Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialists of Puget Sound, part of Pediatrix Medical Group

About Our Practice

The physicians and nurse practitioners of Maternal Fetal Medicine of Puget Sound provide consultation services as well as full spectrum care for patients and families with high-risk pregnancies. We believe it is important to ensure each patient is supported and safely cared for in any situation.

Our group functions in a team approach, and we have several offices throughout the region to best serve our patients and their physicians. We work closely as a team and spend time in all the locations, so during care with our group patients have the opportunity to meet and work with many of our providers. We work closely with pregnancy focused sonographers, diabetic educators, genetic counselors and perinatal social workers to provide the most comprehensive approach possible for pregnancy care. Common conditions we see include, but are not limited to, medical issues such as diabetes or hypertension affecting pregnancy, complex medical complications of pregnancy, fetal birth defects, genetic syndromes and abnormalities of the placenta.

We offer both full care and consultative services for patients with a high-risk pregnancy. We offer full management through pregnancy and childbirth for complicated pregnancies including prenatal care, delivery and postpartum follow up at our Swedish First Hill location. We also offer comprehensive consultation and co-management services for patients at our other locations, or who have an established OB/GYN they would like to continue care with. Services we offer include prenatal diagnosis with amniocentesis, CVS, detailed ultrasound and fetal echocardiography and assistance, guidance, consultation and education to referring providers, community physicians and midwives to facilitate optimal supervision of high risk pregnancy care. We work with hospitalist obstetrics and gynecologists in the hospital to provide comprehensive inpatient care.

Our mission is to guide patients and families through high risk or complicated pregnancies in a compassionate, professional and dedicated manner while providing excellent care.

Maternal-fetal medicine specialists

Our board-certified maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists provide prenatal care for expectant patients with complicated or high-risk pregnancies, as well as their developing babies. In addition to a four-year obstetrics and gynecology residency, they have undergone three additional years of education and training and their core focus is to:

Oversee existing health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Manage pregnancy-related maternal medical issues, such as preeclampsia.
Conduct diagnostic tests and procedures to identify possible congenital abnormalities and genetic disorders.
Monitor babies’ development and growth.
Manage post-pregnancy health issues.
Identify potential concerns and propose solutions for future pregnancies.

Obstetric hospitalists

In addition to our MFM specialists and women’s health nurse practitioners, our team includes a group of board-certified obstetrician/gynecologists assigned to the labor and delivery units at Swedish First Hill in Seattle, Swedish Issaquah and Providence Everett. The OB/GYNs, referred to as OB hospitalists, are skilled at inpatient pregnancy problem assessment and management. They also provide labor management and supervision. Our OB hospitalists are available 24/7, ensuring patients receive high-quality care at any time, in any situation.

Insurance Options
- Aetna
- Ambetter
- Cigna
- First Choice Health Network
- First Health/Coventry
- Molina
- Multiplan
- Premera Blue Cross
- Regence Blue Shield

Services Offered

Management of Advanced Maternal Age

Women who become pregnant after age 35 are more likely to have pre-existing health problems that can complicate pregnancy and are at greater risk for complications like high blood pressure, abnormal fetal growth and diabetes in pregnancy. There is also an increased risk for certain fetal genetic abnormalities, specifically trisomies (where the fetus has an extra chromosome).
Diabetes Management in Pregnancy

Women diagnosed with diabetes before or during pregnancy have difficulties producing the appropriate amount of insulin to process glucose, or sugar, in their bodies. Improper management of diabetes during pregnancy can lead to serious health problems for both the mother and baby. A maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist is specially trained to treat women with diabetes during pregnancy. Through frequent prenatal visits, an MFM specialist can monitor and provide recommendations to help manage blood glucose levels through a combination of healthy eating, exercise and medications.
Genetic Counseling

Support provided by a genetic professional or qualified physician to the patient and the doctor by identifying genetic risk, discussing family history, explaining available testing options and implications of test results, as well as providing patient education. Genetic counselors or qualified physicians, act as patient advocates translating medical and scientific knowledge into practical information. In addition, resources are available to provide support to anyone who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions or birth defects, such as cystic fibrosis or disorders common to a particular race or ethnic group. This information is provided in a non-directive, unbiased manner and allows the patient to make their own decisions regarding testing options.
High-Risk Obstetric Care and Consults

