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Pregnant women and their partners should educate themselves about common birth problems, including preterm labor, fetal distress, abnormal fetal positioning, shoulder dystocia, and umbilical cord problems. Doctors can provide treatments such as drugs, forceps, vacuum extractors, or cesarean sections depending on the severity of the condition.
It is important for pregnant women and their partners to educate themselves about common birth problems so they are better prepared if they experience a complication during labor or delivery. Some birth problems can be anticipated before the woman goes into labor, while others arise spontaneously during the process. Common birth problems include preterm labor, fetal distress, abnormal fetal positioning, shoulder dystocia, and umbilical cord problems. Other problems are possible, and pregnant women should talk to their doctors about any questions or concerns they may have.
Preterm birth is a common problem of childbirth. Babies born before the mother has reached 34 weeks of gestation are usually not fully developed and may suffer from heart problems, breathing difficulties and other major problems. Doctors can give drugs to postpone labor for short periods. Steroids are often given to women who go into labor before 34 weeks if labor cannot be stopped. This helps the baby’s lungs and other vital organs develop quickly, reducing the risk of serious complications after delivery.
Fetal distress is usually identified by abnormal changes in the baby’s heart rate during delivery. Women who give birth after their due date or have other delivery problems during labor are at a higher risk of having their babies in fetal distress. Doctors treat each case of discomfort depending on the severity of the condition. Sometimes it is enough to give the mother oxygen or additional fluids. In other cases, doctors may need to use forceps to help the mother deliver as quickly as possible or perform a cesarean section, a surgical procedure to remove the baby from the mother’s womb.
Abnormal fetal positioning can also create problems with delivery. Normally, the baby should be head down towards the mother’s back with the chin tucked towards the chest. Babies facing forward, legs down, or positioned with their backs toward the birth canal often have difficulty passing through the birth canal, and the woman may not be able to deliver vaginally. Doctors often use forceps or vacuum extractors to help women with babies in abnormal positions, although a C-section is sometimes necessary.
Shoulder dystocia occurs when one of the baby’s shoulders gets caught in the mother’s hip bone, preventing the baby from sliding the rest of the way through the birth canal. This can be dangerous as the baby often cannot breathe in this position. Doctors try different maneuvers to quickly help the baby release the shoulder so the mother can push the baby all the way out. If these techniques don’t work within minutes, doctors usually help push the baby’s head inside the mother and perform an emergency C-section.
The most common umbilical cord problems that can occur during childbirth are a prolapsed umbilical cord and a nuchal cord. A prolapsed cord exits the birth canal before the baby, which can cut off the blood and oxygen supply to the baby. When this happens, doctors must perform an immediate cesarean section to deliver the baby.
A nuchal cord occurs when the umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck. This does not often cause serious complications and can be slipped off the baby during delivery. In other cases, the doctor must cut the cord once the baby’s head is out of the vagina.
