When you have a complicated or high-risk pregnancy, your ob-gyn has most likely recommended you add a perinatologist or Maternal Fetal Specialist in Alain to your team of doctors for the duration of your pregnancy. Even though it can be comforting to have one more set of eyes watching the progress of your pregnancy, however, the additional time and cost of seeing a specialist may leave you wondering if it is really necessary.
With all your appointments with a regular doctor, pregnancy comes out to be hard enough. Adding more appointments might feel overwhelming. Knowing what a specialist for maternal-fetal medicine can do for you can help you get through yet another doctor’s appointment as you progress through your pregnancy.
These specialists are obstetricians with additional training, qualifications, and experience in the management of very complicated pregnancies – they are the specialists for pregnancies with very high risk. They look after women before, during and after pregnancy, deliver babies and carry out operations. In major teaching hospitals, these experts often manage the labor ward and run specialist antenatal clinics.
In addition, they even play a crucial role in teaching trainee obstetricians to safely deal with pregnancy and birth. They do everything a normal obstetrician does, but have a few extra skills and knowledge. It is essential to realize there are different types of obstetricians out there. Some of them specialize in infertility, others in laparoscopic surgery or pelvic floor problems, at the same time as others mostly take care of low-risk pregnancies.
These doctors are obstetricians who have completed specialized training and who have extensive experience dealing with high-risk pregnancies. They provide care to expecting mothers, help with deliveries, and perform various surgical procedures. The labor ward and specialized antenatal clinics are usually under the purview of these professionals in large academic medical centers.
Difference between an ob-gyn and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist
A specialist for maternal-fetal medicine is an ob-gyn who has received 2 or 3 extra years of training to deal with high-risk pregnancies, including problems in both the mother and the baby. A few women continue to see their regular ob-gyn for the majority of their pregnancy appointments. With only periodic visits to a specialist for maternal-fetal medicine.
For other women, a maternal-fetal medicine expert provides all their care. How frequently a woman sees the one depends on the conditions of the woman and the policies at the practice of the service provider.
Pre-conception care
Prior to pregnancy, specialists in maternal-fetal medicine offer advice for women with chronic health conditions or the ones who have experienced a high-risk pregnancy in the past. At a pre-conception consultation, the specialist evaluates the medical and pregnancy history of a woman in order to help to map out an optimal strategy for her next pregnancy.
Maternal fetal medicine specialists provide preconception counseling to women who have chronic health conditions or who have previously had a high-risk pregnancy. The goal of a pre-conception consultation is to help a woman and her specialist plan for the healthiest possible pregnancy.
Genetic screening, ultrasound, and prenatal diagnosis
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists use blood tests, ultrasound, and amniocentesis to examine the developing fetus. In addition to fetal echocardiogram, I advanced my skills in 3D and 4D ultrasound. Are used to screen for any type of birth defects and chromosome issues. The experts also work closely with genetic counselors in order to offer tests such as amniocentesis, chorionic villous sampling (CVS), non-invasive prenatal testing, and integrated screening.
Specialists in maternal-fetal medicine use tools like blood tests, ultrasound, and procedures like amniocentesis to examine the fetus inside the uterus. Fetal echocardiograms are only one part of a comprehensive prenatal screening process that also makes use of cutting-edge technology in 3D and 4D ultrasound. Detect abnormalities in the developing baby’s organs and DNA. Genetic counselors and specialists provide amniocentesis, CVS, non-invasive prenatal testing, and integrated screening.
- CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) – In a CVS, the specialist makes use of a thin tube or a needle to sample the placenta during the 1st third of the pregnancy. The specialist makes use of ultrasound to carry out a chorionic villus sampling, either through the abdomen or the cervix. The placenta sample can be tested for certain fetal diseases and health conditions.
- Therapeutic Amniocentesis – When a fetus has too much amniotic fluid, the specialist for maternal-fetal medicine can place a needle in the uterus, guided by ultrasound, and get rid of additional fluid. This procedure can lessen the risk of early birth and treat certain fetal diseases.
- Diagnostic Amniocentesis – Guided by ultrasound, the experts for maternal-fetal medicine makes use of a needle to collect a small amount of amniotic fluid. This fluid is used to test for genetic diseases, fetal lung maturity, or infection.
Blood pressure problems
In healthy pregnancies, hormones lower the blood pressure of a woman and direct food and oxygen to the womb. Placental signals can increase a woman’s blood pressure, causing eclampsia or HELLP syndrome. Preeclampsia and GHD. High blood pressure before a baby’s due date makes delivery risky.
In normal pregnancies, a woman’s blood pressure drops and her body sends more nutrients and oxygen to the fetus thanks to hormones. Problems like eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension can arise. When signals from the placenta cause a rise in the mother’s blood pressure. When high blood pressure manifests months before due date, delivery is the only treatment, which carries risks for the mother and child.
In such situations, maternal-fetal medicine specialists evaluate the pros and cons of staying pregnant versus giving birth to improve outcomes for the mother and baby. For women who have previously had blood pressure issues during pregnancy, specialists have the expertise to chalk out a strategy to minimize risk for their next birth.
Maternal health problems
Pregnancy can worsen diabetes and hypertension. Chronic conditions affect pregnancy. The maternal fetal specialist in Alain can keep an eye on these high-risk pregnancies and offer expert guidance on what medications can manage the mom’s medical problems with minimal risk to the baby. The following sections list some of the pre-existing health conditions that may complicate the pregnancy of a woman and for which the expert care of a specialist is required.
Lungs – Women breathe more deeply during pregnancy, taking in more oxygen and breathing out additional carbon dioxide. Women with chronic lung issues may struggle with this additional burden.
- Cystic fibrosis
- Tuberculosis
- Influenza
- Restrictive lung disease
- Pneumonia
- Asthma
Heart – During pregnancy, the heart of a woman is beating for two. The amount of blood the heart pumps is increased by almost 50% by the end of pregnancy. Creating challenges for women with heart conditions.
- Heart transplant
- Coronary artery disease
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Cardiomyopathy
- Valve disease
- Arrhythmias
Congenital heart disease these chronic conditions can have an impact on pregnancy, and pregnancy can worsen preexisting health problems like kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The Alain area’s maternal-fetal specialist can keep an eye on these high-risk pregnancies. Provide expert advice on medications that can treat the mother’s medical issues without harming the unborn child.. Some of the preexisting health conditions that can cause complications during pregnancy and warrant the assistance of a specialist.
A maternal fetal medicine specialist at Mothers & Fetuses offers care after birth for women who experience complications such as heavy bleeding, bloodstream infections, surgical complications, or seizures. To know more, book an appointment now!