It is impossible to say beforehand how a sickle cell patient’s pregnancy will go. While pregnant, a woman’s body undergoes some major changes. Your body basically has to perform at the top of its ability. To supply adequate levels of nutrients and fuels to the baby, your blood volume, among other things, will increase. Hemoglobin levels will drop, as is normal in any pregnancy. If you have sickle cell disease and are pregnant, you are more likely to develop severe anemia because you are already anemic going into the pregnancy. Aside from that, sickle cell crises will be more severe and more frequent. Your body already has a long history of sickle cell disease by then and you are likely to already have problems in several organs (heart, kidneys, liver). To recap, the pregnancy will compound the existing sickle cell disease problems and can be a difficult period, with intensive monitoring and a higher risk of lots of symptoms and complications. Sickle cell patients have a greater chance of early and late miscarriage, premature birth, growth restriction of the child, and the negative side effects of medication.