During pregnancy, a range of situations are normal and healthy, but in some cases, ultrasounds and other tests can indicate potential pregnancy complications. When you find yourself in this situation, you want the best possible outcome for you and your baby.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but accurate information can help you stay grounded, according to Heather Glantz and Lauren Fry, Nurse Coordinators at the University of Chicago Medicine’s Fetal and Neonatal Care Center (FNCC). Both registered nurses with years of labor and delivery experience, Glantz and Fry are a patient’s first line of support at the FNCC, whether current UChicago Medicine patients or not.
“Any patients who have concerns, whether that is an ultrasound concern, a genetic testing concern, a history of a previous anomaly concern or any concerns with the baby that come up, we support and follow these patients,” says Glantz, whose experience extends to being a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
What you need most when you have high-risk pregnancy complications
To get a better understanding of the needs of individuals and families experiencing pregnancy complications, we asked Glantz and Fry to share their expertise. Each situation is unique, so reach out to your health care provider to learn more about your care.
1. Easy-to-understand, accurate information
Medical care can include a lot of jargon, so working with someone who can explain issues and concerns in an understandable way is key. From the moment a patient enters the FNCC, their Nurse Coordinator is available to help them stay informed.
“We try to help provide information in a comforting, understandable manner because we know health care jargon can be really overwhelming,” Glantz says. Nurse Coordinators offer information about what appointments patients will have, why they will have them and support them to attend every scheduled appointment.
If a patient’s care includes consultations with a pediatric cardiologist, a pediatric neurologist or a neonatologist — in addition to a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine — the FNCC Nurse Coordinators make sure you know why you’ll be spending time with each of these specialists.
2. Coordinated care that makes a difference
Support and advocacy shouldn’t exist solely when a patient is in a doctor’s office. That’s why Nurse Coordinators at the FNCC encourage patients to reach out with questions and concerns whenever they need.
“Prior to taking this role, I didn’t realize the amount of time that FNCC nurses put into the care they provide. Patients have our cellphone numbers and they can contact us,” says Fry. She describes the experience as an important opportunity to confirm what the doctor has talked about and let them know their Nurse Coordinator is there for them, every step of the way. “We take calls at any time and we respond to text messages from patients. We can tell they’re very thankful they have that resource available to them.”
As skilled professionals, FNCC Nurse Coordinators can translate medical jargon before, after and between appointments for patients.
“I think availability is such an important part of what we do, because for most of us, we’ve never really had to delve into the health care system. But if you have, you may have experienced how challenging it is to get simple or complex questions answered, to get in touch with somebody to make appointments and to know those appointments are scheduled correctly,” explains Glantz, adding that whether providing reassurance or elevating a concern for additional testing, an FNCC Nurse Coordinator is always available.
3. Calm, focused compassionate care
When a diagnosis indicates an undesirable outcome, patients at the FNCC receive support and expert care so they can make choices with accurate information — and without judgment.
“We have a really wonderful palliative care team, so in the event there’s a pregnancy that is given a diagnosis not compatible with life for a longer period of time, they might choose the palliative care side,” Glantz explains.
The UChicago Medicine FNCC, located in Hyde Park, Chicago, supports patients with information and options so they can make the best choices for their family — which matters when a patient lives in a state that doesn’t legally allow choice. “We reassure them of that too, because these are situations which families can never imagine themselves in, so they never imagined the decisions they would be making, which is always very specific to each family and scenario,” says Fry. “We support them and give them information in a non-judgmental way.”
4. Support for your whole family
A new baby that needs extra care affects the whole family and siblings may need extra support.
“We have a strong team of Child Life Specialists who help families have that conversation with their other kids when there’s a fetal anomaly because it can be really difficult to explain to other children about how this baby may not be what you expect,” says Glantz, adding that the FNCC also offers support from a social worker who assists with support groups, resources and transportation when needed.
5. Intensive care that understands your needs, and your baby’s
Patients can deliver their babies at UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s, where there’s a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on-site. As a Level IV NICU, the FNCC can provide the highest level of support for babies. This is important for UChicago Medicine patients and those who would otherwise give birth at smaller hospitals that can’t provide Level IV NICU care.
“We like to have those pediatric specialists on standby for those deliveries to assess the baby right away, provide diagnostic imaging and needed interventions immediately,” says Glantz.
The FNCC’s NICU is available to parents 22 hours each day, which allows families to stay close and bond in those early days and weeks of their new baby’s life.
A team of experts providing care when it matters most
Day in and out, the FNCC at UChicago Medicine supports parents through pregnancy complications with expert, compassionate care, say Fry and Glantz. And, they’re part of a whole team of experts that are dedicated to supporting families through this challenging time.
“The goal is that you know we’re here but you never have to meet us, that’s the best way,” says Glantz. “But we’re a safety net in case you do have to meet us for any reason. We will give you all the care and support we can possibly provide for anything that you need.”
Learn more about the UChicago Medicine Fetal and Neonatal Care Center, located in Chicago’s Hyde Park. Visit UChicagoMedicine.org.
