Medical Disorders of Pregnancy Clinic

Our Medical Disorders of Pregnancy (MDP) team will help you understand your condition and how it affects your pregnancy. We will talk to you about the different options you have for testing, treatment and birth.

Your pregnancy care and birth plans will center around you and your baby.

Our team will support you during your pregnancy, birth and the first few weeks postpartum.

We also offer pre-pregnancy appointments to help you plan for a future pregnancy.

Our clinic specializes in providing pregnancy care for patients with one or more medical conditions, such as the following: 

• Autoimmune conditions
• Cancer 
• Cardiac (heart) conditions 
• Complex mood disorders
• Diabetes
• Hematologic (blood) conditions
• Hepatic (liver) disorders
• High blood pressure
• Infectious disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 
• Neurologic (brain) conditions 
• Obesity
• Renal (kidney) conditions
• Rheumatic conditions
• Thyroid disorders 

What to expect

Some patients receive all of their pregnancy care at the MDP clinic. Others visit our clinic while also receiving pregnancy care from another health-care provider.

The number of visits you can expect depends on your specific needs and the expertise of your referring health-care team.

If your birth will be at Mount Sinai Hospital because of a medical condition, then you will have at least one appointment at our clinic.

At these appointments, we monitor the health of both you and your baby. This may include arranging for tests like blood work or ultrasounds.

Our MDP team works with other medical specialists who may also be involved in your care. These specialists can adjust medication, recommend tests and offer advice for labour and delivery. 

You will have multiple appointments at our clinic throughout your pregnancy to monitor the health of both you and your baby. You may also have appointments with specialists who have expertise in your specific medical condition. 

Whenever possible, our team tries to schedule specialist appointments, ultrasounds, blood work or other tests on the same days as your visits to our clinic. While this reduces the frequency of travel to Mount Sinai, it can make for a very long day. Please be prepared to spend several hours during your visit.

Your first appointment

Please check in at the main reception desk when you arrive and have your health card ready. If this is your first visit to Mount Sinai, we will give you a hospital card and then show you to the MDP waiting area.

Sometimes you might have an ultrasound before your appointment. Please make sure to follow the specific instructions you were given. It is important to arrive on time or your ultrasound may be delayed or cancelled.

At your clinic appointment, a registered nurse will ask about your medical history, measure your blood pressure and weight, and listen to your baby's heartbeat.

You will then meet with a MFM specialist to review your medical history and go over any recent test results. The MFM specialist will then work with you to decide on a care plan that is specific to your needs.

For certain conditions, we may recommend more frequent appointments and additional tests at various stages throughout the pregnancy. These may include ultrasounds for you or your baby, blood and urine tests, prenatal genetic tests or other specialized examinations.  

Depending on your condition, you may also meet with another medical specialist who works with our team during this visit.

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so you may see medical students, residents, fellows or other medical trainees as part of your care. Learners are supervised by other members of our dedicated care team who work together to provide you with comprehensive care.

It is important to bring a list of any questions or concerns you have to review with our team.

You may be given a copy of your records from your visit to bring to your referring physician. A note will also be returned to your referring physician outlining your care plan in further detail.

Once your first visit is complete, you will “check out” with our reception staff who can schedule your upcoming tests and appointments.

What to bring

You should be prepared to spend several hours at the hospital when you have multiple appointments and tests on the same day.  

• Health (OHIP) card or valid health-care coverage
• Hospital card
• A list of your current medications
• Any recent test results you have received  
• Snacks, water and reading material
• A list of questions you want to ask
• A support person, if desired

How to access our services

You need a referral from a health-care provider to be seen at our clinic. Visit our referral criteria for more information.