I'm 38+1 today with my second and have a low platelet count. It was 153 at booking and has slowly dropped to 110 (as of two Fridays ago). Last Wednesday my consultant said we should do a membrane sweep this coming Wednesday, and book me in for an induction at 40 weeks - because it'll be safer for me the sooner the baby comes.
I've been speaking to lots of people with varying experiences, as well as a haematologist, an anaesthetist and my midwife. The anaesthetist was the most reassuring - she said she'd give an epidural/spinal block with e platelet count as low as 80, and worse case scenario, I'd have a c-section under general anaesthetic.
..which leads me to wonder, is it really worth the excruciating pain of an induction (and I don't know from personal experience, but I've never heard of a straightforward induction), where one intervention will lead to another, just to be sent in for a c-section? OR shall I decline/delay the induction and wait for my baby to come naturally?
I'm thinking if I monitor my platelet count week by week, I can decide at a later date if an induction may be necessary. I could go for the membrane sweep on Weds, but I've also heard that it's usually not very successful at 38 weeks.
I don't want to obviously put myself in danger. Can anyone else who has/had a low platelet count tell me what they were advised and what actually happened? Should I go for the induction?
This is so stressful. I had no issues with my first pregnancy!
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Childbirth
Low platelets and induction
11 replies
pestleandmortar · 27/07/2014 17:00
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