Hi, I'm new. A friend recommended this site as a way to learn of others' experiences with pregnancy and labor complicated (or maybe not!) by a blood condition of lower than usual platelet counts with unknown cause: idiopathic thrombocytopenia.
It sounds like some women develop a mildly to moderately low platelet count during pregnancy. I had the condition before pregnancy, however. I had a great haemotologist who ruled out Lupus, leukemia, etc., and I've been able to avoid any kind of treatment for a couple of years now. But being pregnant (I'm in my late second trimester) makes it a little more complicated. It's hard to find information about others' experiences with labor specifically. Information on a rare development termed HELLP Syndrome in babies born to women with low platelets is available, but I'm trying to learn what complications I can expect in labor and how that might affect some of my choices about the birthplan. For example, my understanding is that if a c-section is required, general anesthesia rather than local will have to be used due to risks of bleeding in the spine, an epidural is not an option with a platelet count of less than 100 (mine were never that high before pregnancy, and are steadily dropping now), some haematologists use steroid treatments for several weeks before the due date and then induce... I want to plan on a natural birth, but need more infromation to develop contingency plans. Anyone out there have experience with this?
It sounds like some women develop a mildly to moderately low platelet count during pregnancy. I had the condition before pregnancy, however. I had a great haemotologist who ruled out Lupus, leukemia, etc., and I've been able to avoid any kind of treatment for a couple of years now. But being pregnant (I'm in my late second trimester) makes it a little more complicated. It's hard to find information about others' experiences with labor specifically. Information on a rare development termed HELLP Syndrome in babies born to women with low platelets is available, but I'm trying to learn what complications I can expect in labor and how that might affect some of my choices about the birthplan. For example, my understanding is that if a c-section is required, general anesthesia rather than local will have to be used due to risks of bleeding in the spine, an epidural is not an option with a platelet count of less than 100 (mine were never that high before pregnancy, and are steadily dropping now), some haematologists use steroid treatments for several weeks before the due date and then induce... I want to plan on a natural birth, but need more infromation to develop contingency plans. Anyone out there have experience with this?
