A high risk pregnancy is one in which there are conditions by which the mother-to-be, her growing fetus, and/or both are at a higher than average risk for complications throughout the pregnancy or during the delivery.
Let us look at what those factors can be here.
Maternal and Fetal Risk Factors:
A pregnancy can be high risk for any number of reasons. There are many complications of pregnancy that can play a role in this. There are maternal factors that can potentially make it high risk as well as fetal factors that also have the potential to make it high risk.
One maternal factor is age. A female who is younger than 15 years is at a higher risk as is a mother who is considered to be of a mature age for having a baby. This would be all women over the age of 35 years.
Weight is another maternal factor. A woman with a weight of less than 100 pounds is at a greater risk as is a woman who was overweight or obese when she got pregnant. Being a normal and healthy weight when you conceive counts for a great deal.
Height is also a factor (for those under five feet tall), as is a history of pregnancy risks in the past, RH incompatibility, bleeding during the third trimester, uterine fibroids and any abnormalities of the reproductive tract. There are many disease such as cancer, heart disease and kidney disease that can also cause a pregnancy to be deemed high risk.
Fetal factors that can play a role in a pregnancy that is fraught with complications include exposure to damaging medications, exposure to addictive substances, and exposure to infections. A pregnancy is also considered high risk if tests indicate that the infant has a serious health issue, such as a heart problem. If this has been diagnosed then the mother will need to visit her physician frequently and will require special tests to monitor the baby’s condition. In some case she may even need medication.
Other Things Worth Knowing:
Sometimes a high risk pregnancy will mean that a woman will have to stop working earlier than she had planned to. There are also cases where either a maternal or fetal problem (or a combination of both) might necessitate an early delivery.
In some cases the doctor may decide that a surgical delivery, known as a caesarean section (C-section) is preferable to a traditional vaginal delivery.
Pregnant women who are at a higher than average risk for complications will need to be monitored more closely and more regularly by their doctors. Those who have a medical problem may also need to visit with a medical specialist who can check the health of the mother and the progress of the developing infant.
The health of mother and baby is so important and should never be taken for granted. If you are pregnant and have been deemed as in a high risk category then follow your doctor’s instructions and take the necessary precautions.
Becca
Alternative Health for Today 
Interesting article beccas! Actually pregnancy is a very crucial phase in every woman’s life. You must be very careful all the time so that you and your baby both can be secured. Keeping a baby inside you for about 9 months is really a hard job, but you know motherhood is the most pleasurable experience in women’s life! Anyway, once a woman would plan to take a baby, from that time she must be careful in eating, sleeping and everything….need to make a proper healthy and balanced lifestyle. She must be fully careful about her body weight and other issues like high B.P. or Diabetes etc. (if she has any). So consulting a good medical practitioner is a must to do job.