Management of complications
during the labour

A process or an act resulted in an offspring called as a birthing or as a childbirth. Every women’s labour experience may be different from each other.  Most typical signs of the labour are repetitive contractions, backache or an upset stomach, breaking a water (rupture of the membranes), a plug of mucus going away through the vagina, Approximately women experience labour duration between 12 to 36 hours. During the labour, various complications could occur. The most common one are described below:

Preterm labour

Despite the usual duration or gestation period of pregnancy is 38-42 weeks, some women may experience all the signs of labour before 37 weeks. This type of labour is called as a preterm labour. Therefore, a baby born prematurely will be at risk. Some examples of common risks are: immature lungs, respiratory distress, and problems in digestion. These risks are impacted severely on baby’s survival rate as the organs have not been developed completely.

Your doctor will help to prevent a preterm labour condition by offering medications and closely monitor you in order to prevent infection. Also, one of the other options could be offered is a medication that could accelerate baby lung’s development. You will be also advised to take a bed rest on a left side in order to reduce the risks of preterm labour. 

Prolonged labour

This type of labour characterised when the pregnant women goes beyond gestation period of 42 weeks. This is especially applicable to the women who undergoes their first pregnancy. The main risk relates to this kind of complication is in infection, especially of amniotic sac has ruptured. Your doctor will advise to tale the medications with infection infection preventative feature.

Abnormal Presentation

Usually, during the labour, a normal position of the baby is head down towards pelvix. However, it is also possible when baby positioned with buttocks or with feet towards pelvix. This is called as breech presentation. Because of baby’s unusual position, sometimes placenta could the pelvix and cause the abnormal presentation This type of complication characterised by the following risks: injury to the uterus, to birth canal and to foetus.

Your doctor will regularly check the position of the baby by both physically and through the ultrasound scans. Also, assisted delivery methods could be offered if such complication occur.

Premature ruptus of membranes

Rupture of membranes could trigger the infection risk. At this case, an immediate delivery of the foetus will be done. 

Umbilical Cord Prolapse

The umbilical cord, where all the nutrients and oxygen transferred to the baby, could slip into the cervix before even labour starts. The cord may be felt if it protrudes from the vagina. This is an emergency situation as the blood flow to the baby through the umbilical cord may get obstructed. 

Umbilical cord compression

During birth, the umbilical cord can be squeezed, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the fetus. This causes a sharp decrease in fetal heart rate. In cases where the fetal heartbeat has worsened or there are signs of distress, your doctor may consider a cesarean section. 

The amniotic fluid embolism

The amniotic fluid embolism of the pulmonary artery and its branches is a complication of vigorous labor, placenta previa, premature detachment of a normally located placenta. The risks associated with this kind of complication are rapid heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, cardiac arrest and death. This is an emergency situation, your doctor may consider a caesarean section.