Factor V Leiden pregnancies

[Gwenna10]

I've just started working with a mom, first baby, who has Factor V Leiden clotting issues. I can't find a great deal online about it. Any of you who have supported moms with this condition?
Susie Wilson
Birth Partners Pregnancy Mentors

[Comfy]

I'm sorry I have never heard of this. Hope someone else can help though.

I see you are new here Gwenna10. Welcome to Alldoulas

Why not pop over to the Introduction Forum, and tell us a little about yourself?

[doulafava]

This is a great overview of the issue http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/nat...prebirth35.htm

more in-depth http://www.fvleiden.org/publications/midwife.html

I helped a friend with Factor V. She was on Heparin and had had several previous miscarriages and a late-term still birth. She was seeing a perinatologist and planned to go into labor spontaneously which he supported and she did. I don't remember if they took her off the heparin at term or not.

So I think the biggest things you will have to support her through are decisions surrounding prophylactic herparin, induction and the fears surrounding clotting.

There are lifestyle things women can control that may help. You could point her to information and resources in that arena.

[Gwenna10]

Thanks for your posts! I am familiar with the websites, I was just hoping for more! One of the things I can't determine is why induction would be considered as relates to this condition? And is cesarean a greater risk?
Susie
CD (CBI), CLE

[Nicole E]

I had a client last year with it. She wasn't on any medication for it (she researched the issue and decided that she didn't need it yet). She went into labour on her own at 41.5 weeks and had a fast labour with no problems. She also declined the Vit. K for her son, since he has a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder and felt that it was best for him to not have the shot.

Cesarean would be a bigger risk, because clotting is a risk of any surgery and a person with Thrombophilia is at greater risk of a clot. Her level of risk depends on if she is homozygous or heterozygous.

http://www.hhsc.ca/documents/Patient...VLeiden-lw.pdf

I had another link that I can't find, but this is similar
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0219.asp

and here is the post I made
Thrombophilia

I didn't get many people respond then, but maybe there is someone with more experience now

[excitedforbirth]

My neighbor had this or a similar condition and was induced. The reasoning was she would stop the heparin 24 hours or so before and then would be induced. The doc didn't want her going into labor with heparin in her system, which could cause excess bleeding. I haven't read the links, so there's probably other alternatives, but that was how it was handled from a mainstream perspective.

[dorothyh]

I was on Lovenox (low molecular weight heparin) for my last pregnancy. They were going to switch me to Heparin at 36 weeks. (because regular heparin has a shorter half-life, but is more of a PITA to regulate levels)

They want you off the meds for 24 hours before the birth because you cannot get an epidural or spinal within a certain time frame after taking the meds; it can cause paralysis.

I had discussed this with my midwife; an induction would allow me to go off the meds and then have the induction 24 hours later. However, I declined that, with the understanding that when I went into labor, an epidural or spinal would not be an option, and if I needed a cesarean, I would need general anesthesia.

Then I found out that I had complete placenta previa, and the placenta never moved...so all plans for a vaginal birth went out the window.