最新杏吧原创

For women who are in high-risk pregnancies, keeping anxiety and stress at bay is important 鈥� but difficult to do. For Morgan Hodits, having the support of specialists like SLUCare's Dr. Chris Buchanan made all the difference in the world.

鈥淚 was very nervous,鈥� said Hodits, who recently delivered her fourth child at SSM Health St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital 鈥� 最新杏吧原创. 鈥淭here are a lot of thoughts that go through your head, especially what could go wrong. You鈥檙e scared not only for your baby, but you鈥檙e also scared for yourself.鈥�

Frequent monitoring by high-risk physicians such as Dr. Buchanan, a specialist with SLUCare Maternal-Fetal Medicine, helped ease her fears.

鈥淲orking so closely with the providers and staff turned a potentially scary situation into a positive one,鈥� she said.

Caution and careful monitoring

Hodits, 38, of Webster Groves, was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, several years before the birth of her first child, which put her into the high-risk category. But even scarier was that during her first, second and third pregnancies she developed cholestasis, a liver problem that carries an increased risk of stillbirth.

For Hodits, the first sign of trouble was unbearable itching on her palms and soles of her feet. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really uncomfortable,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 get any relief.鈥�

The specialists at SLUCare monitored her closely, with twice-weekly testing during the third trimester, and because of the risk of stillbirth, delivered her three sons early, at 37 weeks.

With her fourth child, a girl named Palmer who was born in January, Hodits did not experience cholestasis 鈥� but the possibility was always on her mind.

鈥淲henever you feel something itching, you start to panic,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd with COVID, I was really worried about going into the hospital early. It鈥檚 very nerve-wracking.鈥�

With her every step of the way

Hodits was thankful that Dr. Buchanan and his colleagues were with her every step of the way. SLUCare experts are leaders in the delivery and care of women and babies in high-risk pregnancies.

For some women in the high-risk category, it鈥檚 important to be seen by a specialist throughout pregnancy. But in other cases, SLUCare experts act as a consultation resource for a woman鈥檚 own primary obstetrician. They co-manage a pregnancy alongside her OB, or they take over through delivery if needed.

In cases of fetal anomalies, Dr. Buchanan and his colleagues work closely with the specialists at 最新杏吧原创 Fetal Care Institute at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children鈥檚 Hospital to make sure both mother and baby have the best possible care.

Every pregnancy is unique

鈥淲e have vast experience at delivering high-risk women,鈥� Dr. Buchanan said. 鈥淥ur goal is to provide solid, evidence-based care at an individual level because every person and every pregnancy is unique.鈥�

SLUCare physicians, in partnership with St. Mary鈥檚, deliver more than 3,000 babies a year. In fact, St. Mary鈥檚 was recognized in 2020 as a 鈥淏est Maternity Hospital鈥� by Newsweek for its standards of excellence 鈥� the only hospital in the region to receive this honor.

SLUCare offers pre-conception counseling as well, so that if a woman has an existing condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, she can get help managing these issues to optimize her health prior to pregnancy.

Dr. Buchanan says it鈥檚 important that all women see either their primary care physician or their OB-GYN before becoming pregnant 鈥� whether they believe they are at high risk or not. This helps the physician assess the risks for complications.

鈥淛ust seeing a doctor and talking about things may bring to light some issues that would put them at risk should they become pregnant,鈥� he said.

For more information about SLUCare specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, go to: