How Can Pregnant Women Protect Themselves From The Risk Of Thrombosis?

The risk of blood clots forming in the veins becomes especially high for pregnant women and new mothers. A gynecologist reveals how the risk of thrombosis can be reduced.

Muneer Mansour from the Ameos St. Clemens Clinic in Oberhausen, Germany, points out that pregnant women should pay particular attention to getting enough exercise, as this can effectively prevent thrombosis.

Compared to other women, the risk of thrombosis increases sixfold in pregnant women.

Women who have recently given birth are also at increased risk during the first six weeks after delivery, so this recommendation applies to them as well.

An enzyme is the reason

The reason: During pregnancy and in the period afterward, the body produces more thrombin, an enzyme for blood clotting. “What is extremely important for closing a wound is, however, potentially life-threatening as a clot inside a vein,” warns Mansour. Because then there is a risk of clotting and clumping, which can block a blood vessel.

Light exercise can prevent this from happening. “The best exercise is in water,” says Muneer Mansour. The water pressure exerts a kind of gentle compression on the veins. Special yoga for expectant mothers, walking, and dancing also have a preventive effect.

Rest in the correct position

If you are not very keen on sports and prefer to lie on the couch, the doctor recommends lying on your left side: “This relieves pressure on the vena cava,” explains the doctor.

And if you want to elevate your legs, it is better to do so at a 90-degree angle. Also important to reduce the risk of thrombosis is to drink plenty of water.