After two years of marriage, my husband and I are now ready to start having babies. I am however worried that at 30 years of age, I may have some challenges with pregnancy. Kindly advise me.
Suzan (by SMS)
Pregnancy is often painted as a time of elation and joy, emotions many people may indeed feel. As doctors, though, it’s hard to ignore the health risks and the fears that can arise in the wake of a positive pregnancy test for some of our most vulnerable patients. Simply being pregnant poses significant short-term and long-term risks to health. Pregnancy acts as an ongoing stress test that taxes body systems and generates unique health risks. It changes how the heart, lungs, and kidneys function. It also alters the immune system, and changes metabolism through effects on various organs. It increases blood flow throughout the body. The impact is greater for anyone who already has high blood pressure, diabetes, or other health conditions. Additionally, pregnancy can also deepen existing mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, often exacerbating symptoms. Most often, pregnancy can be safely navigated even when a person has health conditions. Yet having an existing condition like heart disease or diabetes does raise risk for complications and death. Now that pregnancies at later ages are more common, existing heart disease is complicating more pregnancies. Once rarely needed, large multidisciplinary teams of health professionals are now often required to care for pregnant people with complex cardiac needs or other health conditions.
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