V. Potential complications that can occur during pregnancy even if you are healthy

Even women without underlying health conditions can develop issues during pregnancy. Getting early and regular prenatal care + consultations can help decrease potential complications. Certain conditions can be diagnosed early, tested, treated and managed. Here are V. (five) to look out for:

i. High Blood Pressure + Preeclampsia

High Blood Pressure, hypertension, can impact both mother and fetus, and can manifest in a variety of ways. Fetal implications can result in poor intrauterine growth due to decreased perfusion, resulting in diminished oxygen and nutrients being delivered to the baby. Women who have high blood pressure prior to conception will need to be monitored closely over the course of the pregnancy to make sure the baby is thriving and growing in utero, and for maternal reasons to make certain that the blood pressure remains well controlled. This may require medication to prevent increased complications. Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disease of pregnancy with a triad of symptoms that includes elevated blood pressure, spilling protein into the urine and having elevated liver enzymes. This can occur with or without a history of blood pressure prior to pregnancy. Certain conditions may increase a woman’s risk, such as a prior history of preeclampsia, pre-existing elevated blood pressure and other health issues, advanced maternal age and obesity.

 ii. Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes specifically refers to diabetes in a woman who did not have the condition prior to pregnancy and develops it during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be screened at 24-28 weeks for this condition with a one-hour glucose screen and then a three-hour glucose tolerance test, if the one-hour screen is abnormal. If the three-hour test is abnormal then she will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In this condition, the hormonal changes of pregnancy cause the pancreas to either not make an adequate amount of insulin or to not use the insulin normally. And, as a result, blood sugar (glucose) is elevated.  If blood sugar is not well controlled during pregnancy, there can be adverse impact to the fetus. Women with this condition will need to monitor their blood sugar one hour after meals. Sometimes the condition can be controlled with diet and other times it requires medication, oral hypoglycemic (glucose lowering agents) or insulin.

iii. Preterm Labor

Preterm Labor is regular contractions along with dilation of the cervix before 37 weeks’ gestation. A history of preterm labor and/or delivery, a cervix that is short and certain infections are some of the conditions that can be associated with preterm labor. The concern for preterm labor depends upon the gestational age and the possible causes. Sometimes a steroid is administered to help accelerate the maturity of the fetal lungs in anticipation of an early delivery. If mother and fetus are otherwise stable sometimes medications are given to slow or stop the contractions to prolong the pregnancy and allow further growth and development. If delivery is anticipated, then antibiotics may be administered which will likely cover for Group B Strep.

iv. Malpresentation of the Baby

If the baby is in any presentation other than head (vertex) down over the cervix, then it is considered a malpresentation. In these situations, common options for delivery are either to turn the baby into a vertex presentation (version) or to proceed with a cesarean section.

 v. Placenta Previa

The placenta is the organ that develops with the fetus inside the uterus to provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus while eliminating waste. The placenta is connected to the fetus via the umbilical cord. If the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix, the passage between the uterus and the vagina, then delivery is performed by cesarean section. It is important to avoid activities that can cause bleeding such as strenuous exercise and intercourse.

 Verbena does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is not a medical provider. Discuss potential pregnancy complications with your personal OBGYN/provider.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.