High Risk Pregnancy

What makes a pregnancy high risk?

Many factors contribute to high-risk pregnancies. Maternal age is the most common reason for a high-risk pregnancy. If you’re over 35 or under 17, your chances of pregnancy complications increase. Other issues that factor into a high-risk pregnancy include:

• Maternal health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease
• Health conditions that develop during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes
• A history of miscarriage or other pregnancy and delivery complications
• Maternal obesity
• Multiple babies
• Genetic disorders
• Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or drug use

If you have any health problems, such as anemia, asthma, or an autoimmune disease, make sure to mention them to your obstetrician to ensure you get the best possible care throughout your pregnancy.

Most high-risk pregnancies don’t result in any complications for mother or baby. However, your obstetrician may recommend more frequent prenatal checkups and additional testing to monitor your health and the development of your baby.

What type of care do I need during a high-risk pregnancy?

Dr. Neal and Dr. Quinata provide customized care and advice to help you stay healthy throughout your pregnancy. In general, you can expect more frequent checkups. Women with average-risk pregnancies have a monthly prenatal checkup for the first 28 weeks of their pregnancies, then biweekly appointments until week 36, and then weekly checkups until the baby is born.

Your obstetrician may recommend additional genetic screening and testing to identify your baby’s risk of genetic abnormalities. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease, your doctor provides customized advice and monitoring to help you maintain your health throughout your pregnancy.

If you smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs, your doctor can also provide support to help you quit.

What can I do to protect my baby and my health?

You can take several steps to improve and protect your health during a high-risk pregnancy. First, come in for all of your prenatal checkups and screening appointments. You should also make sure to eat a balanced diet and take a prenatal vitamin. While you’re pregnant, you only need around an extra 200 calories a day to support your babies needs.

It’s also important to stay active throughout your pregnancy, if your health allows. Your obstetrician can provide advice on what activities are safe for you and whether you’ll need to find less rigorous types of exercise as your pregnancy progresses.

If you’re looking for friendly obstetricians who are experienced in taking care of women and babies throughout high-risk pregnancies, call Platinum Women’s Health or make an appointment online today.