Ascension Sacred Heart Regional Perinatal Center - Pensacola

Perinatal (maternal-fetal medicine) services

Maternal-fetal medicine doctors at the Ascension Sacred Heart Regional Perinatal Center - Pensacola deliver advanced diagnostic tests and care for women with high-risk pregnancies. We start by listening to understand you and your concerns. Your care team takes the time to educate you about the preparations we are making for the birth of your child. Our doctors specialize in the diagnosis of congenital fetal health conditions. Our OB and MFM specialists work together with our NICU care teams in Miramar Beach and Pensacola to deliver a high level of specialty care for you and your baby.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or dial 9-1-1.

Specializing in maternal-fetal care

Our MFM doctors offer fetal diagnostic testing and evaluations, prenatal screenings and ultrasound sonography to monitor the growth and development of your baby. Other services include but are not limited to:

• One-time consultations and ultrasounds
• Co-management of your pregnancy with your referring doctor
• Transfer when desired by your referring doctor

If your doctor refers you for a high-risk pregnancy consultation at Ascension Sacred Heart, the maternal-fetal medicine doctor and the nursing staff will perform the required testing. Then, we send detailed reports and maintain communication with your OB-GYN regarding the next steps of your care.

Our team is experienced in treating and managing various medical complications of pregnancy, including:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Preeclampsia
• Placenta previa
• Multiple gestations (twins and triplets)
• Genetic disorders
• Infectious diseases
• Premature rupture of the amniotic membranes
• Preterm labor and RH disease

Before pregnancy, our team can provide advice for women with chronic health conditions or those who have experienced complicated pregnancies in the past. At a preconception consultation, the maternal-fetal medicine specialist reviews a woman's medical and pregnancy history and helps to map out an optimal strategy for her next pregnancy.

Unexpected problems can arise during pregnancy, and women who have experienced complications during pregnancy in the past may face higher risks with their next pregnancy. We offer support and help manage concerns such as recurrent pregnancy loss. Women who experience multiple miscarriages may have an underlying health condition that makes it more difficult for them to carry a pregnancy. But you're not alone. We're here for you. Our specialists provide thorough evaluations and recommend treatments to reduce risk in the next pregnancy.

Your care team monitors for high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease. We offer guidance on treatments to manage mom's medical problems with minimal risk to the baby.

Advanced testing and procedures

Prenatal testing helps your doctor determine whether your baby will need extra levels of care before, during and after delivery.

Although your doctor is able to perform some testing in-office, comprehensive testing is only available at specific centers such as the Ascension Sacred Heart Regional Perinatal Center - Pensacola. Some of the prenatal diagnostic tests available through our program include:

• Genetic counseling
• First-trimester screening
• Diabetic management
• Ultrasound (diagnostic or targeted)
• Doppler-flow studies
• Fetal echocardiography
• Amniocentesis
• Chorionic Villus Sampling
• Intravenous fetal therapy
• Fetal diagnosis
• Biophysical profiles
• Cervical cerclage

The Regional Perinatal Center is accredited in obstetrical ultrasound by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. All services are provided on both an inpatient and outpatient basis for high-risk obstetrical patients.

Northwest Florida's Regional Perinatal Center

The Ascension Sacred Heart Regional Perinatal Center provides specialized medical care to women with high-risk pregnancies and their babies. As one of only 11 such centers in Florida, we provide high-risk pregnancy care in a variety of settings. In all treatment settings, mothers are provided with extensive education regarding their diagnosis, treatment and outcome expectations, as well as multidisciplinary care coordination with social services and intensive care nursery staff when necessary.

Satellite outreach clinics across Northwest Florida and South Alabama offer outpatient consultations, as well as genetic and preconception counseling.

For women needing an extended hospital stay and around-the-clock monitoring leading up to delivery, our inpatient high-risk pregnancy unit at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola strives to provide a comfortable, soothing experience, with activities such as a social hour when patients can meet other moms-to-be and share their journey together. Our Pensacola campus also includes the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to care for critically ill and premature newborns.

Specialized pediatric care

Your health during pregnancy affects your baby's health too. Congenital fetal health conditions may be detected during prenatal checkups. If a condition is detected, we can connect you with pediatric specialists at Northwest Florida's only children's hospital who are right for you and your baby.

The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart offers a medical staff of more than 120 doctors across 30 pediatric specialties, ready to care for your baby should complications arise.