Pregnancy Info HOME

Hello. I'm new to this forum and just found out I'm ANA positive. I love hearing your success stories. It gives me hope that I will have another successful pregnancy. I m/c my first preganacy, gave birth to a healthy little girl 15 mos ago and just found out that I'm pregnant again. I got the ANA news just days after I found out I was pregnant. Now, I'm much more concerned about another m/c. I couldn't get in to see the rhumy for another 4 weeks. Did your OB's tell you to take the baby asprin?? My OB said they'll do more tests if I m/c again. I really don't want to wait and see. Again, so nice to have others to talk to. I hope you are all well!

Hey Jenny, just wondering if you received my email? I sent a reply directly to the address you sent from.

hi to all the new posters! and to cathy, yes, i've emailed you back. to lynda, don't know anything about stopping lovenox, maybe someone on the forum will? katie, my ob said the same thing yours did--but there are others on this forum with the same condition (ANA only) who were advised to take baby aspirin.

Hello all! I've got some questions for everyone. But here is a quick history. I had a baby at 25 weeks, who lived but is now special needs. Went to Dr to find out why and I have a high ANA 1:320, and high anticardiolipin antibody. They said I could have another baby and it should be fine, but I will be closely watched. Here I am at 10 weeks, after two miscarriages and the Dr I saw is no longer covered under my insurance. My new high risk guy won't see me for 4 more weeks. I'm on the baby asprin, but worried I may need more. Is there anyone out there who has the ANA and anticardiolipin and only did baby asprin? If you took other meds when did you start them? I'm really frustraed at the new place because they refuse to see me earlier. Am I just worrying too much? Thanks for any advice!!

Hi Cathy and all--
We did have our baby on 2/24 and we are all doing well! I look forward to hearing about your cute baby soon too :) I went to prenatal testing at the hospital 2X/week from 28 weeks until I had her. At 37.5 weeks, they saw on the monitor that I was in early labor (really early-- I wasn't hurting much) but they decided to let me be induced so I didn't have to live in fear unnecesarliy for the next couple weeks. I haven't written in quite a while-- don't think that I mentioned after our stillbirth at 36 weeks when I had the positive ANA (1:160) I asked my dr to test two more times which he did. Both of those tests came back negative. He and a perientologist told me that there was no reason to keep testing, if it is negative it is negative. I don't understand this, as we know that at least one time it was positive?? The perientologist did run some other blood tests though and discovered that I have a mutation for Factor V Leiden and was positive for either Protein C or S (I don't remember which one-- I can look it up if anyone is interested in knowing). They kept me on the aspirin throughout my pregnancy, had me take an additional prescription prenatal w/ extra folic acid, and a 1MG addtional folic acid pill daily. It was a very emotional and difficult year/pregnancy for me but I feel like the cloud has finally lifted. I keep all of you who are still trying to get pregnant or are already in my thoughts and prayers. And I celebrate with those of you who have come through with successful stories!!

Hello everyone! Haven't checked in for a while. I am currently 21 weeks pregnant and taking baby aspirin daily. This pregnancy has gone fine so far. Got my ANA checked a couple of months before getting pregnant and it was negative. The doctor has not checked it since I've been pregnant. The doctor says I will continue taking the baby aspirin right through till the end for the antiphospholipid antibodies problem that I have. Hope everybody is doing well. Cathy, let us know how everything is with you. Good luck everybody!

renee & others--congrats! re: ana in pregnancy, and reverting to negative after, i have read/heard repeatedly that for some women ana and other antibodies appear only during pregnancy. that's why my rheumi was upset with me that i didn't come in during my short pregnancy to see if other antibodies (i always have ana) may have developed and to retest the ana....

Hey all! I really hope everyone is doing well and hope that baby dust is in the air. I am the same Kim from many threads ago...still pregnant with twins..now at 27 weeks. All is well as far as I know....Still taking baby aspirin for the elevated ANA although my OB doesn't approve. Does anyone know if and when one comes off of the baby aspirin? Since my ob was against it...don't want to ask her...not seeing peri anymore. With a high ANA only (prior to pregnancy) how much other risks are there? Do I need to take further precautions? THANKS and hoping and praying for our forum!

