Complications During Labour And Delivery That You Should Be Aware Of
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The final trimester of your pregnancy feels like you are on the home stretch, tired but all excited to bring your baby into the world. Then comes the well wishers and the world in general who start telling you their stories of the birth process and labor, and you start getting worked up all over again.
It’s the first baby for the both of you. Would there be complications? And what about your own set of health concerns? What can you expect? Will it turn out as simple as they make it feel?
We have rounded up some common labor complications that do occur, but you can be rest assured that birth teams see these almost every day and that you will be in the best hands even if they do happen for you.
1. Complications Relating To The Umbilical Cord
Although there have been great advances in prenatal sonographies, complications arising from the umbilical cord cannot be foreseen and are usually spotted only during the birth process.
Sometimes the cord could be reducing or completely cutting off the fetus’ blood flow. Unfortunately, the latter cannot be prevented but is also extremely rare (1). However, the former can occur more often, but you have nothing to worry about.
Active babies often get the cord to wrap and unwrap around them as they move around inside your uterus. The cord can also temporarily decrease blood flow to the fetus due to the push and pull during labor (2). The medical team will be monitoring you continuously and have you prioritized for a C-section if they deem it necessary.
2. Perineal Lacerations
The area between your vagina and anus can often tear during delivery. There are many reasons for such a tear, including an overly large baby and extreme pushing during the birth.
Fortunately, perineal tears can be prevented by resisting the urge to push as soon as the baby shows and opting for a slow, controlled delivery instead (3). If you do end up experiencing tears, the medical team will stitch them up and will prescribe you pain medication. You’ll also be given precautionary information regarding sexual intercourse after birth and bowel movements.
3. Abnormal Heart Rates In The Foetus
While this is also a common complication, the medical teams are usually well prepared for it. The doctors will decide whether to shift you to a delivery room right away and opt for a C-section or if the heart rate can be increased by merely asking the mother to switch to positions that would promote better blood flow (4).
4. Complications In The Amniotic Cavity
These could arise from a prolonged labor – usually for first-time mothers – where the water has broken long before the actual birth happens. In this case, the risks are that there could be an infection for both the baby and the mother, but medical teams are usually monitoring the need to speed up labor through medications, if necessary.
A more serious, but very rare complication of the amniotic cavity is when the fluid or ‘water’ enters the mother’s bloodstream and could result in a very difficult labor or other complications such as heart failure (5).
5. Prolonged Labour
This complication is also known as the failure to progress, and hence resulting in a prolonged labor (6). Although the mother’s water may have broken, her cervix may not have dilated enough to move to the final stages of labour and the actual birth.
Medical teams, in such cases, assess the possibility of the development of other risks – including those mentioned in this article – and take a call on either waiting for natural progress or opting for induced birth.
Each pregnancy and labor is unique, and a variety of factors influence the smoothness of the baby’s birth or the complications that the mother may experience.
Fortunately, medical science has advanced by such leaps and bounds that most of these complications can be handled easily and quietly, without causing any anxiety to the mother or the family.
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