Having Chronic Thrombocytopenia and wanting another baby?

[LannaBarnett]

Has anyone from a personal experience gotten pregnant with having chronic ITP? My husband and i would like one day to have another child, but not until the much further future. I was diagnosed with Thrombocytopenia in my last pregnancy, but my platletes didn't get very low until after delivery. Do you think another pregnancy is optional? I have asked my doctor, but he seemed to avoid the question by saying it is a tricky situation.

[Hidden]

Absolutley doable .I have had chronic itp since 1998 has my spleen removed 2000, i have had dapsone, ivig prednisone, dexa methasone and rituxin 4 times. IN between my 2nd and 3rd rituxin I Had a baby. I was closely monitored by heamo and obgyn ended up having to have some treatment during pregnancy but delivered a healthy baby boy. FInd somebody who will help you do it. I know people who have had 3 and 4 itp babies.

[LannaBarnett in reply to Hidden]

That makes me feel a lot better. I absolutely love babies and I think it would crush me to think I couldn't have more.

[lc12345]

Hi, is your doctor an ITP specialist? If so, this is very unusual response. I am supervised by one of the leading specialists in the area and also considering having children at some point. My doctor is not concerned as there are ways to control it if happens during pregnancy without negative effects on a child.

[LannaBarnett in reply to lc12345]

See I live in the united states. I don't think we really have itp specialists here. I see a hematologist.

[Leahgersh in reply to LannaBarnett]

Hi ! Lana. I'm 28. I've had itp for 10 years. And I had a baby boy a year and a half ago!!! He is a perfect healthy boy. My pregnancy wasn't too difficult besides after 5 months I got Ivig treatment to keep plalettes up. I'm going to try for my second baby soon!!!! I hope you find the best doctor because my delivery was perfect. Zero bleeding. I hope you do have a child!!! That's what life is about. Let me know if you have any questions. I live in NJ. Where are you?

[LannaBarnett in reply to Leahgersh]

I live in Joplin, Mo. Its great that you got into contact with me though, because I'm super nervous about getting pregnant with itp.

[Katewag]

I was diagnosed during my fourth pregnancy, we struggle to get my platelets out of single figures. My baby is now 5 months and we are still in single figures despite numerous drugs. I saw my consultant two weeks ago, she told me that she hadn't said no to me having any more babies. I don't want any more babies, I have four which is more than enough, but my point is, I have a fantastic consultant who would support me and be willing to see me through another pregnancy. I went into my last labour with a single figure platelet count. Good luck Hun, with the right support it is doable! Xxxx

[Leahgersh in reply to Katewag]

Wow that's Amazing. Hope your counts go up soon!! Congrats on the new baby !

[Anna77M]

Yes it is. They just need to monitor you. I have had ITP since childhood and now have two kids if my own. First pregnancy I was put on prednisone for last half, second pregnancy I was great! Neither one of my girls got it either. Best of luck to you!

[LannaBarnett in reply to Anna77M]

My main reason for asking this question is my first pregnancy was simple I didn't have any platelet issues. With our second son I had it platelet problems since the beginning and he was born with a count of 54,000. Which all my doctors were surprised, because it is very uncommon for the child to be born with Thrombocytopenia. Luckily his count has gone up. The last time they checked it was 245,000. So we got very lucky. My concern is the next baby wouldn't be as fortunate. I'm afraid I may ruin that babies life, because the Thrombocytopenia won't go away. How was it having it as a child? Did you get to have a normal dangerous childhood? Were you able to play sports in school and cut up your knees from riding a bike?

[Anna77M in reply to LannaBarnett]

I wasn't able to do anything actually. No p.e from elementary all through high school. (I did do dance though) but they didn't even want me to use a regular razor to shave my legs..(electric is what they wanted me to use). Although back then (a little over 20 yrs ago) they didn't even give me treatment. They just monitored my counts with blood work and wanted at the time to take my spleen out but my mom refused. Thank god! I don't even think I would do it now. Kids do usually (they say) out grow it but there is a chance of them not (like me) and it being chronic.

[LannaBarnett in reply to Anna77M]

With my youngest having out grown his Thrombocytopenia two weeks after birthiI'm pretty confident he won't have to deal with it later in life. I do believe if I had another it would have the same chances.

[alice_sportyauthor in reply to LannaBarnett]

With reference to the child being born with ITP. Both my children turned out fit and healthy, but they were both checked for three days after they arrived, my Drs said that there was a very slim chance that the childs immune system would 'learn' ITP from me and would be born with ITP that remained, slightly higher chance that the baby might be born showing signs of ITP that will disappear once the baby is removed from the 'mother environment', but they told me that the 'most likely' outcome is that the child will be born healthy and well.

Good Luck

[Katewag in reply to LannaBarnett]

When my Baby girl was born she had a count of 96, day 2 it went to 45, day 3 she was at 25. The anti body eating my platelets had passed through the placentre during labour, but as my baby was not making the antibody it was just a case of waiting for it to die out in her. In day 4 her counts went steadily up and now at 5 months she is perfectly happy and content with a normal platelet count. in the days after her birth she had a cranial scan to ensure there had been no haemorrhaging, but she was fine. I was really lucky to have such a great support network and consultant looking after me X

[Hidden]

Firstly I wouldnt say it is very uncommon for a child to be born with it I know of a mum whose all four children were born with it. More often than not in children itp is acute but not always. Depending on which country you are in children are more often than not watch and wait and not given unnecesary medication and improve on their own. Each person experience is different as is each childs. Both myself and my son have ITP and he was not born with it. I do not wrap him in cotton wool I Have all the neccesary plans in place at school and in life. He does not play contact sports or play on his trampoline when he is below say 20,000 but other than that I try to keep his life very normal. We only treated when he had a very long bleed and he spent over 2 weeks with a count of 2000 on watch and wait protocol. He also has ASD so I chose not to have him treated with steroids but with ivig. As for ITP experts head over to pdsa.org you do have some of the very best ITP expert doctors in the US. If your child is born with or develops itp later in life it can be managed.It is important to remember that every case is different and that what one persons normal number is not anothers. Its better to treat symptoms not numbers as peoples platelet production or destruction is also different.

[LannaBarnett in reply to Hidden]

Your a very brave women!! This is why I joined this site. I was feeling hopeless and alone, but knowing I can live normally and if one of my kids have the same they can live some what normal lives too!