Having a baby is a happy occasion, but let’s be honest, there’s some stress involved as well as you prepare for the new addition to your family, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
We spoke to the experts at Detroit Medical Center to learn what people with high-risk pregnancies should consider when creating their birth plan.
First off, what makes someone high-risk? According to Dr. Samara Gibson, pre-existing conditions like diabetes, carrying multiple babies, and a history of miscarriages or pre-term babies put you at a higher risk during pregnancy. Age is also a factor, if you are over 35 or very young, that is also considered a high-risk pregnancy.
Choosing the right hospital can be very important if you are at a higher-risk during your pregnancy. Dr. Gibson recommends asking about the hospital’s “capabilities to provide specialized and advanced care for moms with high-risk pregnancies during labor and even before labor.” She also says you should ask about maternal-fetal medical physicians, these are OB-GYN doctors that specialize in high-risk pregnancies. The support staff is another thing to consider when picking your hospital, you want clinical coordinators and nurse navigators to help you get appointments scheduled and the medication you need. The birthing unit itself is also important you want it to be well-equipped to handle a high-risk pregnancy.
If something were to happen during the birth to where your baby is in danger, you would want your hospital to have a NICU, a neonatal intensive care unit, to take care of them. These units can help babies that are premature, or even ones that have congenital complications. The Hospital should also work closely with a children’s hospital in case they need care beyond what the NICU can provide.
For more great information, watch the video above. To learn more about the care that DMC Hospitals and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan provide for mothers and babies, click or tap here.