Pregnancy & Postpartum VTE Information for Patients

Three years before becoming pregnant, I experienced a pulmonary embolism (PE). Because of that, I was fortunate to already know a little about blood clots and the warning signs. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was started on blood-thinning injections. They gave me reassurance, and I believed I was being protected. What I didn't realise was that being on treatment didn't mean I was completely out of danger.

My name's Maria, and in 1996 I was pregnant with my son Stuart. I was so excited to be a mum but had no idea what drama was in front of me.

In September 2012, I underwent open-heart surgery to have my aortic valve replaced with a mechanical heart valve.  From then on, anticoagulation became an even more important part of my life, protecting both my valve and reducing my risk of another thrombosis. I always knew pregnancy would need careful planning.

Natasha’s experience of DVT during pregnancy tested her physically and emotionally—but led to a deeply positive and supported birth

My clot was found at 34 weeks pregnancy. Prior to it being found I’d had leg cramping my community midwife had passed off as “normal pregnancy pains” and I’d had chest pains that were investigated with no known cause.

In 2015 Fern gave birth by c-section, in what she was led to believe to be a ‘textbook delivery and recovery’, so when she developed pain she presumed it was just a pulled muscle.