Hematologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Blood clots during pregnancy and after delivery | CION Cancer Clinics
DVT in pregnancy is treated with daily low-molecular-weight heparin injections, which do not cross the placenta and so do not reach your baby. Treatment usually continues through pregnancy and for a period after the birth, when risk is highest. Sudden breathlessness or chest pain needs 108 or an emergency department now. This page explains the tests, labour planning, breastfeeding and what to ask your team. At CION Cancer Clinics, our haematologist cares for anaemia, bleeding, clotting and inherited blood disorders, with ArogyaSri, CGHS and cashless insurance accepted.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Basudev PokhrelConsultant Haematologist · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How is DVT treated in pregnancy?
- What happens if a clot is suspected while you are pregnant?
- How does treatment change from pregnancy to after the birth?
- Which blood thinners are used in pregnancy and breastfeeding?
- What do families often get wrong about clots in pregnancy?
- What can this page not tell you about your own pregnancy?
- Common questions about DVT in pregnancy
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Signs that need help now, in pregnancy or after the birth
Sudden breathlessness, chest pain that is worse when you breathe in, coughing up blood or fainting can mean a clot in the lungs. Call 108 or go to the nearest emergency department at once and say you are pregnant or have recently given birth. A painful, swollen, warm calf or thigh on one side needs to be checked the same day. Do not put these down to normal pregnancy swelling.
The short answer
How is DVT treated in pregnancy?
A deep vein clot in pregnancy is treated with daily injections of low-molecular-weight heparin, a blood thinner that does not cross the placenta and so does not reach your baby. The injections usually continue for the rest of the pregnancy and for a period after the birth.
Why pregnancy raises the risk
Your blood naturally clots more easily in pregnancy. This is the body preparing to limit bleeding at the birth. The growing womb also presses on the large veins from the legs, so blood flows more slowly. The risk stays raised for some weeks after delivery, and is higher after a caesarean, a long labour, heavy bleeding or an infection.
Who is more likely to have a clot
A previous clot, a close relative with clots, an inherited clotting condition, being older at pregnancy, carrying extra weight, twins, IVF, smoking, severe vomiting with dehydration and long periods of bed rest all add to the risk. If any of these apply, tell your obstetrician early. Some women are offered preventive injections before any clot has happened.
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, simply means a clot in one of the deep veins, usually in the leg.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistFrom suspicion to treatment
What happens if a clot is suspected while you are pregnant?
Examination and ultrasound
A Doppler ultrasound of the leg is the usual first test. It uses sound waves, has no radiation and is safe for your baby.
Treatment often starts before the result
If the scan cannot be done quickly, your doctor may start heparin injections straight away and stop them only if the test is clear.
A chest scan if the lungs are involved
For a suspected lung clot, a chest X-ray and a lung scan are needed. The radiation to the baby is very small, and missing a lung clot is far more dangerous for both of you.
A plan shared by two teams
Your obstetrician and a haematologist agree the injections, the blood tests needed, and a written plan for labour and after delivery.
Stage by stage
How does treatment change from pregnancy to after the birth?
The medicine is the same idea throughout. What changes is the timing around labour and what is safe while breastfeeding.
During pregnancy
You, or a family member, learn to give the injection into the skin of the tummy or thigh. Bruising at the site is common and harmless. Compression stockings may be advised for leg swelling and discomfort.
Tell your team about
- Any bleeding from the vagina
- Large or spreading bruises
Around labour
A blood thinner in your body affects whether an epidural or spinal anaesthetic can be given. Your team gives you written instructions on what to do with the injection when labour starts or before a planned caesarean. Follow those exactly.
After delivery
This is when the risk is highest. The injections are restarted once bleeding is controlled and continue for several weeks. Some women move to warfarin tablets at this stage, with regular INR blood tests.
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Side by side
Which blood thinners are used in pregnancy and breastfeeding?
During pregnancy
While breastfeeding
Heparin injections are the standard choice
Heparin injections remain suitable
Warfarin is usually avoided, as it can harm the baby's development
Warfarin can be used, as very little passes into breast milk
Newer tablets such as apixaban and rivaroxaban are not used
Newer tablets are generally not advised while breastfeeding
Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about clots in pregnancy?
"Swollen legs are normal in pregnancy, so it can wait."
Mild swelling of both ankles is common. Swelling of one leg, especially with pain, warmth or redness, is different and needs a same-day check. It is always better to be told it is nothing.
