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Wow - never knew a site like this existed! You are all full of such wonderful information and inspiration.

To answer the previous question...I have gone off Lovenox at 38 weeks and not gone back on a blood thinner. I have had 3 healthy, perfect births. I did go back on Lovenox for 6 weeks post-partum, but during the last week of pregnancy, I was off everything (I had all my babies at 39 weeks). I had an epidural during all 3 deliveries with no complications whatsoever.

My question to all of you...I was on Heparin with my first pregnancy and on Lovenox with my second and third. I had been diagnosed with Factor V, which was the reason for the blood thinners. I am wondering if the Lovenox was for my health (ie: so that I did not develop any clots during pregnancy) or if it was to reduce the risk of miscarriage (ie: prevent clotting in utero)? I always thought it was the first reason, but after reading all of your stories, I am seeing that many people feel that the Lovenox prevents miscarriages. Any insight?

I am currently 10 weeks pregnant and my doctor had me on Lovenox, but has taken me off for the past 2 weeks because of some heavy bleeding. His plan was to let the bleeding subside and put me back on in 1-2 weeks. Now, however, I am concerned about miscarriage. I have been blessed not to have had any miscarriages thus far. I feel like I should start the injections again immediately??

Ugh...it is tough to find the right answers out there.

Thanks for any help and advice...Laura

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Like you I also have been diagnosed with Factor V Leiden (heterozygous) and a few other minor clotting factors. I was put on the Lovenox because the doctors thought that the reason I was miscarrying early in the first trimester was due to clotting issues. I don't know that I necessarily agree with that now.

The weird thing is that I'm on such a low dosage that it seems like baby aspirin would be a better course of action.

I am only taking 2.5 mg a day.

Anyway... I wish you the best of luck!

Amy

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I've had 6 miscarriages before the 8th week so my doc put me on heparin this pregnancy. However, I have been bleeding so he took me off it just a few days ago (I am 9 weeks). Now I'm petrified I'll miscarry - but if I stayed on the heparin the excess bleeding that's occurring could also cause me to miscarry.

The heparin, to answer the original question, both helps to prevent clotting in the mother and miscarriage (if the blood is too sticky the fetus doesn't get the nutrients it needs to survive).

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[quote author=tequilamy link=board=13;threadid=3198;start=0#27087 date=1161989332]
Lovenox - when to go off?
« Reply #171 on: 10/23/06, 19:29 » | Reply with quote

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So
I have a question for all of you.

I've been doing a little reading here and I too am on Lovenox and it appears I am on a TINY dose.

I had 3 mc before my dd was born in 2004, and 1 mc since then and am currently 15 weeks pg.

I did some RE testing and found that I have some "slight" (quoting the hemotologist) clotting disorders. I have FVL heterozygous, APC resistance and something else, but they were all just shy of being normal.

I am only on a 2.5 mg dose of lovenox once a day, I noticed a lot of you are on 2 times a day and much more miligrams. I REALLY want to give birth with a midwife, not in a hospital.

My question is this... have any of you gone off of the lovenox at 36 weeks and not back on a blood thinner and then gone on to give birth normally? Any help would be greatly appreicated.

Thanks
,
Amy
[/quote]
Hi
Amy,

My levels were also boarder line. I am also on a low dose once a day of Lovenox and asprin.

My Dr. will stop me at 37 weeks for Lovenox and asprin. I asked him yesterday if anything will happen to our baby and he reassured me my odds for complication will be no different than the average pregnancy. I asked him the question several different ways and he was vary reassuring.

I've asked this question on this site for a couple weeks too, no one will answer. Maybe because no one has come back to the site after giving birth.

I know your anxiety about stopping. We've also had several m/c and don't want to chance it. I have a feeling we are in a vary big club....

Beachgirl
Sandy

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i too am going to be on lovenox(40mg) once a day. i have mthfr factor(homo) and protein c deficiency(clotting disorder) i have a question though? my doc said not to take baby aspirin and lovenox but i've read several places where some of u are?/ does anyone know why this is??
alaine

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There are several known approaches to this:

1) clotting disorder pregnant moms are high-risk. You may want to consider delivering with a trained physician who can use a fetal heart monitor and can perform an emergency C/S if your baby goes into distress.
2) The Standard of care seems to be going off of iLovenox a few days in advance of birth, but you can always switch to Vitamin E (biologically active, 400 IU per day) which also thins the blood without the same symptoms and risks, but you'd want to discontinue it before surgery or delivery as well.
3) Just go off of it.
4) Aspirin thins the blood differently than Lovenox. Therefore you risk over thinning the blood and you can have internal bleeding from using both. I went off lovenox, started taking aspirin right after for prophl. use: ended up urinating blood (By the way, you think a clot hurts...) from too much blood thinner. The doctor in the ER told acted pretty furious that another doctor would tell me to use both together or one right after the other.

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