UNC Cardio-Obstetrics

Heart Care Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related complications, but with the right care, many women with heart disease can have healthy pregnancies and deliveries.

The UNC Cardio-Obstetrics Program provides specialized cardiovascular care for patients who are planning pregnancy, are pregnant, or are recovering after delivery. Our multidisciplinary team works together to provide expert, coordinated care for women with heart disease and pregnancy-related cardiovascular conditions.

Whether you have a known heart condition or develop new cardiac symptoms during pregnancy, we partner with you and your healthcare team every step of the way.

Our program provides:

• Outpatient care at UNC Women’s Heart Program at Eastowne and Women’s Health and Heart Clinic at UNC REX
• Inpatient Cardio-Obstetrics consultation for patients admitted to UNC Medical Center
• Electronic consultations (e-Consults) for UNC Health providers

Your Pregnancy Journey

Planning Pregnancy

Thinking about becoming pregnant?
Our team provides preconception counseling to help you understand how pregnancy may affect your heart condition—and how your heart condition may affect pregnancy.

During Pregnancy

As your pregnancy progresses, your care team works closely together to monitor both your heart health and your pregnancy.

We coordinate care with:

• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Obstetrics
• Midwives
• Obstetric Anesthesia
• Cardiology subspecialists
• Nursing and Advanced Practice Providers

Services may include:

• Cardiac imaging
• Medication management
• Heart rhythm monitoring
• Blood pressure management
• Delivery planning
• Multidisciplinary care conferences for complex pregnancies

After Delivery

Your heart continues to change after pregnancy. We provide ongoing cardiovascular care for patients with:

• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Hypertension
• Preeclampsia
• Congenital heart disease
• Other cardiovascular conditions

We also help patients transition to long-term heart care and provide counseling regarding future pregnancies and cardiovascular health.

Conditions We Treat

Our team cares for patients with:

• Congenital heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy and heart failure
• Heart valve disease
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD)
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Aortic disease• Arrhythmias
• Chronic hypertension
• Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• Prior heart transplant
• Other complex cardiovascular conditions

We also evaluate patients with new cardiovascular symptoms during pregnancy or postpartum.

Why Choose UNC Cardio-Obstetrics?

Our program combines the expertise of specialists from across UNC Health to provide comprehensive care throughout pregnancy.

Multidisciplinary Care

Your care team may include cardiologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, obstetric anesthesiologists, heart failure specialists, adult congenital heart disease specialists, electrophysiologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other experts working together to create a single, coordinated care plan.

Specialized Expertise

UNC offers expertise in complex cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, including advanced heart failure, congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, inherited cardiovascular disease, and high-risk pregnancy care.

Care Across Every Stage

As a program, we pride ourselves on providing coordinated cardiovascular care before pregnancy, throughout pregnancy, during hospitalization if needed, and after delivery.

Our Services – Outpatient Clinic Locations

UNC Women’s Heart Program at Eastowne

• Comprehensive Cardio-Obstetrics care, including preconception counseling, pregnancy management, and postpartum follow-up.

Women’s Health and Heart Clinic at UNC REX

• Comprehensive Cardio-Obstetrics care before, during, and after pregnancy through the UNC Women’s Health & Heart program.

Meet Our Team

The UNC Cardio-Obstetrics Program brings together experts from:

• Cardiology
• Advanced Heart Failure
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease
• Electrophysiology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Obstetrics
• Obstetric Anesthesiology
• Nursing
• Advanced Practice Providers

Together, we develop individualized care plans focused on the health of both mother and baby.

Program Director

Referrals

For Patients

Ask your obstetrician, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, cardiologist, or primary care provider whether a referral to the UNC Cardio-Obstetrics Program is right for you.

For Referring Providers

UNC Health providers can place an Ambulatory Referral to Cardiology and select Cardio-Obstetrics as the requested subspecialty. Electronic consultations (e-Consults) are also available.

Consultations

Inpatient Cardio-Obstetrics Consultation

Our Cardio-Obstetrics team provides consultation for pregnant and postpartum patients admitted to UNC Medical Center. We partner with obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, anesthesia, critical care, and other specialists to coordinate cardiovascular care throughout hospitalization.

Electronic Consultation (e-Consult)

UNC Health providers can request an electronic consultation for select clinical questions related to cardiovascular care before, during, or after pregnancy. e-Consults provide timely recommendations and help determine when an in-person evaluation is appropriate.