MPDs in pregnancy

MPDs can increase the risks in pregnancy - but planning makes a difference.

Many people are diagnosed with an MPD in their twenties and thirties – the time in life when many of us are establishing careers and starting families. It can come as an unwelcome surprise to learn not just that you have an MPD, but that this disorder may affect your ability to start a family. You might have learned you had an MPD when you had your first blood test after becoming pregnant. This news may have come as a shock.

The risks are real

MPDs can increase the risk of miscarriage both early and late in pregnancy. MPDs can also increase the risk of the mother developing pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition in which a woman develops high blood pressure during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have MPDs need to be carefully monitored by their health care team including their haematologist, obstetrician and midwife to watch for and manage any problems that may develop.

The good news about MPDs in pregnancy

The good news is that it having an MPD doesn’t have to prevent you from having children. The most important factor when you are thinking about starting a family is planning and working together with your health care team. It’s key to discuss your plans together with your haematologist and your GP before you become pregnant (if possible) and while you are pregnant.