Pregnancy is often described as a natural stress test for the body, and especially for the heart. In this episode of MedStar Health DocTalk, host Debra Schindler sits down with cardiologist and cardio-obstetrics specialist Dr. Minhal Makshood to explore the growing field of cardio obstetrics and why pregnancy can reveal important clues about a woman’s long-term cardiovascular health.

Dr. Makshood explains how conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, and peripartum cardiomyopathy can affect both mother and baby, and why these pregnancy-related complications may increase a woman’s risk of future heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions.

The conversation also highlights the importance of prenatal counseling for women with existing heart conditions, the role of multidisciplinary care teams, and why the postpartum period—sometimes called the “fourth trimester”—is a critical time for monitoring heart health.

Whether you're planning a pregnancy, currently expecting, recently delivered a baby, or simply interested in women's heart health, this episode provides valuable insights that could have lifelong implications.

If you have a heart condition, experienced complications during pregnancy, or want to learn more about protecting your cardiovascular health before, during, or after pregnancy, schedule an appointment with the Women's Health and Cardio Obstetrics Clinic at MedStar Health. Call 301-570-7404 to learn more or make an appointment.

To comment on this podcast, or recommend a topic for another episode of DocTalk, send an email: DocTalk@medstar.net

For more information about this podcast or an interview with Dr. Minhal Makshood, contact Regional Media Relations Director, Deb Schindler