Collaborative post
The day you give birth should be the happiest day of your life as you bring your child into the world ready to love and raise as your own. However, things don’t always go to plan and some complications can arise before, during and after childbirth.
Last year, there were over 600,000 births in England and Wales and of these, an estimated one in four pregnancies ended in loss during or after the birth. This can be caused by a number of issues and we understand how daunting it can be to think about these things while you’re pregnant, but it can help you understand the process better.
Read on to discover the most common birth complications and what you can do if you suffer one during your pregnancy.
Prolonged labour
Prolonged labour is when your labour is slow to progress and in some cases, fails to progress. This complication is usually when your labour has lasted 20 hours or more and although extremely tiring, it can have no long-term side effects to you or your baby.
Some of the common reasons for this complication are:
- A large baby
- The delivery of multiple babies
- Slow dilations
Perinatal asphyxia
This is caused when the baby fails to initiate and maintain breathing after birth. It is usually diagnosed when the baby has a low heart rate, weak breathing and gasping. Failure to deal with this can lead to organ failure and cardiovascular problems.
Foetal distress
It’s known as foetal distress when your baby does not appear to be doing well after birth. Irregular heartbeat and movement issues are common signs of this. This tends to occur when pregnancies last over 42 weeks but doctors can reduce the chance of this happening by doing the following:
- Changing the birthing position
- Increasing maternal hydration
- Maintaining oxygen levels
What to do if you suffer during pregnancy
If you’re unfortunate and suffer any complications during your pregnancy, we understand just how much it can affect your physical and mental health. That’s why you should consider doing the following to help you on the road to recovery.
- Speak to a psychologist about your experience
- Contact a legal professional if your birth injury or loss was caused by medical negligence and see if you could be owed compensation
- Go to the doctor if you’re experiencing any pain
- Spend time with friends and family who can support you
Don’t suffer in silence if you’ve received insufficient care or had a birthing injury that’s weighing heavily on your mind. Instead, seek help from professionals who can give you the support you need during recovery. We hope this will make your life a little bit easier during these difficult times.