Antiprothrombin???

[diobolic_derbygirl]

i was just told today that I will be considered a high-risk pregnancy and have a "clotting disorder" associated with the antiprothrombin panel they ran on me.

They want me to see neonatal specialists and take a baby aspirin every day from here on out. I tried looking up more about this online, but everything is just too damn medical for me to understand.

I did see, however, that it ties in with Lupus. My mother has lupus and I always knew I was a carrier of it, but I am feeling like perhaps things are escalating in that area?

Can someone please explain to me what is going on with me? Everything is scary sounding....preterm birth, fetal loss.....the list goes on.

[Girlprof]

There's a thread on health and healing for women with blood clotting disorders that you might want to check out. I'm not managing to get it to post here, but it's easy to find if you go to health and healing and look for blood clotting. There is also a lot of info on baby center under a group called "Lovely Lovenox Ladies".

There's lots of good info given in a non-technical manner at both places. To sum up briefly, the "clotting disorder" can mean that your blood is clotting too much and this interferes with the baby's development. The aspirin is to counteract the way your blood clots on its own. It IS a scary thing, but it is also a manageable thing. You will find lots of success stories on the above threads as well as information. Doing nothing in this case, though, is probably not a good option.

You definitely want a doctor or midwife who will explain this to you in a way that you can understand and that you trust. Good luck!

Sarah

[ericaz]

I also had an abnormal antithrombin III test and am now on the baby aspirin as well as Lovenox. Unfortunately there are no midwives in my area (in a hospital or birth center setting) willing to take me on as a patient so I need to find an OB. I'm sure there are lovely OBs out there but I'm a nervous wreck about it.

In any case, you do not necessarily have to see a perinatologist if you can find an OB/midwife to manage your case. I was given that option but simply to meet with the peri to get a second opinion about staying on the Lovenox throughout the pregnancy. I am choosing not to because Lovenox is such an innocuous drug and I really don't feel comfortable stopping it now no matter what a peri says. My Reproductive Endocrinologist (who I've been with for years on and off and recently dx'd the blood clotting disoreder and prescribed the ba/lovenox) feels strongly that I had an abnormal test and the risks of stopping are too great at this point. I'm in agreement.

Like GirlProf said, it is definitely manageable. What's scary to me is the women who go through countless losses before anyone tests them for these disorders. My heart aches for those women. Count yourself blessed that this was discovered early and can now be treated.