Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

People often associate pregnancy with fatigue and morning sickness but one more thing that pregnancy brings along with itself is the risk of blood clots.  Blood clots during pregnancy are termed as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  This is a preventable condition which is associated with blood clots that get formed inside the veins.

Infact, pregnant females are about 7 times more at the risk of DVT than other women who are not pregnant.  One of the main reasons why DVT is dangerous or a risky condition is because if it is left untreated, it has the potential to break freely and enter the bloodstream. One of the main risk factors associated with blood clots during pregnancy is that the clot moves to the lungs or heart which may lead to death.

Prevention of blood clots

• Keep moving

One of the best ways to prevent blood clots during pregnancy is to keep moving and be active.  Blood clots are often caused due to having more weight than normal body weight. Being overweight affects the blood flow and leads to blood clots and hence maintaining a healthy weight through movement is very important.

• Wearing compression stockings

Wearing compression stockings is another way to prevent blood clots during pregnancy.  These stockings help to improve the circulation. The improvement of circulation helps to reduce swelling in the legs. By reducing this swelling, the chances are bright that the clot will dissolve.  Wearing compression stockings can lower down the risk of Deep vein thrombosis or DVT in pregnancy.

• Drink plenty of water

Another amazing and tried and tested way to prevent blood clots is to have a lot of water.  Staying hydrated during the time of pregnancy helps in reduction of blood clots. Drinking plenty of water keeps the blood from getting too thick and helps prevent blood clots.

• Get up during travel

If you are flying during pregnancy, then make it a point to get up every now and then and take a little walk.  Even while you are sitting down, do some ankle roll exercises to keep the blood flow up and improve the circulation.

Causes of blood clot formation during pregnancy

There are many causes of blood clots during pregnancy. The following are some of the major ones:

• One of the causes for Deep Vein thrombosis is hormonal changes due to pregnancy.  There is a lot of circulating of estrogen during pregnancy and this can lead to development of blood clots.
• Those women who have any kind of genetic clotting disorders may also be at a higher risk of DVT during pregnancy.
• Being overweight during pregnancy is one of the major causes of blood clots during pregnancy.
• If the female has been smoking prior to the pregnancy or even during the pregnancy then there are more chances of having blood clots.
• Being 35 or older when you get pregnant may also be one of the causes of deep vein thrombosis.

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