Are you planning on becoming pregnant? If so, you may be wondering what risk factors could increase your chances of health issues or preterm delivery, also known as a high-risk pregnancy. While many of the factors that make a woman’s pregnancy high risk can’t be altered, our OBGYN Doctors have provided comprehensive and specialized care to women of all ages who are dealing with high-risk pregnancies to reduce their risk for health problems or delivery complications.
What increases a woman’s chances for a high-risk pregnancy?
Some of these risk factors include,
- Age: being younger than 17 or over 35 years old
- Weight: being underweight or overweight prior to pregnancy
- Multiple births: if you’re pregnant with twins, triplets, quadruplets or more
- Medical conditions: health problems such as hypertension and diabetes
- Past pregnancy issues: if you’ve been pregnant before and dealt with issues such as birth defects or premature labor, this can lead to future high-risk pregnancies
Of course, there are certain lifestyle factors that can also contribute to the health of you and your unborn child. These include habits such as smoking, eating certain foods such as raw seafood or soft cheese, using recreational drugs or drinking alcohol. It’s important that you talk openly and honestly about your current lifestyle with Dr. Girling so she can provide you with suggestions and advice on how to keep you and your baby safe throughout your pregnancy and delivery.
What can I do to ensure a healthy, problem-free pregnancy?
If you are dealing with chronic health problems, it’s even more important that you work with our trusted OBGYN to find the best ways to keep these conditions under control to prevent complications. Other precautions you can take if you are a high-risk pregnancy includes,
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding raw meats and seafood and unpasteurized cheese
- Getting proper immunizations
- Getting additional screenings or tests such as STD screenings and genetic testing
- Coming in regularly for routine checkups and monitoring with your OBGYN throughout your pregnancy (if you are high risk you may need to come in more often)
- Finding effective ways to manage stress
- Quitting smoking and not drinking alcohol
- Keeping your current health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes properly controlled with medication and lifestyle changes
If you have concerns about your high-risk pregnancy or are simply looking for an OBGYN that can provide you with compassionate, understanding care throughout your pregnancy then call Jackson Hole Care for Women at (307) 201-1489 to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors.