Many women have high-risk
pregnancies and sail through the gestational months with high marks.
Doctors and other health professionals are able to care for women
who fall under this umbrella so that at the end of nine months, a healthy
infant is placed in his mother’s waiting arms.
But what is a high-risk
pregnancy?
Many factors define the
condition but in general it is a pregnancy that needs extra attention. In some
cases, the pregnant woman will go exclusively to a doctor who is trained in caring for high-risk
cases; in others, she will have a few visits with the specialist in addition to
appointments with her regular obstetrician.
Who Is at Risk?
The women most at risk for
these pregnancies are those with pre-existing conditions such as high blood
pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, epilepsy, and kidney disease.
Also at risk are women who
smoke, drink alcohol in excess, use drugs, or are extremely over or
underweight. Doctors put women in the high-risk pool who have had multiple
miscarriages, multiple births (twins, triplets), previous problem pregnancies,
or have genetic conditions running in their families.
Some women develop conditions as their pregnancies
progress that make them high risk. The most common of these are
preeclampsia and eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. With good medical care
these can be controlled.
Most doctors categorize both very young (teenagers) and older women as being high risk, too. Of course, there are
always extenuating circumstances in any of these and other incidences.
What Should You Do?
If you are considered high risk,
find a doctor you trust and follow his or her advice to the letter. Ask questions and listen to his
answers. Put
yourself in her hands for the coming months.
This means going to every
appointment, which most likely will be more frequent than those for other
women. It means showing up for all tests ordered by the doctor, which could be
critical to your child’s development, your health, or both.
Eat a healthful diet and stay away
from alcohol. Talk to your doctor about this and take his advice on supplements
and vitamins, too.
Take no medication that is not
prescribed or ordered by the doctor. This goes for over-the-counter medications
and vitamins. If you have a cold, call your doctor before grabbing something at
the pharmacy.
Exercise only as directed by your
physician. Ask her about walking, running, yoga, biking—anything that involves
more than just everyday moving around your house, office, and town.
Avoid people who smoke (second-hand
smoke is not good for you or the baby). Try to limit exposure to colds. Wash
your hands even more often than normal to limit germs. Get plenty of sleep. In other words, think a
little more carefully about your overall health than normal.
A high-risk pregnancy does not mean
you won’t have a trouble-free pregnancy, normal birth, and (most importantly) a
healthy baby. Yet, it does mean you will have to be more diligent than other
women.
When the end result is a beautiful
baby boy or girl, such diligence is a small price to pay!