Von Willebrand Disease and Pregnancy: Connect Your Birth and Bleeding-Care Teams
PeriodsArticleAsk who coordinates your individual plan during pregnancy, delivery and afterward.
In this article
If you have confirmed von Willebrand disease (VWD), bring your pregnancy questions to your care teams.
Connect the teams
CDC2 advises close monitoring during pregnancy and coordination between the bleeding-disorder team and the clinician delivering your baby. Tell your pregnancy-care providers about your VWD.2
- Before pregnancy: Discuss your bleeding disorder with your doctor.2
- For delivery: Ask how your obstetric and bleeding-care teams will coordinate.2
- For pain relief: Ask about meeting an anesthesiologist to review individual options.2
- After birth: Ask whom to contact about bleeding concerns. VWD can increase the risk of serious bleeding after delivery.2
You can put the names and contact details you receive on one page. Leave space for questions you have not yet discussed, and date each answer so that later notes are easy to distinguish.
Keep the plan together
Take your notes to the next conversation. If an answer contains unfamiliar wording, ask for it to be explained before adding it to your page.
Period, Handled includes a visit script. Use it to organize questions alongside the instructions from your treating teams. Explore the book.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It isn't a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your health history. Please don't ignore professional advice or delay getting care because of something you read here. If you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Girl Playbook does not endorse any specific product, test, or provider.
Girl Playbook sells this book. It provides education and worksheets, not individualized medical care.
Sources
The research behind this article, in the order it’s cited. How we source our articles.
- CDC, 2024Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms (opens in a new tab)↩
- CDC, 2024Von Willebrand Disease and Pregnancy (opens in a new tab)abcdef
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