{"id":1160,"date":"2020-03-24T13:41:50","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T13:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/?p=1160"},"modified":"2025-09-24T00:35:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:35:20","slug":"what-is-considered-a-high-risk-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/what-is-considered-a-high-risk-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Considered a High Risk Pregnancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter if it\u2019s your first, second, or third pregnancy, going to <a href=\"\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/what-does-ob-gyn-mean\/\">your OB\/GYN<\/a> and learning that your pregnancy is considered high risk is not easy. A high-risk pregnancy is an expression most gynecologists and obstetricians use for a variety of conditions women are diagnosed with during pregnancy. In some cases, some conditions are there before you get pregnant, some develop during pregnancy, and others after delivery. If you\u2019re one of those carrying a high-risk pregnancy, referring to a high-risk pregnancy specialist is simply a must if you are to save your health and your baby\u2019s health. You should also make sure to ask all relevant questions and be up-to-date with your condition and treatment. Here are some of the most important things to know about a high-risk pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is a High-Risk Pregnancy?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Being considered a high-risk during pregnancy can be related to numerous health conditions. Sometimes a high-risk pregnancy is a result of a pre-pregnancy medical condition, but sometimes women develop certain issues during pregnancy. Usually, multiple pregnancies are also considered risky, so they should be controlled as well. Regardless of the case, a high-risk pregnancy case has to be monitored closely with adequate care and treatment. It\u2019s important to have a team of experts by your side and have a high-risk pregnancy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/gynecologist-bradenton-florida\/\">OB\/GYN<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to lead you through everything until you deliver your baby safely. At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womenscareofbradenton.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Women\u2019s Care of Bradenton<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, we devote ourselves to providing all our patients with exceptional care and treatment. Being experts in the relevant medical fields, we will provide the necessary support, care, and treatment before, during, and after your pregnancy. <a href=\"\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/contact\/\">Contact us today<\/a> so we can make a detailed plan and ensure your and your baby\u2019s well-being. <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1162\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label.jpg\" alt=\"High Risk Pregnancies written on label\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/High-Risk-Pregnancies-written-on-label.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>High-Risk Pregnancy Risk Factors\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it comes to high-risk pregnancies, there are a few risk factors that should be taken into consideration when dealing with a high-risk pregnancy. Some of the most common risk factors to contribute to high-risk pregnancies include the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mother\u2019s age &#8211; High-risk pregnancy age is one of the first relevant factors. If the mother is older than 35, she is more likely to have a high-risk pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Specific lifestyle &#8211; Certain lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs can bring about a number of health-related problems for both the mother and the baby.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mother\u2019s health condition before pregnancy &#8211; If the mother is diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, epilepsy, thyroid, blood, and heart disorders before getting pregnant, she will probably be considered a high-risk pregnancy case.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Health complications developed during pregnancy &#8211; If the mother develops certain health conditions during pregnancy, she will be considered high-risk and will be monitored closely to ensure her and the baby\u2019s safety. Some of the things that can happen during pregnancy include an abnormal placenta position, Rh sensitization, and fetal growth restriction. Thanks to special high-risk pregnancy tests,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">your doctor can easily determine the cause of the problem and provide appropriate therapy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pregnancy history and genetics &#8211; if you have been diagnosed with conditions such as preeclampsia or you had a premature delivery with your previous pregnancy, you will be considered a high-risk pregnancy with your next pregnancy. Also, women in whose families there are cases of certain genetic disorders are also considered high-risk and should undergo specific tests to ensure their baby\u2019s health.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multiple pregnancies &#8211; Women who are carrying twins, triplets, or more babies are always put on the high-risk pregnancy list.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, if you at any point notice something unusual or abnormal such as vaginal bleeding, severe headaches, vomiting, high fever, pain, and cramping, or decreased fetal activity, don\u2019t wait long before contacting your OB\/GYN.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What Tests Are Done During a High-Risk Pregnancy?