Long Bleeding Time & Birth

Hey

Have you seen anyone about getting diagnosed?  I have von willebrands disease which can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

I saw a haemotologist, aneasthetist and obstetrician in the weeks before I went into labour and it was decided

1) I had to birth in a hospital

2) I had to have a luer inserted as soon as I arrived in hospital and my blood type located so that if I needed a transfusion there was no mucking around trying to find a vein and the right blood.

3) If I needed a c-section they'd be best to do it under general and they would need to administer DDAVP (which clots the blood)

I'll have to check my birth notes to see what they said about the epidural, I didn't want one so it didn't matter, but I think that I was told it would be ok but the risk of paralysis was higher.  I'm pretty sure my sister (who also has VWB) had epidurals with her babies.

Everything went smoothly.  I had a great labour without any excessive bleeding.  I had to go back to hospital after a couple of weeks because my lochia was extremely heavy but otherwise I had a textbook pregnancy and birth.

Good luck.  I hope everything goes well for you.