Pregnancy is good news that is celebrated. A new baby is a blessing and everyone is excited about the arrival of the newest member of the family. But, there are cases when a pregnancy puts the mother and the baby’s life at risk. This could not be helped since there are numerous underlying reasons why this could have happened. Fortunately, there are ways to make sure that even if the pregnancy is at risk, mommy and baby is safe.
The first thing that should be done is to determine if your pregnancy is at risk. Knowing the factors that could put you at risk could help you and your healthcare professional to know the preventive and safety precautions to follow.
Age
For some, age is but a number. But for pregnant women, age is a huge deciding factor whether your pregnancy is at high risk or not. If you are below 17 years old or above 35 years old the time you become pregnant, make sure that you follow all the advice of your doctor. If your doctor advised you to have a lifestyle change, do it. If there are activities that the doctor advised you to avoid, bear with it. Your pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy if your age falls within the above mentioned range.
Existing Health Conditions
Pregnant women with underlying health problems are considered at risk too. If you have diabetes, or anemic, epileptic or you consistently have high blood pressure, you might have a complicated pregnancy. If you also develop any infection when you are pregnant, this could also cause pregnancy issues. This is why it is important that you take good care of your health even before getting pregnant. If you and your partner are planning, consider visiting your Ob-Gyn and ask for vitamins you could take to ensure you are at the prime of your health before conceiving.
Genetics
If anyone in your family suffered from a risky pregnancy, there is a possibility that you would be too. Genetics is the cause of this. Before you consider getting pregnant, ask your mother, aunt or any of the females in your family if they had any problems during their pregnancies. Relate all of this information to your Ob-Gyn for a proper and accurate diagnosis.
Medications
For those with existing health issues that are alleviated by medicines, there is a risk of a complicated pregnancy because there are drugs that could contribute to it. This is also the reason why pregnant women are advised not to take any over the counter medications for common illnesses without asking their doctor first as this could lead to complications.
Knowing is half the battle. If you think you might be a candidate for a complicated pregnancy, schedule an appointment with an Ob-Gyn as early as possible. Consider also going to gynecologists who specialize in risky pregnancies since they are more experienced with cases like yours. If they recommend a lifestyle change and or to take prenatal supplements, follow them to a tee.
