rigmarole again with a new gp. Some women don't need to raise Levo but most do, and if you're not you absolutely should be monitored a lot.

Tsh needs to be below 2.5 btw, that's too high for me though, and Tsh is often suppressed in the first trimesters slow as 0.3.

If you fancy complaining, please ring the British Thyroid Foundation or better still, write them a letter. They're keen to hear issues in pregnancy in primary care and they pass it all on to the experts who could make decisions about gp guidelines etc. It's on my list to write them a letter about it all, you're not the first and won't be the last.

Risk of mc can increase with every 1 Tsh point raise. Pregnancy outcomes can be affected; low birthweight etc. It really should be bloody standard!

(Don't worry though, first time my Tsh got to 13 at 12 weeks due to a thyroxine manufacturing issue but my son is great and very bright. Low birth weight though.)

Ekphrasis - I didn't get diagnosed until our first IVF cycle was a huge flop and I queried it due to family history. I knew there was a problem when nobody could tell me what my previous TSH levels were. Turns out my TFTs had never been done in 7 years of infertility and miscarriages! I did actually have a natural BFP just after starting Levothyroxine but miscarried early on. That was when I first researched hypothyroidism in pregnancy and realised I should've probably increased my dose by 25mcg straight away. Just a shame my GP, the early pregnancy support unit, or the recurrent miscarriage clinic failed to tell me!

Thank you. I’ve been to the recurrent miscarriage clinic. I say clinic it was just a consultant who did one blood test, told us it was bad luck and sent us on our way
I’m going to gp next week so will ask about my TSH levels.