4 Pregnancy Complications to Know About

Planning for a child is an exciting time for any family, however, as with all aspects in life, certain complications can arise.

Being pregnant puts a massive strain on the body, which should not come as a shock considering it is the growth of another human being inside it! But no matter how well designed the body may be (or may not be, depending on who is asked) to carry out natural processes, complications can still occur. This might be for the mother, for the baby, or both.

Pregnancy complications are also not pre-determined by the mother’s health and can evolve entirely of their own accord. It is also important to note that there are varying degrees of pregnancy issues, from mild disturbances to high-risk complications.

It is possible for many pregnancy-related problems to be avoided with the correct prenatal care, and also with an exceptional and focused medical team.

With this in mind, this piece will explore some of the common pregnancy complications that can be experienced both during and after birth.

Hypertension

There are a few ways in which hypertension can present itself during pregnancy, and it doesn’t need to be too much of a concern; it could simply just need to be closely monitored. Hypertension may be present before pregnancy, whereas some mothers develop the condition during pregnancy, or rarely, following childbirth.

Infections During Pregnancy

Infections during pregnancy are common, unsurprisingly because pregnancy can affect every system in the body. This leaves those who are pregnant open to a whole new world of issues to watch out for that might not have crossed their minds beforehand. The severity of infections will vary and changes in hormone levels and the immune system during pregnancy will leave the body more vulnerable to infections or even severe difficulties.

Birth Injuries

Birth injuries and birth trauma are worrying issues in terms of pre-, during, and post-labor complications. Alarmingly, a number of women still die from childbirth every year, and there is also the risk of babies suffering from preventable injuries during childbirth, which may leave them with significant and/or life-threatening problems. For more information check out this blog post via birth injury malpractice lawyers.

C-Sections and Pregnancy

If difficulties develop early on during the pregnancy, a C-section might already be planned ahead of time; however, the need for a C-section often does not become apparent until labor is well underway, so it is a good idea to plan for the possibility of an emergency C-section being needed in case complications do occur during labor.

C-sections are used for several reasons: the baby may be distressed during labor; it may be in an abnormal or difficult position, such as breech (buttocks first!); labor may not be progressing at a suitable rate; or the cervix may not be dilated enough. C-sections might also be the best option if there have been health concerns with during the pregnancy, such as the mother having a brain or heart condition, or if there have been issues with the umbilical cord.

Thanks to Ellie