Years ago, a baby born with congenital heart disease died before reaching adulthood. Today, many women have survived their childhood and are becoming mothers while still possessing a heart disease. This puts a unique twist on those mothers’ pregnancies. Carrying a baby is not easy. The whole body is affected including the heart. What does that do to the mother’s with congenital heart disease? It can cause problems!

Here is what you need to do if you have congenital heart disease and are or are planning to become pregnant.

1. Talk to Your Doctor

If you have a heart condition, you should be having regular checkups with a cardiologist. This should be happening whether you are pregnant or not. If you are planning to get pregnant, begin talking to the specialist before it happens. If you just found out you’re pregnant, get an appointment with him quickly and explain to him the changes that are going on in your life.

Pregnancy puts stress on your body. The heart naturally assumes the job of pumping blood for two people. The further into the pregnancy, the more the heart has to do this as the baby is growing and needing more. A pre-existing heart condition is not something to be taken lightly.

Your cardiologist will begin monitoring your heart as your pregnancy progresses. Periodically, you might find yourself in the hospital to be tended to as a better safe than sorry step. Throughout the pregnancy, the cardiologist will weigh your risk level. This level changes from low to medium to high based on your overall health, the progression of the pregnancy, and how your heart is responding to the added pressure of the baby.

2. Focus on Your Health

Your health is always important but becomes even more important when you’re pregnant. Follow what your doctor says. Healthy pregnancy diet and exercise during pregnancy are important. Regular doctor visits are important both with the cardiologist and the obstetrician. If you’re not healthy, your baby will suffer for it.

3. Understand the Effect on Your Baby

Never forget that everything you do affects your baby. Your heart is sending nutrients and life-blood to the fetus throughout its nine-month incubation period. The quality determines the size of your baby, its overall health, and also decides how well its body develops. A mother with congenital heart disease could find herself giving birth to a smaller than average child or have other conditions that will need to be addressed immediately upon birth. That is why you need to listen to your doctor and follow their guidelines.

With today’s technology, many problems that have passed through mother to baby can be detected before birth. Some have been corrected while the baby was still in the womb. There is so much that medical science can do now. Your cardiologist will become your best friend during this time.

4. Giving Birth

Knowing all this, you’re probably wondering how on earth you can safely give birth. Many women with congenital heart disease give birth safely every day. You need to be prepared for what is to come and the extra attention you and your baby will receive.

When you go into labor, you will be hooked up to many monitors. Your heart will be monitored extremely close as well as that of your baby. Most doctors aren’t inclined to induce labor as it puts additional stress on you and the baby. Don’t assume that a cesarean is automatic. Doctors want to help you have as natural of a birth as possible while keeping your heart stable. You might be told that an epidural is better for you. When you don’t feel the pain, you won’t mentally speed up the pace of the heart. This will help your heart deliver your baby safely.

If at any time the doctors see an issue, they could move to do a cesarean or other procedure to help relieve the stress on your heart and on your baby. Once your baby is born, you might have to wait to hold your newborn as the nurses and doctors check your baby out for any immediate needs. Sometimes they have to quickly get them on monitors. This is all for the safety of your baby. It won’t be long before you can cuddle your newborn and plant sweet kisses all along his forehead.

Other posts related to pregnancy you might want to read:

What Foods to Avoid While Pregnant

Pregnancy Trimesters: The Three Stages of Pregnancy

Pregnancy’s Emotional Challenges

Preparations for your pregnancy:

Pregnancy Healthy Eating	Maternity Support Belt	Music for the Womb