The team provides specialized care to women who are experiencing complications during their pregnancies including: preterm labor; pregnancy-induced hypertension; bleeding; chronic hypertension (high blood pressure); diabetes; asthma; or hyperemesis (vomiting).
Obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists work with a care team of highly trained nurses and technicians to provide advanced monitoring, pain management and other support.
Severe Morning Sickness (Hyperemesis)
About 3-5 of every 1,000 women develop such severe nausea and vomiting, known as morning sickness, that weight loss and dehydration can jeopardize the health of both mother and baby. Most patients feel better within hours of receiving therapy, stop vomiting after one day and are back home from the hospital after a second day.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Hypertension is the most common medical problem encountered during pregnancy. High blood pressure in pregnancy is classified into four categories:
- chronic hypertension
- preeclampsia-eclampsia
- preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension
- gestational hypertension
Expectant women experiencing mild chronic hypertension are placed on antihypertensive therapy and monitored to assess if it worsens. Women with preeclampsia, brought on by hypertension, should be hospitalized for close observation.
The Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center’s High-Risk Pregnancy Program continuously monitors expectant moms with hypertension, performing fetal testing at least two times a week. When the patient is less than 34 weeks gestation, attempts are made to prolong the pregnancy to allow further fetal growth and maturation. Should an early delivery occur, patients can feel comforted about the high quality of care their newborn will receive at Miller Children’s & Women's NICU, just steps away from the delivery rooms at the Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center.
Diabetes (Sweet Success)
The BirthCare Center features a Sweet Success affiliate program, aimed at promoting the appropriate perinatal care of women and their offspring during their pregnancies. Sweet Success team members keep abreast on new diabetes and pregnancy research and educational tools for their patients.
The Sweet Success program offers nutritional services, diabetes education, home blood glucose monitoring, endocrinology consultation and maternal-fetal medicine consultation for women with gestational diabetes or pre-existing diabetes. In most cases, treatment of expectant women with diabetes is handled in an outpatient setting throughout the pregnancy.
Resources:
- Gestational Diabetes Booklet: English & Spanish
- MyPlate for Gestational Diabetes: English & Spanish
- Food Guide: English & Spanish
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The BirthCare Center offers a leading high-risk pregnancy program that provides constant monitoring of mom and baby, while the baby grows as much as possible in the stable environment of the womb.
These high-risk perinatal programs are designed to ensure a safe delivery and a smooth transition to the level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Miller Children’s & Women's, which is just steps away from the BirthCare Center.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a high-risk infant born in a hospital with a level IV NICU has higher survival rates than a similar infant born in a hospital without one.
