Pregnancy is a beautiful journey one embarks on to bring life into this world. Your pregnancy is a life-changing experience for yourself and your partner. The importance of the care provided to you during your pregnancy is huge. It is as important for your child as it is for yourself. However, no matter how healthy you are and how much care you have taken, there are some issues one can encounter during labor and delivery. These may be sudden and unexpected.
Not all women face these problems. Many women have little to no issues during delivery. The process is smooth and straightforward. But for some, it can be very troubling, and therefore, tiring. Sometimes, the issue starts off as something that isn’t troublesome in the beginning, but develops into a life threatening situation at times. The best gynecologist in Lahore shared some common labor issues that women may face for better awareness and understanding. Let us have a look at those:
Prolonged Labor
Sometimes the labor progresses for longer than normal. This situation in which labor fails to progress is called prolonged labor. In this, the child slowly moves through the birth canal. It happens for a number of reasons. Sometimes , the fetus is too large or is positioned abnormally. At times, the birth canal is too small or narrow as compared to the fetus’s size. Another reason is that the uterine contractions are very weak which do not allow the fetus to progress further.
Medications that are given before birth may also contribute at times to weakening of the contractions. Emotional factors also play a role such as stress or worrying too much. If the labor is not progressing despite the birth canal being large enough, the doctor may intravenously inject oxytocin which stimulates uterine contractions. If delivery is still not in the books, a cesarean delivery is recommended.
Nuchal Cord
Problems in the umbilical cord may lead to delivery complications. Originally, the umbilical cord joins the fetus to the placenta. It also contains stem cells which develop into specific cells in the body of the fetus. Research states that nuchal cord occurs in one fourth of all pregnancies. This is when the umbilical cord wraps around the fetus’s neck. Doctor’s usually check for it in routine checkups.
It is not often dangerous when it is loose around the neck. Sometimes, if it is tightly wrapped around the baby’s neck, the doctor may clamp and cut it before the shoulders are delivered.
Placenta Previa
Once labor has started, problems with the placenta can occur. Sometimes, the placenta covers the opening of the cervix. It covers the cervix partially or completely. Light to heavy bleeding is one of the major symptoms of placenta previa. This bleeding occurs in the third semester and occurs without any pain usually.
If these are not addressed, complications such as hemorrhage can arise. This may affect the health of the mother as well as the baby. Placenta previa is common if you have multiple gestational pregnancy or if you previously had the same issue. Treatment involves supervised bed rest in the hospital along with blood transfusions. Immediate cesarean delivery is opted for in case the fetal heartbeat is fluctuating or fetal distress is observed.
Placenta Accreta
Another issue with the placenta is placenta accreta, in which the placenta is firmly attached to the uterus abnormally. This usually happens when the placenta grows into the lining of the uterus. If you have had placenta previa or a cesarean delivery at the time of previous pregnancies, you are more likely to develop this situation. If such risk factors are present, the doctors do an ultrasound multiple times during the pregnancy to ensure placenta accreta does not occur.
In such cases, after delivery, the placenta takes time to come out. Parts of the placenta may remain inside the uterus and increase risk of bleeding and infection in the uterus. The doctor may even remove the uterus after taking consent from the mother. Women who have fibroids, are 35 or above, or who have disorders of the uterus and its lining are more prone to encounter this issue.
Fetal Distress
When you get signs before and during childbirth, that the fetus is not well, it refers to fetal distress. It usually occurs when the fetus is not getting enough oxygen. It can happen due to multiple reasons such as umbilical cord problems, shoulder dystocia, breech baby positioning etc.
Fetal monitoring externally during childbirth allows the care team to check on your baby’s vitals. Sometimes, a vacuum extractor or forceps may be used to deliver the baby in this case. In other cases, a cesarean delivery is performed immediately depending on the severity of the situation.
Conclusion
These are just five of the common issues that women face during childbirth. They usually depend on your health and how your previous pregnancies progressed. But you must know that labor complications can happen to anyone. You can discuss any symptoms or issues you feel you are facing in preterm appointments with your doctor.
