How Will a High-Risk Pregnancy Affect My Birth Plan?

We know how important your birth plan is to you. Whether you’re in the early stages of planning or nearing your due date, you can count on the team at Community Health Network to respect your plan to the best of our ability.

If you learn that your pregnancy is high-risk, it might call for a change of plans. Depending on your risk factors, certain birth options might put you or your baby at unnecessary risk. If the timing, location and method of your birth needs to pivot, our maternal fetal medicine team will act quickly to make a new plan that’s safe for you and your child.

While the information presented below outlines the various capabilities of our team, every pregnancy is different. Your provider will guide you based on your unique circumstances and risk factors to make the safest birth plan possible.

What is maternal fetal medicine?

Our maternal fetal medicine team is your support group for a high-risk pregnancy. Our team of specialists offers a full spectrum of care, so you can get the support you need for yourself and your baby.

Our team is also affiliated with Riley Hospital for Children. You’ll get access to neonatologists and perinatologists who are at the top of their fields. You can learn more about our team and the support they offer right here.

Timing: When will I give birth?

While our goal is to always get your baby to full term, that may not always be possible. Your OB and our maternal fetal medicine team will ensure that you’re aware of any urgent needs if you’ll be required to deliver early.

Location: Where will I give birth?

To make sure the right specialists are nearby for your specific risk factors, you may need to deliver at a different location within or outside of Community Health Network.

While our maternal fetal medicine team is affiliated with Riley Hospital for Children, a high-risk pregnancy doesn’t always mean you have to deliver at Riley. We might recommend it if surgery looks necessary upon birth, and on other occasions we might recommend your baby be transferred to Riley within a day or two after birth.

Method: How will I give birth?

While we always do our best to accommodate your ideal birth method, sometimes a vaginal birth poses a risk to you or your baby. In those cases, our maternal fetal medicine team will collaborate with your OB to determine if a C-section might be safer.

Support: Who will be in the room when I give birth?

On the big day, you’ll have the usual support team at your side.

• Your loved one.
• Your OB or certified nurse-midwife.
• Your doula.
• You might also have a neonatologist from Riley Hospital for Children. It’s very rare that a member of our maternal fetal medicine team will be present at your birth, but they’ll be there to support you if the severity of your risk warrants it.

After delivery: What if my baby needs the NICU?

Here’s where things go according to plan. During some high-risk pregnancies, our team can predict that your baby will need to spend time in the NICU. When that’s the case, we’ll bring in a neonatologist so you can know what to expect.

Those consultations can largely happen through a virtual visit. Your neonatologist will help you understand the care your newborn will need, and what you can expect while they receive that care in the NICU. You can rest easy knowing that there’s a precise plan in place for your newborn’s health.

As your due date draws closer, our team makes sure you have the safest plan possible for you and your baby. Here’s more on how we stand by moms with high-risk pregnancies.