🌿 How to Navigate Pregnancy with a Chronic Illness?

Pregnancy is already a massive physical and emotional journey—but for women living with chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, or autoimmune conditions, it can feel like walking a tightrope without a net. The stakes are higher, the risks are greater, and the care can be more complex—especially for Black and Brown women navigating a system that often doesn’t listen.

But here’s the truth: With the right knowledge, planning, and support, you can have a healthy pregnancy and protect your well-being.

💡 What You’re Up Against

• Bias in care: Black and Brown women with chronic illnesses often face dismissal of symptoms or assumptions about their ability to manage their health.

• Fragmented care: Many providers treat chronic illness and pregnancy separately—when in reality, they’re deeply interconnected.

• Increased risks: Conditions like lupus, Type 1 diabetes, or high blood pressure can raise the chance of complications like preterm labor, preeclampsia, or stillbirth.

🔍 Why It Matters

When care isn’t coordinated or proactive, it’s women—especially women of color—who bear the consequences. Chronic illness can’t be treated as an “add-on” to pregnancy care. It is pregnancy care.

✅ 5 Smart Steps to Protect Your Health & Baby

1. Start with a High-Risk OB
   Ask for a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, especially if you have a condition like lupus, Type 1 diabetes, or chronic hypertension. Don’t wait for your provider to bring it up—request a referral early.

2. Demand Collaborative Care
   Make sure your OB is coordinating with your endocrinologist, rheumatologist, or primary care provider. Ask:
   ➤ “How are you communicating with my other doctors?”
   ➤ “Can we set up a joint care plan?”

3. Track Symptoms Religiously
   Keep a journal for:

   Blood pressure readings

   Blood sugar levels

   Swelling, headaches, or vision changes

   Flares (if you have autoimmune conditions)
   Bring this to every appointment.

4. Review Your Medications Early
   Some meds are unsafe during pregnancy. But stopping meds cold turkey can be dangerous. Before conception or ASAP after a positive test, talk to your doctors about adjusting your regimen safely.

5. Bring an Advocate
   Chronic illness makes pregnancy riskier—and being Black or Brown adds another layer. Don’t go to appointments alone if you can help it. Bring someone who can take notes, ask questions, and have your back.

📌 Make This Real: What You Can Do Today

• Book a consultation with a high-risk OB—even before getting pregnant if you can.

• Make a list of every doctor you see for chronic conditions. Ask your OB to coordinate directly.

• Set calendar reminders to check blood pressure or blood sugar daily.

• Ask your provider: “What symptoms should send me to the ER right away?”

• Download a symptom tracker app or use Notes to log flare-ups and meds.

💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Are you managing a chronic illness while pregnant—or planning to be? What’s been the hardest part of navigating care?

Drop a comment or share this post with someone who needs to know they’re not alone.