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Heart conditions and pregnancy: Know the risks
What about medication?
What signs or symptoms should I report to my health care provider?
Will I be able to breast-feed my baby?
Content
How does pregnancy affect the heart?
What are the risks?
Do some heart conditions cause more complications than others do?
What about medicine?
How should I prepare for pregnancy?
What can I expect during prenatal visits?
How can I make sure my baby is OK?
How can I prevent complications?
What symptoms should I report to my health care team?
What about labor and delivery?
Will I be able to breastfeed my baby?
What signs or symptoms should I report to my health care provider?
Will I be able to breast-feed my baby?
Content
How does pregnancy affect the heart?
What are the risks?
Do some heart conditions cause more complications than others do?
What about medicine?
How should I prepare for pregnancy?
What can I expect during prenatal visits?
How can I make sure my baby is OK?
How can I prevent complications?
What symptoms should I report to my health care team?
What about labor and delivery?
Will I be able to breastfeed my baby?
What can I expect during prenatal visits?
You'll see your health care team often during pregnancy. Your weight and blood pressure will likely be checked at every visit. You might need frequent blood and urine tests too.
How often you see your cardiologist during your pregnancy will depend on how severe your heart condition is. You might need tests to check your heart health, including:
- Echocardiogram. This is a type of ultrasound that uses sound waves to make images of the heart and the structures inside it.
- Electrocardiogram. This test records the heart's electrical activity.
