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Your High-Risk OB Care Team

At Memorial Healthcare System, you receive high-risk pregnancy care from a comprehensive team of providers, from obstetricians to cardiologists, nurses to nutritionists. Our experts are on your side, working to empower you to take an active role in your care.

pregnant couple talking to OB

Skilled and Personalized Support

Our high-risk obstetricians have years of experience caring for mothers with complicated pregnancies. They provide calm, supportive care focused on you, your hopes and your needs. You can rely on our talented, passionate doctors to care for you and your baby at any time of day or night.

Doctors and Nurses Specializing in High-Risk Obstetrics

We use a multidisciplinary approach to care, meaning doctors from many different specialties, like obstetrics, anesthesiology, trauma, endocrinology and more, work together to deliver high-quality care. We also work closely with your primary care physician and any other doctors you currently see to provide coordinated, personalized care for all your health needs.

Our labor and delivery nurses have years of experience that have given them a reputation for safe, compassionate care. Each nurse in our labor and delivery team receives ongoing education, staying up to date on the latest ways to monitor you and your baby’s health. They also maintain advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) certifications so they can offer emergency care quickly and effectively.

Together, this team of doctors and nurses can give you and your baby safe and effective care.

High-Risk Obstetricians

High-risk obstetricians have specialized experience caring for moms experiencing pregnancy complications. Your doctor works closely with your high-risk obstetrician throughout your pregnancy to monitor you and your baby’s health and help you make decisions about your care.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Specialists

Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) doctors, also called perinatologists, have specialized fellowship training and additional board certification to care for mothers and babies at high-risk during pregnancy. They complete four years of OB/GYN residency training, including surgical training, plus four years of training focused solely on antenatal care.

If you have a very complex high-risk pregnancy, you might need care from a high-risk obstetrician and a maternal-fetal medicine doctor. Their extra training and experience provides valuable input to your care, making sure you and your baby are receiving the best possible treatment.

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs)

A certified nurse midwife has specialized training providing midwifery care during pregnancy, labor, delivery and beyond. They provide personalized prenatal care and care during labor and delivery to help you have the birth experience you want, within the well-equipped safety of the hospital, so we can immediately care for any complications you or your baby might have. During your prenatal visits, they initially spend time listening to you to learn about who you are and what kind of birth experience you want to have. Midwives will monitor you and your baby's vital signs, check your baby’s growth and position, and discuss your overall health, nutrition, and physical activities. In addition, they educate you about how your body and emotions change during pregnancy, and discuss what you may be experiencing and how to cope with those changes. Midwives are an integral part of the high-risk pregnancy care team. They consult with obstetricians, perinatologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and nurses and will refer women to appropriate providers if complications arise.

Perinatal Nurse Navigator

We understand it can be overwhelming to receive a high-risk pregnancy diagnosis. We also know it can be hard to schedule and keep all your appointments. That’s why we have a perinatal nurse navigator dedicated to our high-risk patients. Your nurse navigator will:

  • Arrange and schedule all your prenatal visits, specialty consults, and a tour of the hospital.
  • Answer your phone calls or texts and to teach you about your condition and answer your questions.
  • Listen to your worries and offer emotional support.
  • Teach you about your treatment options and possible outcomes of your care.
  • Guide you through every step and help you stay focused on enjoying your pregnancy experience.

Access to Additional Specialists

You may need care from additional specialists during your pregnancy. For instance, if you have diabetes, you may need to see an endocrinologist and a nutritionist. Or, if your baby has a heart condition, you might need to see a pediatric cardiologist.

At Memorial Healthcare System, we offer easy access to all these specialists and can coordinate your care with all of your physicians. Depending on your specific health needs, you may see:

Critical and Intensive Care

If needed, we offer on-site, high-level intensive care for adults. Our critical care physicians have expertise in cardiac care, trauma and neurologic care to address any need that might arise during pregnancy or labor and delivery. In our intensive care unit, we offer highly specialized care quickly, including:

  • Blood transfusions for postpartum bleeding
  • Intubation (placing a tube into your airway to provide oxygen)
  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy (a machine that provides long-term heart and lung support)

Maternal Mental Health Providers

A high-risk pregnancy brings additional stress and anxiety for many mothers. That’s why we offer maternal mental health care both before and after you give birth. Our psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed clinical social workers provide care for depression, anxiety and addiction.

Surgical Specialists

Your care team also includes a highly experienced obstetrical surgery staff, ready to offer care at any time. This staff includes general and trauma surgeons (if needed), operating room nurses, operating room technicians and the blood bank team. Each team member is specially trained and plays a vital role in your care.

Obstetrician Anesthesiologists on Standby

Anesthesiologists can provide pain relief, such as epidurals or spinal blocks, and also monitor your health during surgery. Obstetrician anesthesiologists have additional fellowship training in caring for mothers and babies during labor and delivery. Our obstetrician anesthesiologists are available to help you through birth.

Depending on your health needs, you also have access to anesthesiologists with expertise in cardiac care or neurological care.

Supportive Care

Your care team also includes social workers and chaplains who can offer emotional and spiritual guidance. They can help you find the support you need throughout your pregnancy and beyond.

Fetal and Neonatal Specialists: Ready to Care for Your Baby

Through Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, we also offer specialists who can care for your baby both before and after birth. Your child’s care team may include:

Medical Students and Residents

Our advanced, high-risk obstetrical care is made possible in part because of our Graduate Medical Education Department. As an academic medical institution, our physicians research the latest treatments and teach the next generation of doctors how to care for all pregnancies. During your hospital stay, you can choose to help future doctors and care providers learn by allowing them to observe your care. Or, if you prefer, you can choose to have no medical students or residents present.