Featuring Dr. Elise Balaisis, MD, FRCPC

Duration: 1 minute, 46 seconds

So there are a number of different underlying medical conditions that one may have and it is important to identify this and communicate these with your maternity care provider as early as possible even before you know you are pregnant.

There are some implications that medical conditions can have on pregnancy as well as the implications that pregnancy can have on medical conditions. Many people need to take medications and some of these medications may be safe in a normal average woman that is not pregnant, but it changes once one becomes pregnant and these medications may not be safe for the pregnancy and for the developing baby inside.

Therefore, it is important to discuss with your maternity care provider what medications you are taking and what medical conditions that you have as early as possible, before you even get pregnant.

Sometimes the medications can be continued and are safe to take for both you and the baby during the pregnancy. However, sometimes the medications are not safe and they need to be either changed to a different medication or stopped all together and it is really important just to have this discussion with your physician or your care provider in order to determine what is safe for you and the growing baby inside you.

There are many medical conditions that you may have and they are all important to discuss with your maternity care provider. Some of the common medical conditions include asthma or other respiratory conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, and thyroid disease, just to name a few.

So if you have any more questions about your pre-existing medical conditions you should definitely contact your physician or maternity care provider.

Presenter: Dr. Elise Balaisis, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor