High-Risk Pregnancy, with Dr. Loralei Thornburg

The Birthful Podcast: Episode #35

If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know about the constant worrying: Is the baby OK? Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Most of the time, it’s all in a mama’s head, but what if it’s not? Dr. Loralei Thornburg is here to tell us about the non-routine aspects of birth that can make for high-risk situations.

What we talked about:

• What makes a pregnancy High Risk (with those scary uppercase H and R)?
• There’s mama reasons, and baby reasons
• How could being high risk affect your pregnancy and birth
• Bleeding during pregnancy: should you be alarmed?
• What if you’re experiencing early labor?
• Why is high blood pressure something to be concerned about?
• Moving from a “water world” to an “air world”
• Even if it’s high-risk, it’s can still be a marvelous experience!
• The special challenge of when things go really wrong

Links for more on high-risk pregnancy:

• What is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist?
• High-risk pregnancy: Know what to expect, from the Mayo clinic
• Preeclampsia: Symptoms, Risks, Treatment and Prevention, from American Pregnancy Association
• Bleeding During Pregnancy – 6 Causes, by Belly Belly
• ACOG’s fact sheet on Preterm Labor and Birth
• Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation
• PDF download: CompassionNet’s birth plan worksheet (Note: it’s recommended that you go through this worksheet with a physician or careprovider, as some of it might be overwhelming)
• Reddit Science AMA Series on High-Risk Pregnancy, with Loralei Thornburg

Courtesy of Dr. Thornburg

[mark]About Dr. Loralei Thornburg[/mark]

Dr. Thornburg completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and her fellowship in Maternal fetal medicine (MFM) at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. She received the Ward L Ekas, the George C. Trombetta, the Obstetrical Perinatology, Dr. Curtis J. Lund, and the Creog Awards for leadership and teaching during the course of her residency, and the Todd Faculty Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine Award during her fellowship, and the CREOG award for teaching as a junior faculty member.

She is a board-certified in both general Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  She is currently an associate professor and interm director of MFM division at U of Rochester.  Roles including primary supervision of residents and fellows in both the clinical and research setting, bedside and classroom teaching of medical students, and clinical care of the high risk ob/gyn patient.  Active areas of research include maternal obesity, ultrasound and resident education.

You can contact Dr. Thornburg through her practice at the University of Rochester Medical Center. You can also check out her Reddit Science AMA Series on High-Risk Pregnancy.