Every year, 1 million U.S. women with high-risk pregnancies are placed on bed rest to protect their developing babies. Despite that, every year, about 500,000 newborns - one of every eight - arrive too early, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Enduring a high-risk pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience of stress, fear and unknowns, leading to more questions than answers. Many of these moms adhere to strict regimes of bed rest; face major changes in lifestyle and relationships; and are subject to dozens of doctor visits and even surgery or medications to protect their unborn children. For them, birth may not be the joy-filled event most families expect.

Knowing those feelings all too well, research scientist Kelly Whitehead wrote High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy (www.hrpwhyme.com), which is backed by fetal and maternal medicine specialist Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, a top pre-term birth researcher. Whitehead's first child died following his premature birth. During her next pregnancy, she spent 4½ months in bed worrying over and trying to protect her daughter.

The book is both a medical reference and provides emotional support for mothers-to-be, with Whitehead providing answers in layman's terms to the myriad medical questions families have. Whitehead also shares coping strategies she discovered, along with what she's learned through benefit of hindsight, and insights from other mothers.

• Try to enjoy being pregnant. Don't miss out on this experience because you're high-risk. Do the normal prego things, even if you have to modify them: Shop online, get a belly cast, shoot expanding-belly photos, and savor those kicks and body changes. Don't forget or stop dreaming about the actual birth and your desires for what it will be like. I regretted missing out on so much while carrying my daughter. Rather than enjoying the pregnancy, I kept focused on the end and my hope she would survive.

• Don't let your emotions become your enemy. Say goodbye to guilt - this is not your fault!  It's okay to be bitter, angry and upset at the world, and to hate "normal" pregnant women, but it isn't going to change anything. So go get mad, yell, and cry, and then move on.

• Pelvic rest sounds easy, but it isn't. It's not fun being forced to become a nun, so don't. There are still ways to enjoy intimacy; you just need to get creative. Think high school - remember how much fun necking was? Try body oil, a massage...whipped cream? Sexy lingerie is still hot, even if you're pregnant. Flaunt your new assets - they surely went up a cup size or two.

• Educate yourself about your situation. Don't go reading about every other possible scenario out there; you don't need to worry about problems that aren't a likely issue for you.

• Ask and you shall receive. It may sometimes feel as though people have forgotten about you, but the reality is they're busy and they have no idea what's it's like for you. If you want company, reach out and invite someone over.

"I know it's tough to be going through a high-risk pregnancy and living in fear every day," Whitehead says. "Though this will be the toughest time of your life, many of us have been through it and now have our children. You can, too.

"Keep your chin up and keep hoping. Healthy babies are born every day to families who've walked the same path."

About Kelly Whitehead

Kelly Whitehead is a scientist-mom, who lost a preemie son and went on to have two high-risk pregnancies. She wrote High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy as an educational tool and emotional guide for those experiencing a difficult pregnancy and the providers who work with them. She is also a trained doula, birth advocate and spokesperson for Sidelines National High Risk Pregnancy Support Network. For more information, check out www.hrpwhyme.com.

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The Quad City Health Initiative, Genesis Health System, Trinity Regional Health System, Community Health Care, Inc., Rock Island County Health Department and Scott County Health Department, are pleased to share their findings from the 2012 Quad Cities Community Health Assessment.  The assessment and associated documents are available for viewing and download at www.quadcities.healthforecast.net and on the websites of the study sponsors.

Over a year in the making, this Community Health Assessment is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in the Quad Cities Area.  The study is a follow-up to similar studies conducted in 2002 and 2007.  The 2012 study, however, is innovative for its alignment of methodology between the local health providers and public health systems.

The 2012 Community Health Assessment included a telephone survey of over 900 individuals in Scott and Rock Island counties, extensive secondary data analysis and the gathering of input and priorities from local community leaders.  With funding provided by Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System, the partners hired Professional Research Consultants of Omaha, NE to conduct a survey, analyze data and provide a comprehensive report.  Additional secondary data analysis, stakeholder meetings and issue prioritization were administered by staff at the Rock Island and Scott County Health Departments with input from Community Health Care.  Quad City Health Initiative staff facilitated the assessment work across the partnering organizations.

The integrated process met the assessment reporting requirements of the Scott County and Rock Island County Health Departments as well as the new assessment requirements for Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System as established by the Affordable Care Act.   The assessment was designed to have wide benchmarking potential at the state and national levels, as well as to Healthy People 2020 targets.

"As members of the Quad City Health Initiative, our health organizations have a long history of partnering together.  This year, we were able to leverage the ongoing planning processes of the health departments and wrap around them a comprehensive community survey and secondary data collection.  This made our assessment process more aligned, more efficient and more respectful of community stakeholders' time," says Nicole Carkner, Executive Director of the Quad City Health Initiative.

"We are one of the first communities in our region to successfully integrate health system and public health assessment processes," says Wendy Trute, Administrator for the Rock Island County Health Department.  "The comprehensive assessment provides data for the entire Quad Cities region that can be used by our community partners to improve the health of all Quad Citians."

"Our process has already been cited nationally and we are pleased to be a leading example for this work, " continues Ed Rivers, Director for the Scott County Health Department.

The 2012 Quad Cities Community Health Assessment identified some improvements in community health status since the prior assessments.  Notably, a higher percentage of adults and children have visited a dentist or dental clinic in the past year and fewer adults now smoke.  In addition, the Quad Cities also fares better than the national average on selected indicators such as the percentage of adults who have health care insurance, low-weight births, and overall community perceptions like being a good place to raise a family.

The findings of this study will be used to inform decisions and guide future efforts to improve health status and quality of life in our area.  Issues identified in prior studies, such as the percentage of adults who have one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, continue to be a concern.  "These findings renew the importance of addressing and promoting healthy behaviors such as healthy eating and active living," says Dr. Jim Lehman, Vice President of Quality, Genesis Health System.  "Although the Quad City Health Initiative has been responding to many of these challenges, we welcome this opportunity to educate the entire community on the importance of creating a culture that supports health and wellness."

One of the overarching themes of the assessment is that lower-income residents in the Quad Cities experience notably poorer health status including physical and mental health.  "We understand that lower-income residents tend to have a higher prevalence of chronic disease but greater difficulty accessing healthcare," says Tom Bowman, CEO of Community Health Care, Inc.  "It is very important for our community to understand how societal issues such as income and education levels translate to health status."

Qualitative input from community stakeholders also identified behavioral health and access to mental health care as a continuing priority for the Quad Cities; this issue was identified in the 2007 assessment and launched several community coalitions in response.  "Our community is at the forefront of understanding the importance of integrated health care," says Berlinda Tyler-Jamison, Vice President of Community Impact & Advocacy, Trinity Regional Health System.  "Behavioral health and physical health are linked and the more we study, the more we understand that we need to have a holistic approach to creating health for people and for our community."

Questions on the 2012 Community Health Assessment may be directed to the Quad City Health Initiative which will be working with the study sponsors to improve health status and quality of life through ongoing projects and community assessments.  Website:  www.qchealthinitiative.org.

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