Under certain conditions, pregnancy can quickly become a High risk pregnancy become. The age of the pregnant woman, certain pre-existing illnesses, problems in previous pregnancies and multiple pregnancies mean a higher risk for the period of pregnancy and also for the birth.
When is it a high risk pregnancy?
The age of the woman giving birth plays a major role in assessing pregnancy. In principle, all pregnant women under the age of 18 and over 35 years of age belong to the risk group at the medical level. Of course, this does not mean that the pregnancy is at risk or that there must be problems.
For reasons of the safety of mother and child alone, mothers who belong to the corresponding age group are given the note in their maternity record High risk pregnancy. These mothers are generally monitored more closely during pregnancy so that any problems that may arise can be identified at an early stage.
Another factor in a high-risk pregnancy are existing or previous illnesses in the mother. These naturally include serious organic diseases, cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, hereditary diseases or diabetes. In the case of multiple mothers, the history of previous pregnancies and births is also important.
Miscarriages, caesarean sections, and other problems make each subsequent pregnancy a risk pregnancy. Anyone who has more than four children is monitored more intensively without any other risk factor and is given the predicate of high-risk pregnancies. The same is true for multiple pregnancies. Should the mother consume alcohol, medication or drugs, these also contribute as a risk factor.
Circumstances may develop during pregnancy that require special control. These include gestosis (pregnancy poisoning), gestational diabetes, placental insufficiency or breech position of the child.
A rare case is the blood group intolerance of mother and child, which can occur when mother and child have the Rh factors positive and negative. In the second pregnancy this can be life-threatening for the child, so this diagnosis also results in a high-risk pregnancy.
Age criterion: When is it considered risky?
- Pregnant under 20
Young women under the age of 20 are generally considered to be at risk. The hormonal balance may not have leveled off properly yet, and pregnancy at this age can also be a burden on the emotional level. Particularly intensive mental and physical care is important here. Possible illnesses at this age may not yet be recorded and cannot be taken into account when assessing pregnancy.
- Pregnant over 35
An age over 35 is also a possible risk factor. Here, however, how risky the pregnancy really is depends very much on your own physical and mental condition and any illnesses you may have. If there are no other problems and the woman is feeling well, she does not need to be unsettled by the evaluation of “risk pregnancy”.
- Pregnant over 45
If the mother is over 45 years of age, the mother's physical condition is very important. At this age, there have often been major changes in the hormonal balance, which can affect pregnancy. Diseases are often present at this age. It is even more important for these women to really take it easy and to have good care at all levels.
Tips to get through a high-risk pregnancy better
It is important for mothers who are considered high-risk pregnant to know why they fall into this category. Because as different as the decisive factors are, as different are the ways of dealing with them. The degree of risk is not the same for all factors.
If age is the only risk factor, and there are no other problems, the mother should relax and simply intensify contact with her body and the baby. Of course, this also applies to all other risk factors. But then, of course, more attention must be paid to the existing illness or the medical circumstances that are the reason for the high-risk pregnancy.
Basically, however, the premise of every mother-to-be is to develop a heightened awareness of their own needs and feelings. In any situation, the well-being of mother and child are always paramount. For many women, this means rethinking, as they have often put their own needs aside.
Now the rule is: the better the mother takes care of herself, the better it is for the baby too. A prerequisite for this is an authentic approach to yourself and your personal environment.
From now on in the restrained position!
Especially in pregnancies with high risk factors such as diseases of the mother or serious problems during pregnancy, it is very important for the mother to take good care of herself and the baby. Your whole life may have to be changed. The pregnant woman must make it her top priority to take care of herself.
But your own body awareness plays a special role, because being gentle does not necessarily mean that you can no longer do anything. How far the protection goes will of course depend on the problems at hand and the instructions from the midwife and doctor.
Otherwise, it is important that the woman trains her intuition and, in the truest sense of the word, turns her gut feeling into her best advisor, because the psychological state during pregnancy has an enormous effect on the course of this time and also on the birth process.