Kim, I was on baby aspirin throughout my entire pregnancy. My OB, perientologist, and general practice drs all recommended this. I'm actually still taking it-- I have been told by a couple doctors that they take one every day too. The dose is so small that it shouldn't cause any bad side effects unless I have a problem with ulcers, which I don't. I don't know about further precautions that should be taken, other than weekly fetal montoring to check movement and fluid levels

Kim,
I had a baby via IVF and they always have you on baby asprin. I did not know I had a high ANA. My first PG it took the baby asprin the whole time, they forgot to tell me to stop taking it. My second PG I stopped at about 19 weeks and my son came at 25 weeks. There was a blood clot in my placenta and it caused labor. I'm PG with my third, naturally (yeah!!) and will stay on the baby asprin the whole time. Good luck!!

My OB said to consider stopping at 36 weeks, to decrease chance of too much bleeding during birth or c-section. She also suggested I might check with anesthesiolgist on what they recommended.

Hi all!! I just had a miscarriage at 18wks. It was horrible...had to be induced and deliver and everything. I too just found out that my ANA is slightly elevated 1:80. Going to try to get pregnant again soon. Nice to hear that people have had normal pregnancies. Am going to repeat the test in few weeks, but worried due to a small rash on my face that I have been battling (not hallmark lupus, but a rash at that). I am worried.

All: hoping somebody can help me out here. I posted before, am 11 weeks pregnant an was on Lovenox and aspirin. Then they found on u/s at 6 weeks that I developed intra-uterine bleeding !! and had to stop all meds. The bleed seems to have been "re-absorbed" and doctor wants me to start aspirin again in a week. Did anybody have problems with bleeding ? (only showing on us)
thanks

I am so happy to have found this page, I have one son, my precious angel who is now 26 months. Last year I suffered two miscarriages, one in June and the other in September. My OBGYN ran some blood and found that I tested slightly positive for ana and slightly positive anticardiolipin antibody IGG. I tested negative for lupus antinogulant antibody. I had gone to a reumi to get an opinion because I did have some slight joint pain after the first miscarriage and after a physical evaluation and viewing the blood work, he stated that he see's no signs of a systematic disorder, such as lupus. I later went to a reproductive specialist which unfortunatly now I am also getting a divorce so pregnancy is not an option at this point but I wanted her to re-test me being it was a few months after the second miscarriage, the anticardiolipin was now negative. i guess I am writing because deep down I am concerned that there could be a possibility of having lupus and I would'nt want to be sick now at 40, when I have a toddler son and I am a single parent. But it seems to me that these antibodies are not uncommon in healthy women as I have read and I guess that makes me feel a little more at ease. I wish you all the best of luck with your current or future pregnancies. :-) having my son is the greatet acomplishment of my entire life.

Hello everyone:
sorry i have been out of touch..coming to this page makes me nervous. I am almost 36 weeks now w/ twins and have a c section scheduled in one week...the wait is so hard! I worry about them every day and they are so squeezed in that they scarcely move! I check their hb's with BeBe sounds monitor 3x/day. I hope they are ok...my last u/s was 3 weeks ago and dr will not do another to check fluid level! I really hate my dr but can't really change...I had 2 prev m/c's w/ ana elevated and my whole preg. dr wouldn't ck ANA just even to make me feel better. Now she won't ck fluid level. I am still on baby aspirin (she didn't approve but I took). I was thinking- w/ one week out, twins and a c section should i cut back to every other day or discontinue? Yes I am self medicating but felt I had to do something! I really wish you all my prayers and thoughts towards sucessful pregnancies to come!! thanks fou your support- KIM :)

I kinda stumbled into this forum, and although I don't see the date you posted this - I have a few answers for you. I developed Lupus with my first pg with my son. And I am now 7wks pg with my 2nd. You can have a low positive ANA titer (test for lupus) and be okay. But if it is elevated - there is cause for concern and close monitoring by your OB/GYN and a Perinatologist (high risk OB Dr.). For instance... 1:40 or > is considered positive. I just had my ANA titer done and mine is 1:774 - which is high. Lupus is most often developed in women and most of those women develop it during hormonal changes such as pg. One side effect of lupus is that your body often produces significantly lower levels of progesterone - which is necessary to maintain a pg (critical the first 12 wks) until the placenta is developed and in place maintaining the pg. Both my pgs I have had to supplement with progesterone to aid in the minimizing the chance of a miscarriage. You may not always have symptons apparent to you (joint stiffness, etc), but your doctor needs to monitor your kidneys/livers very closely during your pg. If you want to contact me for more information, please feel free at sillyhen@yahoo.com!