While hearing that your pregnancy is considered complex or high-risk can be worrying, it can mean just that mom and baby need extra care to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

You may have had a medical condition before you became pregnant, or you might develop a condition during your pregnancy. Your developing baby also can have a condition that needs to be monitored before birth.

Having the information gives you time to plan and get specialized care early, when it’s likely to be most effective.

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Your pregnancy can be considered complex for a number of reasons. Common conditions that affect the mother include:

• Carrying multiples, such as twins or triplets
• Pregnant over age 35
• High blood pressure, preexisting diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2), gestational diabetes, heart conditions, asthma or other chronic conditions
• Obstetric complications such as premature labor or recurrent pregnancy loss

An ultrasound may have detected an abnormality in your baby’s development. As frightening as this news can be, it can be helpful to remember that identifying the condition allows you and your baby to get the right care. Children with congenital heart anomalies and other conditions can grow to have full, adult lives.

How We’ll Care for Your Complex Pregnancy, Delivery and Newborn

• Our caring team of over 10 highly experienced maternal-fetal medicine physicians ensures easier access to expertise for your complex pregnancy.
• Our compassionate patient navigators who are registered nurses provide one-on-one support and guide you through your pregnancy care, including coordinating appointments. Maternal-fetal medicine offices in downtown Louisville, St. Matthews, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown and Paducah all provide the same level of specialized care.
• Deliver down the hall from the Norton Children’s Hospital’s Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) — the highest rated in Louisville and Southern Indiana — or the Level III NICU at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital.
• We bring together a team of experienced specialists from Norton Children’s to prepare for your baby’s specialized care after birth. They will review your baby’s development and create a comprehensive plan to ensure the best possible care. Depending on your condition, you may deliver at your home hospital; if necessary, the Norton Children’s Hospital  “Just for Kids” Transport Team will bring your baby to a Norton Children’s NICU in Louisville.
• You can keep your OB/GYN for your delivery while getting the expertise of the maternal-fetal medicine team caring for your health and the health of your baby or multiples.
• Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your medical provider, manage appointments and get alerts if an earlier appointment becomes available through your free Norton MyChart account.