“Did you expect to go on bed rest?” a friend asked me recently.

“Well, we always figured it was a possibility, but we thought it would be related to my existing medical problems if it did happen. We didn’t expect PIH,” I said.

And that’s the thing about high-risk pregnancies and/or pregnancies with existing chronic illness. You spend a lot of time focusing on the known likely complications and risk factors, and have plans in place should the potential turn into reality.

But, in every pregnancy, high-risk or not, these 40 weeks are unscripted. Plans change, problems arise, and you switch gears.

Have a chronic illness and thinking about starting a family? Preparing for the known risks and dealing with the unexpected ones are just a couple of the issues Cheryl Alkon, a type 1 diabetic mom with a new book on pregnancy and diabetes, and I will discuss during our WEGO Health Webinar, “Pregnancy and Chronic Illness.” The webinar will run on August 2 from 8-9pm.

From pre-pregnancy planning and the “can versus should” questions to building a medical team to getting through a pregnancy and balancing your health needs with those of your growing baby, we’ll cover the basics of pregnancy and chronic illness, weighing in with our own life experiences, information from our books, and we’ll open it up for a Q&A session.

Already a member of WEGO? We look forward to connecting with you on August 2. Not a member yet? Joining the WEGO Health community is easy, so check out their site today.

In the meantime, start thinking of questions you have about chronic illness and pregnancy—we’re looking forward to it!