BUT I WANT AN EPIDURAL!!

I've started going to the OB/GYN every two weeks now. I found out a few weeks ago that my platelets were low. Not critically low, just low. They wanted to re-check them at my next visit. I had my 32 week visit yesterday and had more blood work done. My doctor called me and told me she had good news and bad news. The good news was my duplex was normal (more on that in a little bit.) The bad news is that my platelets had dropped even more and are now 80. Platelets obviously affect your ability to clot which can be a concern during labor and delivery. Another important fact about having low platelets when you're pregnant is that if they're too low you can't have an epidural. I've learned that generally, they want your platelets to be 100 or greater. If your platelets are low you are at greater risk of bleeding inside your spinal column when they do the epidural. You could develop an epidural hematoma, which if severe enough, can lead to paralysis. So there is a very good reason they're monitoring this. I still have a few weeks before our baby boy is due to arrive so I'm hoping my platelets will come back up. They're sending me to see a hematologist to try to determine why my platelets are low. They'll re-check my labs next week. I had an epidural with my other deliveries and was planning on having one again. I think if we didn't have so much going on right now I would be even more worried about this. I guess I'm lucky that I don't have much time to focus on it. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to increase my platelet count on my own. There are medications that can do this but most aren't safe to use during pregnancy. It would be great if there were some platelet rich foods I could eat. :)

My OB/GYN also had good news when she called. They sent me to have a duplex of my left leg to rule out a DVT (blood clot.) My left calf had been sore for about 5 days. Visually, it doesn't look different than my right leg but they wanted a duplex to make sure. So the good news is I don't have a DVT.

And there is other good news. Our baby boy is growing and doing well. And of course, he is worth every single one of these doctor's visits and blood draws. Epidural or not, we're looking forward to his arrival!