Many women need specialized prenatal care due to factors that make their pregnancy high-risk. While it can be a little scary to learn that you have a high-risk pregnancy, rest assured that our team at The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group supports you on every step of your journey.
Our skilled obstetrics team specializes in advanced prenatal care for women who may be at special risk for pregnancy complications.
We offer routine checkups, diagnostic testing services, and labor and delivery plans that focus on the unique challenges you and your unborn baby face.
A high-risk pregnancy describes any pregnancy where the expectant mother or fetus is at a greater risk for complications. Having a high-risk pregnancy doesn’t mean you will have a complex journey, but it does indicate that you need extra care before childbirth and during labor and delivery.
Here are seven factors that can contribute to a high-risk pregnancy:
The maternal age of an expectant mother can increase risk factors for pregnancy complications.
Adolescent girls may be more likely to have preterm labor and high blood pressure concerns. Women over age 35 may be at special risk for gestational diabetes and heart disease. Genetic disorders, such as Down’s syndrome, are also more common in babies carried by older women.
Women with Type 1, Type 2, or gestational diabetes can be at an increased risk for complications during pregnancy. High blood sugar levels can cause health problems in both the mother and the baby and increase the risk factors for preterm delivery, birth defects, and stillbirths.
Carrying twins, triples, or other multiples can increase a mother’s risk for high blood pressure, preterm labor, and complications during labor and delivery.
Women with chronic high blood pressure can be at special risk for kidney failure, heart failure, and bleeding on the brain during pregnancy.
For the unborn baby, high blood pressure in the mother can increase risk factors for preeclampsia, which is a condition that can slow fetal growth and lead to preterm labor and pregnancy loss.
If you have a history of miscarriages or other pregnancy complications, you’ll likely need high-risk pregnancy monitoring for all additional pregnancies.
The heart needs to work harder during pregnancy to pump out enough blood. Mothers with existing heart disease may be more susceptible to complications from the excess strain on their hearts during pregnancy.
Expectant mothers with a history of blood clots may need specialized prenatal care to prevent new ones from forming.
The services we offer to women with high-risk pregnancies have many things in common with the services we offer to women who have low-risk pregnancies. However, we may recommend more frequent checkups than usual to closely monitor your health and your baby’s development.
Furthermore, you may also need to undergo more frequent or specialized testing, including:
Our obstetrics team can also discuss your options for childbirth. We customize a labor and delivery plan to address any complications that may arise, so you can know what to expect in advance.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy and want a great team by your side, or if you want to see if you may have a high-risk pregnancy, we can help. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group today.
