# Low platelet count - any advice / anyone else?



## Rickles

Hi ladies

My midwife just called me and said I have a low platelet count (127). She said it needs to be monitored and I might need to be referred to a haematologist if it drops further. She was very reassuring and said nothing to panic about, something to know about etc... But she did kind of casually say it can cause problems with having an epidural....

Anyone else had this (with current or previous babies)... what was your experience?

Thanks so much
x


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## mommy2lilmen

I have low platelet to, and I wasnt told anything yet :( My dr says to just go with the flow. Curious what affects this will have on my baby.. and why did the dr comment on the epidural, what can happen with low platlet and an epidural?


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## ann89

My first pregnancy I had hellp syndrome which causes
Low platelets mine were at 16,000. You can't get a epi here if you platelets are below 100,000. Not sure what can happen if you get an epi that low. As of right now my dr. Said every appointment I've been to my platelets have been dropping and he's keeping a close eye on them. They don't want your platelets to drop because of the chances of your blood not clotting and chances of bleeding out and not being able to stop it. If you have low platelets they usually try to avoid a c-section also. I had a blood transfusion while having
My first.


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## ann89

If your platelets drop too low so can your babies. My first daughter had a subglael hemmorge from the vacuum during labor and they said since my platelets were so low so were my daughters which made her bleed a lot faster internally.


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## mommy2lilmen

ann89 said:


> if your platelets drop too low so can your babies. My first daughter had a subglael hemmorge from the vacuum during labor and they said since my platelets were so low so were my daughters which made her bleed a lot faster internally.

omg :(


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## Katteh

I had this when I was pregnant and it turned out fine. Basically, they'll just monitor your platelet levels to ensure they don't drop too much lower. Mine were 130 when I got pregnant and went down to 110 or something by the end of my pregnancy, and I was able to have a normal midwife unit birth with no extra care.

I did see a consultant who told me if they dropped below 50 I'd not be able to have an epidural - cant remember exactly why but something to do with because the platelets help the blood clot and if there is bleeding from an epidural it might not be able to be contained. Does also mean if you need a c-section it very low platelets then you have to have a general anaesthetic in case there is extra bleeding.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that it will probably be nothing but they'll just keep an eye on it.


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## supertabby

I can't comment much on what having low plalets alone means, however I had hellp syndrome which is a rare complication of pre-eclampsia and one of the symptoms is low plalets - but this doesn't mean you've got hellp if you've got low plalets, its only one symptom and you'd definitely be checked for your bp and urine to make sure anyway so you'd know by now if you had it iykwim, don't want to cause a panic! I needed a c-section as once hellp was diagnosed they needed to act quickly as its dangerous, I had to have a general as my plalets were too low for a spinal/epidural. Apparently if you plalets go below 100,000 (some docs seem to refer to it as 100 btw) then you can't have an epidural but I don't really know why. Mine were 91,000 or "91".


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## supertabby

Katteh said:


> I had this when I was pregnant and it turned out fine. Basically, they'll just monitor your platelet levels to ensure they don't drop too much lower. Mine were 130 when I got pregnant and went down to 110 or something by the end of my pregnancy, and I was able to have a normal midwife unit birth with no extra care.
> 
> I did see a consultant who told me if they dropped below 50 I'd not be able to have an epidural - cant remember exactly why but something to do with because the platelets help the blood clot and if there is bleeding from an epidural it might not be able to be contained. Does also mean if you need a c-section it very low platelets then you have to have a general anaesthetic in case there is extra bleeding.
> 
> Anyway, the long and short of it is that it will probably be nothing but they'll just keep an eye on it.

Could be something to do with bleeding as I was warned on my way to theatre that I could need a transfusion because of my condition (I didn't need one in the end) but don't know if that was to do with my plalet count or other symptoms - guessing my high bp could've caused higher bleeding?


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## Melanieanne77

Ive got Low Platelets too (but Im not pregnant) - Ive had low platelets for about 3 years - they did a load of tests and it turns out that Im folate deficient - so that means that when I am not pregnant I take 5 mg of folic acid a day and when I am pregnant I still take the 5 mg of folic acid and also the baby vitamins (which I think have about 4 mgs of folic acid in them).

Basically, you cant overdose on folic acid - your body just wees it out so I was taking 9 mg when pregnant.

All I know about my platelets is that it 'clumps/clots on film' so it isnt a huge concern (I dont think). I have always bruised easily but I have never had a cut that bleeds and bleeds and bleeds etc.

Maybe ask your doctor if you can take extra folic acid - its quite common to be folate deficient and for that to cause low platelets.


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