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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?
Will I be able to breastfeed my baby?
Breastfeeding is encouraged for most women who have heart conditions, even many of those who take medicine. Ask your health care team if any treatment changes need to be made before you start breastfeeding.
Some pregnant people were born with a heart problem that greatly raises the risk of endocarditis. If that's the case for you, your doctor will likely talk with you about the risk of an infection while breastfeeding. The infection is called mastitis, and it could pose a special risk for you. That's why pumping and feeding breast milk from a bottle might sometimes be recommended instead of putting the baby to your breast.
