High Risk Pregnancy Specialist

What is a high-risk pregnancy?

A high-risk pregnancy occurs when you have a medical condition that threatens the health or life of you and/or your baby. The underlying problem could impact the mother’s or baby’s health, affect the ability to carry a full-term pregnancy or lead to complications during delivery.

What pre-existing conditions cause a high-risk pregnancy?

Women younger than 17 or over the age of 35 have a high-risk pregnancy because they have a higher chance of developing complications. You also have a high-risk pregnancy if you previously delivered an underweight baby or had a baby born with congenital disabilities.

Women can have health conditions before getting pregnant that increase their risk of problems during pregnancy and delivery. A few examples include:

• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Autoimmune diseases
• Chronic infections
• Chronic heart, lung, and kidney disease
   

Your pregnancy is also treated as a high risk if you decide to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC). 

What high-risk conditions occur during pregnancy?

Anyone carrying more than one baby has a high-risk pregnancy. You can also develop health problems during your pregnancy that change your status to high risk.

High-risk conditions that may appear during pregnancy include:

• Anemia
• Gestational diabetes
• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Placenta covering the cervix
• Rh sensitization
• Viral or bacterial disease
• Preeclampsia (high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy)
  
  

You also have a high-risk pregnancy if you take drugs (prescription or illegal) that can affect the baby’s development. Cigarette smokers may also have a high-risk pregnancy.

What services do I need during a high-risk pregnancy?

Your provider schedules more frequent prenatal check-ups so they can closely monitor your health and catch potential problems early. You may also need extra blood tests or more frequent ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy.

Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, treats your underlying conditions or coordinates your care with a specialist if needed. Your provider may talk with you about genetic testing, depending on the reason for your high-risk pregnancy or if you have a family history of congenital disabilities.

All women receive routine genetic screenings during their prenatal care. Genetic testing involves additional procedures that identify chromosomal and genetic disorders.

For the first step, you may decide to have a targeted ultrasound that reveals some chromosomal conditions. Otherwise, you may need more invasive testing such as amniocentesis (using a needle to get a sample of the amniotic fluid) or chorionic villus sampling (taking a tissue sample from the placenta).

Women with a high-risk pregnancy can depend on the expertise of the team at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC. To schedule an appointment, call the office or book online today.