An extra level of care available to women at risk of experiencing problems during or after their pregnancy. A variety of risk factors can make a pregnancy high-risk, including advanced maternal age, chronic health conditions, problems with a previous pregnancy and problems that develop during pregnancy. A high-risk pregnancy means the baby is at a higher risk of having health problems during pregnancy, birth or after delivery. Women having a high-risk pregnancy should be seen more frequently for close monitoring by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, a physician specially trained to treat high-risk pregnancies.
Inpatient Consultation and Care
Management of Multiple Gestations (twins or more)

Pregnant women carrying multiples (twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.) are at an increased risk of experiencing complications such as preterm delivery, low birth weight and preeclampsia. A maternal-fetal medicine specialist specializes in the care of women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, such as multiples, and has the additional training and experience required to treat any complications experienced during a pregnancy.
Pre-Conception Counseling

An evaluation of a woman's current health and medical history to help identify opportunities to better prepare the body for becoming pregnant and to counsel her on risks and management of future pregnancy. The evaluation may include a review of the patient's current lifestyle and medical/obstetric history, including current medications, screening and treatment for any infectious diseases, immunization updates, education and recommendations on behavior modifications to reduce risk factors.
Amniocentesis
Antenatal (Prenatal) Testing (Screening)

Antenatal or prenatal diagnostic screening, refers to a variety of testing options available to determine if a fetus has certain abnormalities. Many of the tests are conducted by an obstetrician (OB) as routine prenatal screening, including ultrasound, nuchal translucency screening and testing of a pregnant woman's blood to help estimate the risk of certain abnormalities. When a test indicates a higher risk, additional tests are available to further analyze the fetus. These additional tests, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling, are often more invasive and have additional risks to the fetus and should be conducted by a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist.
Chorionic Villus Sampling

CVS is a diagnostic test to screen for chromosome abnormalities and inherited disorders by analyzing the chorionic villi cells from the placenta. The placenta cells are collected either transcervically, using an ultrasound guided catheter inserted through the cervix to gently suction the cells, or transabdominally, through a long thin needle inserted into the placenta through the abdomen.
Fetal Echocardiogram
Routine Pregnancy Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a method to get pictures or videos of the fetus (unborn baby). It can be used to help determine the due date, to find out whether there is only one fetus or multiples (twins, triplets, etc), to check on whether the fetus is growing normally, and to look for birth defects or other problems. The method uses sound waves to make the images, not x-rays or radiation. Ultrasound is painless and safe for both mother and fetus.
Non Invasive Prenatal Screening

Pregnant women have access to a variety of tests to determine a baby's risk of Down syndrome, Trisomy 18 and open neural tube defects. Some newer testing methods involve only a blood test and an ultrasound, which can be done safely early in the pregnancy. These screenings are minimally invasive and do not pose any identifiable risk to the fetus. However, while they predict the likelihood that a particular condition is present, they do not provide definitive answers. For example, a "positive result" would not necessarily mean that a baby has a health problem, but it shows that the baby is at increased risk. Similarly, a "negative" result would not guarantee that no health problem is present. Other testing methods can provide a more definitive answer for the specific condition being investigated. However, these tests may pose a greater risk to the mother and fetus because often they are more invasive.
Special Ultrasound Exams

Our maternal-fetal medicine doctors have special training and certification to perform types of ultrasound that may not be available from a radiology service or a general obstetrician. These exams are performed in special situations, not in every pregnancy. Special exams include: Biophysical profile (A focused check of fetal movements and amniotic fluid (the liquid surrounding the fetus) to check on fetal well-being), Cervix length (If the cervix is short, there is a risk of preterm birth and special treatment might be needed), Doppler (Measurement of blood flow through certain blood vessels (umbilical cord, arteries in fetal brain, other blood vessels) to check on fetal well-being), Fetal echocardiogram (A detailed exam of the fetal heart to look for heart defects), 3-D Ultrasound (still pictures that appear 3-dimensional. These are used to get details for certain types of birth defects), 4-D ultrasound (Videos that appear 3-dimensional. These are used to get details of certain types of birth defects).

Conditions Treated

Heart Disease
Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure, can be present before pregnancy (chronic hypertension) or develop during pregnancy (gestational hypertension). Pregnant women with hypertension are at risk of developing preeclampsia, experiencing both high blood pressure and protein in the urine, which can lead to serious complications for both the mother and baby.
Kidney Disease
Morbidly Obese Patients
Prematurity