Pregnancy Specialists

What is a pre-natal care?

Prenatal care is medical care you get during pregnancy. At each visit, your health care provider checks on you and your growing baby. Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth. Getting early and regular prenatal care can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a full-term baby. Full term means your baby is born between 39 weeks (1 week before your due date) and 40 weeks, 6 days (1 week after your due date). Being born full term gives your baby the right amount of time he needs in the womb to grow and develop. Don’t be afraid to talk to your provider about personal things. Your provider needs to know all about you so they can give you and your baby the best care. Your doctor will give you a schedule for your prenatal visits. If your pregnancy is high risk because of health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor will probably want to see you more often. You can also expect to see your health care provider more often as your due date gets closer. 

What is a high-risk pregnancy?

A high-risk pregnancy is one that has a greater risk of complications during gestation, labor, and delivery. Most women with high-risk pregnancies go on to experience a healthy nine months of pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby.

High-risk pregnancies do benefit from extra monitoring during the prenatal period. At Yorktown Health, the team is experienced in supporting women who are pregnant with multiples or who are 35 or older and pregnant. 

Other issues that make your pregnancy high risk include:

• Existing maternal health conditions like high blood pressure, asthma, or obesity
• Gestational diabetes
• Preeclampsia 
• Maternal lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, or drug use
• A history of pregnancy complications
• Maternal age of 17 or younger

Come see the professionals at Yorktown Health if you’ve experienced recurrent pregnancy loss in the past or have any other concerns about your pregnancy. The practice has experienced providers who are especially responsive to patient needs.

What is included in high-risk pregnancy care?

Your pregnancy care is highly personalized to your needs and to those of your baby (or babies). Your high-risk status may be determined at your first prenatal visit or may develop during the course of your pregnancy.

Depending on your specific needs, you can look forward to:

• Comprehensive lab tests and screenings.
• More frequent prenatal check-ups
• Specialized and targeted ultrasounds
• Amniocentesis 

You may also benefit from noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which can evaluate your baby’s risk of being born with genetic abnormalities. This screening test involves a simple blood draw, but can give you lots of information about any possible risks your baby faces.

How frequent are high-risk pregnancy check-ups?

The schedule for your visits is largely determined by your particular circumstances and your personal concerns. A regular prenatal schedule includes monthly checks for weeks 8-28, biweekly appointments from week 29 through 36, and weekly appointments until delivery.

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, the frequency of these visits will likely increase. Plus, you may have more than just the typical ultrasound at weeks 12 and 20. If you need additional screenings or tests, your provider explains them thoroughly so you understand exactly what to expect during the procedure and from the results.

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, trust the team at Yorktown Health to provide the support your needs. Call for an appointment or use the online tool to schedule.