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you find a good high-risk OB\/GYN<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to take care of you and your baby, you should feel free to <a href=\"\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/questions-you-should-ask-gynecologist-on-a-first-visit\/\">ask them everything<\/a> you need to know. Being informed and prepared for what awaits you is the best way to remain calm and do the best you can to protect yourself and your baby. There are a few different <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High-risk_pregnancy\">high-risk pregnancy<\/a> tests that can be done to determine what the problem is and enable easier and more adequate care and treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the recommended tests and screenings include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>High-risk pregnancy ultrasound &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the help of ultrasounds, doctors are more able to determine abnormalities in fetal development and can provide immediate treatment options. If your OB\/GYN is suspecting that something might be wrong with the fetus, they will recommend further tests to rule out serious health complications.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Cervical length ultrasound<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; Your doctor can <a href=\"\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/pregnancy-ultrasound-all-you-need-to-know\/\">use an ultrasound<\/a> to measure your cervical length to ensure you\u2019re not at risk of premature labor.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Invasive genetic screening<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; If you\u2019re a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor may recommend doing chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to be sure everything\u2019s okay with the fetus. For CVS, a sample of cells is taken from the placenta between the 10<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and 12<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> weeks of pregnancy. This can discover certain genetic abnormalities if there are any. With amniocentesis, the doctor will take a sample of the amniotic fluid after the 15<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> week of pregnancy and screen it for neural tube defects and other genetic disorders. Make sure to have your OB\/GYN explain the procedures thoroughly before you decide this is the best option for you and your baby since they carry a small risk of miscarriage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Prenatal cell-free DNA screening<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; During this procedure, the doctor will take a sample from the mother\u2019s and baby\u2019s DNA and screen it for specific chromosome defects.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Biophysical profile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; For this, your doctor may perform an ultrasound just to check the development of your fetus and ensure everything is going smoothly. After evaluating the state of the fetus, they may recommend further testing and screenings.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Lab tests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; Blood and urine tests are used extensively because they can show if there\u2019s something wrong with the mother or the baby. Urinary infections and STDs can be detected from a urine sample and dealt with accordingly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1163\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk.jpg\" alt=\"Is your pregnancy high risk\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Is-your-pregnancy-high-risk.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Can You Do to Have a Healthy Pregnancy?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter if you\u2019re planning to become pregnant or you\u2019re already pregnant, make sure to have a happy and healthy pregnancy. Talk to your high-risk pregnancy doctor about what steps to take to ensure your well-being, some of the things you can do to prevent a high-risk pregnancy include the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organize a preconception appointment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you still aren\u2019t pregnant, it\u2019s a good idea to consult an OB\/GYN before conceiving. They will tell you everything you should know, evaluate your medical state, and ensure you\u2019re on the right track. Doing all the tests and screenings and making sure you\u2019re healthy before pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of a high-risk pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Visit your OB\/GYN regularly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you\u2019re pregnant, make sure to regularly visit your doctor. This is the only way to monitor the baby\u2019s development and discover possible health issues on time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lead a healthy life\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, and probably the most important thing &#8211; make sure to have a healthy life. Eating healthily, taking your prenatal vitamins, drinking enough water, and avoiding smoking, alcohol, and stress can be of great value for you and your baby\u2019s well being.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having a high-risk pregnancy can go without serious health complications if you have a good team of experts by your side. Make sure to visit your OB\/GYN regularly and follow the instructions they give you. This is the best way to deliver your baby healthy and ensure everything goes well. For more information, please visit our website at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womenscareofbradenton.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">https:\/\/womenscareofbradenton.com\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter if it\u2019s your first, second, or third pregnancy, going to your OB\/GYN and learning that your pregnancy is considered high risk is not easy. A high-risk pregnancy is an expression most gynecologists and obstetricians use for a variety of conditions women are diagnosed with during pregnancy. In some cases, some conditions are there<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[99,100,102,104,105,103,106,101],"class_list":["post-1160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-obgyn-facts","tag-high-risk-obgyn","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-age","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-doctor","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-obgyn","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-specialist","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-test","tag-high-risk-pregnancy-ultrasound","tag-what-is-a-high-risk-pregnancy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}