At Advanced Women's Healthcare, Dr. Dele Ogunleye, Dr. Lisa Emm, and Dr. Angela Baja are here to help if you are expecting and having a high-risk pregnancy in Bloomington, IL. We provide support all the way through your pregnancy. Keep reading about high-risk pregnancies and come see us for an appointment.

What Is a High-risk Pregnancy?

When we classify a pregnancy as a high-risk pregnancy, it means that there is an increased risk of health problems in the mother or the baby before, during or after delivery. Risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy include:

• Multiple births
• Advanced maternal age
• Past history of pregnancy problems
• Being underweight or overweight
• Pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure

If you have any of these risk factors and are trying to get pregnant, come talk to your doctor to be evaluated. We can counsel you on how to best prepare your body for pregnancy.

What Should I Expect?

If you are having a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor will want to see you more frequently for checkups, especially as you get closer to delivery. The purpose of these extra visits is to help you and us best care for the baby and prepare for any potential complications.

When your pregnancy is high-risk, more common complications include preterm labor or any labor that begins prior to 27 weeks of pregnancy. For example, more than half of all twins are born preterm. Preeclampsia causes high blood pressure and left untreated it can damage the mother's liver, kidneys, and brain. Preeclampsia is treatable and many women have healthy babies despite this condition. Eclampsia is a more severe form of this condition. It can cause the mother to experience seizures and coma.

To help avoid these complications, doctor's recommendations will include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight with diet and exercise
• Prenatal vitamins with folic acid
• Stop smoking
• Stop consuming alcohol
• Receive all recommended immunizations

Having a high-risk pregnancy in Bloomington, IL, can feel overwhelming, but Dr. Ogunleye, Dr. Emm, and Dr. Baja at Advanced Women's Healthcare are here to help guide you through this difficult time. Contact us for an appointment at (309) 808-3068.