How to Find if You’re a High Risk Pregnancy
A pregnant woman may receive the diagnosis of “high-risk” under specific medical circumstances. Although no pregnancy is without risks, some pregnancies have special health concerns that make monitoring necessary. Sometimes the designation of high-risk is due to a situation with the unborn baby and other times the mother’s health leads to the diagnosis. Learning whether you have a high-risk pregnancy will be important to enable you to monitor your health and manage any symptoms you have.
3 Steps to Find if You’re a High Risk Pregnancy
1. Assess your health and your physical condition, comparing it with high-risk pregnancy symptoms or situations.
If you have preexisting health conditions such as high blood pressure, cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes or HIV, your pregnancy will likely be placed into the high-risk category. If you are a teenager or if you are over age 35, your pregnancy usually has a higher risk for problems. Both underweight and overweight conditions can create a high-risk situation. Multiple births, a history of pregnancy problems and a previous c-section birth also categorizes a woman as high-risk.
2. See an obstetrician for a physical examination.
Provide details about your health history and any physical symptoms you have been experiencing. Answer the obstetrician’s questions about your health and your symptoms to enable her to make a diagnosis for your pregnancy.
3. Determine the level of high-risk, depending on the health concerns.
For example, although maternal age of over 35 increases the chances of pregnancy complications, you might have a completely normal and simple pregnancy at age 37. Some high-risk situations are more serious, such as preexisting health conditions and multiple births. Sometimes a high-risk situation becomes more serious when more than one risk factor is at play, such as being over age 35 and carrying twins.
Tips and Warnings
- With the diagnosis of high-risk, you may receive a referral to a special high-risk obstetrician, depending on the nature of your issues. Follow physician recommendations and instructions regarding your activity. Pay attention to symptoms and report potential problems to your healthcare professional immediately. Keep all prenatal appointments to ensure that you and your unborn baby receive comprehensive care.
- Sometimes a high-risk diagnosis occurs in the beginning of pregnancy, based on health or previous pregnancy history. Other times, high-risk diagnosis might occur during pregnancy, based on health issues that develop with either the mother or the baby.
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