Guiding Patients through High-Risk Pregnancies

Dr. Rachel Wilensky Shulman says that she went into gynecology — and MFM in particular — as an opportunity to serve other women.

By Robyn Spizman Gerson August 11, 2022, 12:56 pm Edit

Robyn Spizman Gerson is a New York Times best-selling author of many books, including “When Words Matter Most.” She is also a communications professional and well-known media personality, having appeared often locally on “Atlanta and Company” and nationally on NBC’s “Today” show. For more information go to www.robynspizman.com.

From a very young age, Dr. Rachel Wilensky Shulman knew she wanted to be a doctor. The Sandy Springs native graduated from Woodward Academy and attended the University of Michigan, where she met her future husband, Brian.

She returned to Atlanta for medical school and gynecology residency at Emory, then completed her fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) at University of California, San Francisco before returning to Atlanta once more and joining Georgia Perinatal Consultants in 2019.

“Maternal fetal medicine doctors, or perinatologists,” Shulman explains, “have completed a residency in OBGYN and three additional years of fellowship training in ultrasound, genetics and management of high-risk pregnancies. I see pregnant patients who are admitted to the hospital with any variety of maternal, fetal, or obstetric complications and perform some procedures. I spend the majority of my day in the office performing ultrasounds and counseling pregnant people and their families.

“The most common indications for seeing an MFM are age, use of reproductive technology, multifetal gestations, underlying medical problems such as diabetes or hypertension, or abnormal ultrasound findings for the fetus (growth issues, structural anomalies, genetic problems for example).”

She says that she went into gynecology — and MFM in particular — as an opportunity to serve other women.

Shulman with her husband, Brian, Hayes (20 months) and Rory (four-and-a-half).

“I could not imagine a greater privilege than being involved in what many describe as the most meaningful time in their lives-pregnancy,” Shulman said. “Not to mention, it is one of the only ‘happy’ reasons people go to the hospital. I also liked the surgical aspect of the field and the high-paced nature of labor and delivery. Ultimately, I realized that the biggest impact I could make was not only delivering happy news, but also utilizing my expertise, support and guidance to ever so slightly temper the devastating and scary moments my patients encounter.”

Shulman encourages all women to address their childbearing goals early with their obstetrician.

“There are so many ways to optimize outcomes before pregnancy by discussing things like fertility preservation, genetic screening, mental health and underlying medical comorbidities,” she counsels.

As a wife and a mother of two, Shulman is no stranger to the topic. She is intimately familiar with the balancing act required to maintain both her career and home life.

Dr. Rachel Wilensky Shulman is devoted to helping women with high-risk pregnancies.

“Our boys are young now and my older son already knows what it means to be a doctor and that I go to work to ‘help moms and babies,’” she explained. “I want my children to know that there are many ways to help others and contribute to the community. I want them to know I love my job, but don’t like missing school events, first-day photographs and, sometimes, bedtime. Finding a work-life balance can be hard, but I have an incredibly supportive husband (with a different career) who helps support me in my work. I know my kids are happy and safe, and my husband is a fabulous father so I can use my time, knowledge and privilege to help my patients.”

In addition to her patients, Shulman takes inspiration from her colleagues, “a collective group of outstanding individuals without whom I would not be who or where I am,” and her medical predecessors.

“I am inspired by the early women in medicine for making the field accessible to me. I am eternally grateful to my parents and family for the support, resources and encouragement they provided. Every family who has trusted me throughout my career inspires me to be my best every day,” she said. “I want to take excellent care of my patients and be a present and happy mom and wife. I hope to always continue learning professionally and growing personally to achieve these goals.”

Shulman is board-certified in OBGYN and MFM. She is a member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine, the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. For more information, visit www.georgiaperinatal.com.

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