“To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and distressingly inhabited.” (Anne Christian Buchanan). Pregnancy is an actual occurrence in a woman’s life requiring careful consideration and management, to ensure a healthy outcome for the mother and the baby. Various risk factors are increasing the likelihood of complications during pregnancy. The risk factors range from pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes or hypertension, and lifestyle factors, like smoking or substance abuse (Ramlakhan et al., 2020). The healthcare team, such as the nurses, is responsible for identifying the risk factors early and managing them appropriately to improve outcomes. Nursing management of the risks during pregnancy involves a multidisciplinary approach, including careful monitoring, education, and intervention to prevent potential complications. This essay will explore a case study on Teresa, a 36-year-old primigravida who is expecting twins and is 26 weeks pregnant. From the case study, the pay will explain why Teresa’s pregnancy is considered a high-risk pregnancy, the potential complications during pregnancy related to Teresa, and the potential risks to the babies.
Numerous factors make Teresa’s pregnancy to be considered a high-risk pregnancy. The case study states that Teresa is a primigravida, meaning she is pregnant for the first time, increasing her risks of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. The case study also explains that Teresa carries twins in a multiple gestation pregnancy, increasing the risk of preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and high blood pressure, among other complications (Hiersch et al., 2019). It is indicated that Teresa has been struggling to get pregnant, resulting in her conceiving through in vitro fertilization, an assisted reproductive technology involving multiplex and encroaching process compared to natural conception. In vitro fertilization, pregnancies have high risks of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, preterm labor, and congenital disabilities. Such factors make Teresa’s pregnancy a high-risk pregnancy. She needs close monitoring and care that is more specialized, ensuring a safe delivery for her and the twins.
Teresa, a primigravida pregnant with twins, is at risk of encountering numerous pregnancy-related complications. Teresa may encounter preterm labor, which is a worry as it may lead to premature birth increasing the risk of breathing difficulties and infections, among other complications to the babies (Jiang et al., 2018). She can also experience gestational diabetes, which occurs due to the increased demands of twin pregnancies, and it can eventually cause high blood sugar levels for Teresa, affecting fetal growth. Teresa can also encounter preeclampsia, a severe complication during pregnancy indicated by high blood pressure, and some organs like the kidneys and the liver can be damaged. Another complication that Teresa may encounter during her pregnancy is placenta previa which occurs when the placenta covers the cervix, making her bleed, hence demanding a cesarean delivery (Anderson-Bagga & Sze, 2019). A last complication she can experience is fetal growth restriction, which happens when one or both babies are not growing as expected. Such complications indicate the importance of close patient monitoring and timely detection of problems during her pregnancy.
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