"The injections will hurt the baby."
Low-molecular-weight heparin does not cross the placenta. An untreated clot is the real danger, because it can travel to the lungs. Worry about the needle is understandable, and the nurse can show you ways to make it easier.
"After the baby is born, the danger is over."
The weeks after delivery carry the highest risk of all. This is why treatment continues after the birth, even when you feel well and are busy with a newborn.
"She must rest in bed until the clot is gone."
Long bed rest makes clots more likely. Once treatment has started, gentle walking is usually encouraged. Ask your team what level of activity suits you.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you about your own pregnancy?
This page cannot tell you how long you will need injections, whether your next pregnancy will need preventive treatment, or how your delivery should be planned. Those depend on where the clot was, what caused it, your weight, your kidney function and your own and family history.
Questions worth asking before you leave hospital
Ask who to call if you have bleeding or new swelling. Ask what to do with the injection if labour starts at night. Ask whether you should be tested for an inherited clotting condition or antiphospholipid syndrome (an immune condition that makes blood clot and can affect pregnancy), and when that test is meaningful, since results can be misleading during pregnancy and treatment.
Thinking about the future
A clot in pregnancy matters for later decisions too. Some hormonal contraceptives, including the combined pill, may not suit you afterwards. Before another pregnancy, talk to your doctor about a prevention plan. CION's haematology team can review your reports and work alongside your obstetrician.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about DVT in pregnancy
Is heparin safe for my baby?
Low-molecular-weight heparin is the blood thinner most widely used in pregnancy because it does not cross the placenta. Like any medicine it has side effects for the mother, mainly bruising and a small risk of bleeding. Your team weighs this against the much larger danger of an untreated clot.
Can I have a normal delivery on blood thinners?
Many women do. A clot is not on its own a reason for a caesarean. What it does change is the timing of the injections and whether an epidural can be given. Discuss the delivery plan with your obstetrician and haematologist well before your due date.
Can I breastfeed while taking injections?
Yes. Heparin injections are considered suitable while breastfeeding, and so is warfarin. The newer blood thinner tablets are generally not advised while you are feeding. If you are moved onto a tablet, confirm with your doctor that it suits breastfeeding.
My daughter-in-law's leg is swollen after a caesarean. Is it a clot?
It may or may not be. Some swelling after surgery is common. Swelling of one leg with pain, warmth or redness, or any breathlessness, needs a same-day medical check. Go to the hospital where she delivered or the nearest emergency department. Do not wait to see if it settles.
Who gives the injections at home?
Most women learn to give them to themselves, and a nurse shows you how before you go home. A husband, mother or other family member can learn too. Use a sharps box or a hard plastic bottle for used needles, and ask the hospital how to dispose of it.
Will I need blood thinners in my next pregnancy?
Often, yes. A previous clot is one of the strongest reasons for preventive injections in a later pregnancy, usually started early. The exact plan depends on why the first clot happened. Tell your obstetrician about it as soon as you know you are pregnant again.
Should I get a thrombophilia test?
Not everyone needs one, and results can change the plan only in some cases. Tests can be unreliable during pregnancy and while on blood thinners, so timing matters. A haematologist can tell you whether testing is useful for you and when it should be done.
Is treatment covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Maternity and clot treatment may be covered in part under Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS, PM-JAY or your cashless insurance, but each has its own rules and maternity limits. Those rules change, so check your current cover with the scheme or insurer before the costs build up.
Your Haematologist
Meet CION's haematologist. One specialist for your blood report and your plan.
Dr. Basudev Pokhrel reviews blood counts, transfusion needs and blood disorders, and works with the CION tumour board on blood cancers.
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Sources
- NHS — Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- NICE — Venous thromboembolic diseases: diagnosis, management and thrombophilia testing (NG158)
- American Society of Hematology — Blood Clots
- NHLBI — Venous Thromboembolism
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Clotting, Thrombosis and AnticoagulationThe full guide to clots and blood thinnersDVT Explained: Symptoms and UrgencyHow to tell a clot from ordinary swellingPulmonary Embolism: Recognising ItThe lung clot signs that need 108Thrombophilia Testing: Who Actually Needs ItWhether a clotting test is worth doing, and whenAntiphospholipid SyndromeAn immune cause of clots that affects pregnancy
Talk to us
Had a clot in pregnancy or after delivery?
Share your scan and blood reports. Our haematology team will review them and work alongside your obstetrician on the plan.