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Pregnancy Complications

What Are the Most Common Complications When Expecting?

By Lisa A. Goldstein

One of the most searched terms on iParenting.com is "pregnancy complications." Clearly, it's a concern for moms-to-be. What are the most common pregnancy conditions, can they be avoided and how can expectant moms put their minds at rest?

When it comes to complications, few can truly be avoided by the mother, says Dr. Robyn Horsager-Boehrer, medical director of OB/GYN and Chief of Staff at UT Southwestern University Hospitals-St. Paul in Dallas, Texas. "In fact, a large time can be spent trying to reassure the mom that nothing she did caused the problem," she says.

There are a few caveats, however. If possible (and sometimes it is not possible), avoid medications that are known to cause birth defects, Dr. Horsager-Boehrer says. Consulting with a Maternal-Fetal medicine specialist before pregnancy may be useful, and a modification of the medications a patient takes may be possible to decrease the risk to the fetus.

Optimizing your health prior to becoming pregnant is important, especially if you have a chronic illness. "Generally speaking, the more poorly controlled an illness is at the time of conception, the more likely a patient is to have complications," Dr. Horsager-Boehrer says. "Everyone should start taking folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects."

Kim Armour, president-elect of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and maternal-fetal nurse practitioner at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill., lists the most common conditions during the first trimester:

• Hyperemesis gravidarum
• Chromosome analysis/abnormality
• Bleeding/miscarriage
• Blood glucose issues (particularly in diabetics)

For hyperemesis – a severe form of morning sickness – Armour recommends small meals starting with a carbohydrate. "Eating every two hours is important, to keep something in the stomach," she says. "Some women will require pharmaceutical treatment." Sometimes stopping vitamins will help, but there isn't much more to do other than waiting for it to pass.

Want to see more?

• Nutrition Is Key: Prevent Complications and Give Birth to a Healthy Baby
• Delivering Multiples: What to Expect When You're Carrying More Than One
• Pregnancy Medical Red Flags: Preventing and Recognizing Emergencies During Pregnancy
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!