Paranoia About Blood Clots

First, Congratulations!
I just wanted to say that I had my 2nd C-section 8 weeks ago and baby and I are both healthy and happy. Every mom is scared to have another C-section since she worries something will go wrong. What you have to remember is there are horrible stories about anything...from car accidents to blod clots to just walking down the street. Just remember that it's very far and few between that something like that would happen and everything will be just fine and you'll have a beautiful baby soon :) Goodluck!!

Mitz, get you8 a pair of Ted's hose, blood cots in the legs are usually caused by being laid up and not on your feet using your legs, that's what i was told when i was in the hospital. you didn't mentions what part of your bbody you were concerned about, but if it is your legs Ted Hose, this is what the hospita gave me. J. L.

it is a scary possiblility. to me the mothers who are the most at risk are moms who already have a blood clot that got disslogded durring the surgery or moms who dont want to get up and walk around after the surgery. just request that you want to get up and walk the day after your surgery of even the day of if your feeling well enough. also talk to your obgyn about the risk of blood clots.

Most women who develop blood clots during or just after pregnancy are woman who are prone to clots due to clotting disorders. I, for example, have 3 blood clotting "factors"- factor V leiden, factor II, and low protein-c. I had my first daughter via c-section without knowing any of this information and without taking any precautions and I had no complications. Now that I know about my condition I am taking anticoagulants throughout this second pregnancy, and I will continue to take them up to 6 weeks postpartum. I've never had a clot, but better safe than sorry. I make sure I'm moving alot, and will make sure I move soon and often after the c-section. Just keep moving!
To give you some more peace of mind- my mother has these same clotting disorders (it's genetic) and had 8 children without any complications and without any sort of anticoagulants (but no c-sections). My sister has had 4 c-sections, my sister-in-law has had 4 as well, and my other sister has had 2 c-sections. No complications!
Make sure to keep those stockings on after the c-section and try to get moving- even if just a little- as soon as possible. You will be just fine!

Hi M.,

Of course, ask your ObGyn, but also, make sure you drink
enough water. 6-8 eight oz glasses is the rule of thumb...Also, unless you have a pre-disposition to clotting or thick blood, just follow your doctor's (and nurse's) instructions and more than likely you will be fine.

I don't want to dismiss your fear about something that really can and does happen, but the liklihood that it would happen to you is very slim without contributing factors.

Talk to your doctor and I'm sure you will be put at ease.

All the best and congrats on your pregnancy!

R.

Dear M.: There are risks giving birth...it's very hard
on the body...people say it's natural, therefore it's good.
Nature is brutal, and sometimes one can die from a "natural" birth. I almost did when I gave birth to my first born. Sometime during labor I tore my pudendal artery...after two operation and ten pints of blood, they found the bleeder and I survived. After that, I had my second child by c-section...Cedars-Sinai at the time had to okay any c-sections only in case of the mother's health. They didn'think I was at risk. Well, I wasn't at risk the first time either. My doctor who was on staff would not put me thru another natural birth, so he arranged that another doctor from outside the hospital order the c-section.
Thru the years there has been a lot of bad publicity about
c-sections, but for those who have probable cause for
concern, you have to go on the side of caution.
People die every day from blood clots,walking down the street, playing basketball, etc... So have faith and conviction in your choice. The bottom line is you are
putting less stress on your body. Be happy, be positive
and have a wonderful birth day and a healthy baby. A.

Hi M.! I'm 40 years old and just had my second child about a month ago. I too had a pretty big fear of bloodclots and also know that there is a slight risk of stroke in my family (maternal great grandmother) so my DR put me on baby aspirin once daily at the start of my pregnancy (82mg?). I took it all the way up 'til 6 weeks b/4 I had my baby...not sure how effective it really was but it definitely put my mind at ease and didn't harm my baby! Also, I made sure (and most hospitals will routinely do this if you're having a c-section) that they put those tight hose on my legs and for the first couple days after surgery, until the IV came out, they also had the leg circulation stimulator on me (forget what it's called!) I know that stimulating the blood flow in your lower extremities greatly reduces the risk of clots right after surgery - be sure to ask your DR about it to ease your mind and TRY to relax! It will all be over before you know it. Congrats!! :-)

I would suggest getting in touch with your local ican group. icanonline.org

Hello. I also saw the sad story about the mom who died suddenly from a blood clot. Very sad and also very uncommon. I recently had my 2nd c-section and I can honestly say that I spent the greater part of my second pregnancy being freaked out and worried about having another c-section. The ironic part is that I recovered much better this time. It was like my body already knew how to heal from the first time. As long as you take care of yourself and have frequent medical care you are going to be just fine. Try to enjoy what is left of this pregnancy and spend some time thinking about how great it is going to be when you have that baby in your arms. The whole process seems to go much faster the second time. Hope this helps a little bit. Good Luck to you!

My Mom told me about that story...is it the one from TLC's Baby Story? She was on bedrest w/her pregnancy...

I was on STRICT bedrest with both of my pregnancies and that was always a fear of mine. Some people are more prone to clotting than others and there are things you can take if that is the case (heparin-anticoagulant). If you are not on bedrest, I would say you have nothing to worry about. Movement/walking is key to keeping things in check. If you are on bedrest, they have pressure cuffs that you slide your foot in and place over your calf, and an inflatable cuff puts pressure on your calf and inflates and deflates.

Congrats, and try to enjoy your pregnancy! You'll be just fine!

Hi, M.,

I had two c-sections without undue bleeding, blood clots, or other life-threatening issues and I injected heparin during both pregnancies. I've known several other women who have had c-sections. Some of my in-laws have had five! None of us have been experienced life-threatening issues regarding our pregnancies.

I recommend you talk to your obstetrician about this issue. If you still feel worried about this issue after talking to him or her, I recommend trying guided imagery. I recommend CDs by Belleruth Naperstek, esp. the ones for pregnancy and delivery, and the book, Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn. As a graduate psychology student and a fertility patient, I tried both. At first I was skeptical, but I found that listening to the CDs and reading the book helped me feel better (more relaxed, optimistic, and able to think more clearly) after only a few weeks. If guided imagery doesn't help, I recommend psychotherapy, either group or individual, for anxiety.

Best wishes and congratulations!
Lynne E

I would talk to your doctor about this. I had a c-section and so did 3 of my friends we and our babies are all fine. I was laid up most of my pregnancy. I thank God everything was OK. Try not to worry.
Sue

The first thing you should do is consult your OB/Gyn about your concerns...sometimes our paranoia are unfounded. Best wishes to you.