Pregnancy post stroke day. Medications and delivery help

Hello there Lucy,

Pregnancy and stroke - ohh I have something to add!

A time line for you on my experience

Aged 22  March 1993 - Severe Pre-Eclapmsia resutling in our baby Chelsea being born still. Two weeks after this I had my stroke.

 Age 25 November 1995 - Gave birth naturally to our son Harry at 38 weeks, I had taken asprin during pregnancy, I gave injections of heparin to myself twice daily, had no signs of Pre Eclampsia. And at 38 week everyone decided we had pushed it far enough.  I was induced and after an eight hour straight forward labour Harry entered the world :-) I continued on with injections of heparin for a few weeks - maybe six? after he was born.

 Age 27 September 1997 - Gave birth to Ally at 38 weeks.  Ally was breech so I needed to have a cesarean.I again had the injections and took asprin.  Again I had no signs of Pre-Eclampsia.

Age 30 April 2001 - Gave birth to Bonnie at 38 week by cesarean.  My choice for  cesarean as by this stage we had moved states and this to me seemed the safest option with a medical team around me who were quite out of their depth with what I presented them with. By this time Clexayne (?) had made it's way into treatment. So it took the place of Heparin.  No Pre-Eclampsia.

All three pregnancies I vomited the whole way through and needed to be hospitalised and on a drip due to dehydration. Ugh, that was not nice.But necessary.

And I am still on asprin and our babies are now 22, 20 and 17!

My pregnancies were intense! And I am so thankful for the good health our children entered the world.  

So despite all the hecticness of my pregnancies I remained focused that I was a mum carrying a baby not a medical experiement! And that we were parents willing to do what was necessary for the safety of our babies.

So with that in mind a huge congratulations to you on your pregnancy, I hope your little baby stay's well and best wishes as you navigate the rest of you pregnancy :-)

Hugs and love

Sue

Hi Lucy

Thank-you for reaching out to us and Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Pregnancy after stroke can be a little daunting, so certainly getting yourself equipped with the right information and surrounding yourself with supportive health professional can help ease some of the concerns you may have.  Making the best health decisions will be about finding the right balance for you and your baby, and as you have found, there can be some conflict between the two.

Giving birth following stroke can vary from natural birth or cesarean.  Evidence suggests that your birthing plan should be a comprehensive discussion with your gynaecologist, obstetrician, neurologist and local GP (FUTURE Study).  Having a history of stroke means that you have a number of factors to balance out- looking after your health risks during pregnancy, promoting healthy development of your baby and looking after both of you and bub during labour.

As you have mentioned, Asasantin in not recommended after 6 months during pregnancy as it can potentially affect your developing baby.  The NPS Medicinewise Consumer Medicine Information has some consumer information that you use as a discussion point with your obstetrician, gynaecologist and neurologist.  If it has been a while since you have seen your neurologist, it is worthwhile touching base with them, as you may need to discuss alternative blood thinning options during pregnancy, while giving birth and after giving birth. This can range from injections such as heparin or oral medications.

If you live in a remote area and feel that your local services may not be equipped to manage your case, discuss your concerns with your doctors.  Access to equitable and safe healthcare is important, so options around shared medical care with a larger Women’s hospital may be explored.  In Victoria, you can be linked in with the Royal Women’s Hospital and in NSW the Royal Hospital for Women, particularly if your pregnancy is high risk.  Discuss your options for telehealth consultations and maternity care clinics with a Women's hospital.

Thank-you for starting the conversation about pregnancy after stroke, and Sue for sharing your personal experience with us.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Strokeline 1800 787 653.

Regards

Carol Pham, Strokeline