Pregnancy; The changes, health challenges, and required attention
A woman during the time of pregnancy faces a lot of changes whether physical, hormonal, or emotional. Pregnancy is a physiological process of the development of a fetus inside the body of a female. This process begins from the pre-pregnancy decisions and continues till the baby is delivered and even afterward which includes post-pregnancy precautions and follow-ups.
Most pregnancies are low risk, however unpleasant feelings, physical problems,s, and other minor difficulties are part of the process, which is normal to be felt.
How does pregnancy impact a woman’s lifestyle?
Pregnant women already go through a lot of changes in their life; hence it is extremely important that throughout this phase, their family members should be supportive and caring. Like they say, the healthier and happier the woman, the healthier and happier will be the child. Pregnancy has a lot more than complications one can actually think of and hence it requires medical attention from the initial phase.
Pregnancy-related complications are not the same for all types of women. These do differ from mother to mother. Some may experience issues during the process, while some of the women may show signs and symptoms of complications before or after the pregnancy.
It is highly advised that women should consult their gynaecologist /obstetrician from the starting of this phase, especially when there are other prevailing medical conditions exposing the kid and the mother at high risk.
What is a high-risk pregnancy and how to deal with it?
A high-risk pregnancy is a situation where the female as well as the child are at increased risk of developing complications as compared to a normal pregnancy. A high-risk pregnancy is a rare condition and should be dealt with with care and guidance. These are potentially serious occurrences and should be taken care of from the beginning. This kind of pregnancy can ultimately lead to the loss of the life of the mother or the baby.
There are conditions that have a direct impact on the pregnancy while soma conditions can affect the neonatal as well as the mother through other effects and not directly. If a female is under treatment and she decides to get pregnant, the physician/specialist would provide the correct advice and course to be followed for the term. Pregnancy symptoms can vary from mild and annoying and may become severe, life-threatening at times. Dealing with the condition at the right time can significantly reduce the chances of any complication.
Complications and preventing high-risk pregnancy
In India, almost twenty to thirty percent of the overall pregnancies occurring during the year are at high risk. The best way to handle a pregnancy at high risk is to evaluate the risk factors and consult a professional to understand the process and provide help from the beginning. High-risk pregnancies require close monitoring and sometimes referral to a perinatal center, in case there are additional factors that could worsen the situation.
The most common conditions that increase the risk during pregnancy are metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, lifestyle conditions such as smoking, drinking, drugs, obesity, depression, congenital disorders, mental issues, personality syndromes, etc. Multiple pregnancies, neurological disorders, pre-existing pregnancy issues, genetic syndromes such as down syndrome, HIV or hepatitis infection, lupus, sickle cell anemia or arthritis.
Ensure your safety and get guidance from a high-risk pregnancy specialist
High-risk pregnancy definitely needs extreme care and support from both the parents. Chronic high blood pressure during pregnancy increases the risk for the mother as well as the child. Uncontrolled blood pressure often leads to severe complications such as pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, and gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and in most cases, is resolved after pregnancy.
However, the complications are similar to normal type 2 diabetes and the severity may affect both the child and the mother. Obesity has also been seen to be one of the major causes of complications in pregnancy. The higher the weight of the mother, more are the chances of complications in pregnancy including stillbirth, cesarean, gestational diabetes mellitus.
A high-risk pregnancy is a critical situation and needs to be dealt with expertise, hence it is important to consider an expert in the filed to explain the needs and further measures to be taken including the regime, medications, injections, allergies, food habits, lifestyle changes if required along with the post-pregnancy changes. There are a number of gynecologists available and one can easily find the best options available online as well as by recommendations from family, friends, or relatives.
Dr. Sheetal Agarwal is one of the best high-risk pregnancy specialists available in Delhi NCR who can guide you throughout your pregnancy and help you enjoy the phase without any complications.