At the Wellwoman Clinic your Consultant will watch for any sign of complications throughout your pregnancy, using physical exams, lab tests, and ultrasounds. Some possible pregnancy problems are listed below.
Find all the information you’ll need before coming to Hospital for treatment. Learn more about making an appointment, our luxurious accommodation and our exceptional facilities.
About Us
Founded in 1856, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is one of the UK’s largest independent charitable hospitals. Our commitment to our patients is in the quality of our care, the range of our services and the quality of our consultants and staff.
Contact Us
Make an appointment, find our contact details and have your say by providing feedback. You’ll also find information on where to find us and how to get here.
Health Professionals
Find the useful information for Medical Practitioners, including information on patient referrals, careers, education and more.
Services
St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is renowned for its highly specialised clinics that provide exemplary care for patients. Our expert Consultants cover the full range of specialties and are able to treat almost any medical condition.
Consultants
We’re proud to be the chosen Hospital for some of the world’s leading Consultants. Our specialist Consultants cover a wide range of specialisms and are committed to our values as a Hospital.
Search
Pregnancy Problems
Pregnancy Problems
Potential pregnancy problems that could arise are listed below.
Miscarriage
Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy within the first 20 weeks. About 10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, with more than 80% of miscarriages occuring before 12 weeks.
Most first-trimester miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilised egg that keep the embryo from developing. Vaginal bleeding is usually the first sign and you are advised to contact your doctor or midwife as soon as possible if you notice bleeding. Although it’s not uncommon to bleed in early pregnancy even if you are not miscarrying.
If your Consultant suspects a miscarriage, they will order an ultrasound and may perform a blood test.
High blood pressure
Blood pressure is checked at every antenatal appointment using a sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure will change a little throughout pregnancy and is perfectly normal. Progesterone (pregnancy hormone) relaxes the walls of your blood vessels, which may make blood pressure fall during the first and second trimesters. Lower blood pressure may make you feel faint if you stand for too long or get up quickly.
It is lowest between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. If you have high blood pressure before 20 weeks, it is called essential hypertension. This means you probably had high blood pressure before you became pregnant. After 20 weeks, high blood pressure is called gestational hypertension, which is the name for high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy.
If your blood pressure goes too high you may be advised to take medication to control it, with earlier gestational hypertension, increasing the need to control it with medicine. If you developed high blood pressure after 20 weeks it’s likely to return to normal after your baby is born, but it may take a few weeks.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that arises during pregnancy. In some women this occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to meet the extra needs of pregnancy. If gestational diabetse is found during the first trimester of pregnancy, the condition most likely existed before the pregnancy.
An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT) is used to diagnose, which involves a blood test before breakfast, then again two hours after a glucose drink. Risk factors include obesity, a family history of Type 2 diabetes (parent, brother or sister), an unexplained stillbirth or neonatal death in a previous pregnancy, and/or a very large infant in a previous pregnancy (4.5kg or over), you have had gestational diabetes before, or your family origin is South Asian, Black Caribbean or Middle Eastern.
Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is thought to happen when the placenta isn’t working properly, which without treamtent can make you and your baby quite ill. Pre-eclampsia occurs in the second half of your pregnancy. You’re most likely to develop it in the third trimester, after 27 weeks.
Your Consultant will carry out tests for igns of pre-eclampsia each time you have your antenatal appointment, such as high blood pressure and protein in your urine. Symptoms include sudden, severe swelling of your face, hands or feet, severe headaches, problems with your vision, such as blurring or flashing before your eyes, severe pain just below your ribs, or a general feeling of being unwell.
Pre-eclampsia can range from mild to severe. Mild pre-eclampsia is quite common, affecting about one mum-to-be in 10 in her first pregnancy. If it’s mild you may not know that you have it until your midwife picks up signs of it during one of your antenatal checks. Early monitoring and treatment will help to keep you and your baby well.
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. This happens in approx 2% of pregnancies, with the majority occuring in a fallopian tube. It’s important to catch this type of pregnancy early because the growing embryo could rupture your fallopian tube and cause internal bleeding, which can in turn be fatal. Since there’s no way to transplant an ectopic pregnancy into the uterus, ending the pregnancy is the only option.
Placenta previa
If you have placenta previa, your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. Placenta previa isn’t usually a problem early in pregnancy. But if the placenta remains dangerously low as your pregnancy progresses, it can cause bleeding, which can lead to other complications and may require you to deliver early. The location of your placenta will be checked during your midpregnancy ultrasound exam, but only a small percentage of women who have placenta previa in midpregnancy still have it when they deliver their baby. Placenta previa is present in 0.5% of deliveries.
Wellwoman Clinic
The Wellwoman Clinic is a specialist centre offering assessment and treatment of gynaecological conditions. We treat women of all ages, prioritising patient needs and comfort throughout their treatment.
Patient information
Our Hospital is renowned for providing exemplary levels of care across more than 90 services. From orthopaedics, to urology, our private GP practice and Urgent Care Clinic, our services are led by some of London’s leading Consultants. For more information, and to find a service suitable for your care, find out more about the services that we offer.
Make an enquiry
If you have any questions relating to treatment options or pricing information, get in touch with us by filling out one of our contact boxes or giving us a call on 020 7806 4098.
Our Appointments Team have a dedicated and caring approach to finding you the earliest appointment possible with the best specialist.
If you are self-paying you don’t need a referral from your GP for a consultation. You can simply refer yourself* and book an appointment.
If you have health insurance (e.g. Bupa, Axa Health, Aviva), you will need to contact your insurer to get authorisation before any treatment, and in most cases you will also require a referral letter from your GP.
If you are not registered with a GP, we have an in-house private GP practice you can use. Alternatively, we can suggest the most appropriate course of action for you to take, given your location and individual circumstances.
*Please note – for investigations such as X-rays and MRIs, a referral will be required. However, we may be able to arrange this for you through our on-site private GP.
