Dealing with high-risk pregnancy

High-risk pregnancy is on the rise but not to be feared as much as initially thought

High risk pregnancies are becoming increasingly common.

Despite this, many women are not aware of what a high-risk pregnancy is and what it means for both the mother and her baby.

Being called high-risk may sound scary, but it’s just a way to make sure that you get special attention during pregnancy.

It’s important to remember the term doesn’t mean there will be difficulties but that the likelihood for them is higher, so the mother and baby require extra care and attention.

It is one in which some conditions put the mother, developing foetus or both at a higher risk during or after the pregnancy and birth.

Specific factors that might contribute to a high-risk pregnancy include medical conditions present before pregnancy, advanced maternal age (above 35), medical conditions that develop during pregnancy, previous obstetric history and lifestyle factors.

Preconceptional counselling is recommended if the woman is already taking medication, as it may need to be adjusted or changed for use during the pregnancy.

At Woman to Woman Health Clinic, the antenatal care for each woman is individualised according to her risk factors.

This requires closer monitoring than the average pregnant woman.

Such monitoring includes more ultrasound scans to make sure the baby is growing well, extra blood tests, or a prescription of new medication — closely monitoring your pregnancy to find any problems as early as possible to achieve the aim of a healthy mum and healthy baby.