Pregnancy challenges a woman’s body—and heart—like no other life event. Nurturing a growing baby places new demands on your cardiovascular system including an increased heart rate, higher blood volume, and the strain of labor and delivery. Whether you are a patient with a pre-existing cardiovascular condition or someone who develops cardiac issues during pregnancy, you may benefit from collaboration with our dedicated multidisciplinary team - cardiologists and vascular medicine specialists who have expertise in working with pregnant (or soon to be pregnant) women.
Cardiovascular conditions that commonly put pregnant women at high risk for potential complications include:
- Congenital heart disease
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Cardiomyopathy (abnormal function of the heart muscle)
- Heart valve disease
- History of blood clots
- Arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm)
- Poorly controlled blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes
Collaborative, Coordinated Care
Our cardio-obstetrics team closely collaborates with NorthShore’s maternal-fetal medicine specialists and your own obstetrical providers, to deliver highly coordinated care. The team’s specialists create a patient-specific medical management plan, labor and delivery plan, and provide inpatient monitoring and post-partum cardiac care. This expertise helps ensure the best outcomes for both mother and baby –in the short term and for a healthy future. We see patients at multiple NorthShore outpatient clinic locations, often in the same location that obstetrical services are offered. For those women facing high risk deliveries identified by our maternal fetal medicine colleagues, our cardio-obstetrics team is also on-call at Evanston to provide inpatient consultation around the clock.
Our Cardio-Obstetrics Services
Our cardio-obstetrics program at NorthShore offers a broad array of services before, during and after pregnancy, including:
- Pre-conception counseling and risk assessment
- Adjusting medications to ensure safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Developing a specialized plan for labor and delivery
- Managing cardiovascular conditions that develop during pregnancy, from heart rhythm disorders to blood clots
- Providing education on risk of future cardiovascular disease to women with pregnancies complicated by hypertension and preeclampsia
Our cardio-obstetrics team strives to provide you with seamless, expert care—by partnering with your maternal-fetal specialist or obstetrician to help reduce any complications during pregnancy as a result of your cardiovascular condition.
For More Information
To learn more about our cardio-obstetrics program at NorthShore or to schedule an appointment, please call 847.86.HEART (43278).