You might be surprised to learn that up to 8% of pregnancies are considered high risk. Fortunately, with careful monitoring and testing, most high-risk pregnancies are healthy and end with safe deliveries of healthy babies. James Neal, MD, and Florence Villa Quinata, MD, offer expert obstetrics care for high-risk pregnancies at Platinum Women’s Health in Murrieta and Temecula, California. If you’re looking for compassionate and expert obstetricians, call one of the offices or make an appointment online today.
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:
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.
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.
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.
