Common Pregnancy Complications
By: Julie Fletcher
No doubt you will be wondering about the most common complications of pregnancy from the time you decide to try to conceive. If you have already had a positive pregnancy test, then you may be thinking of the possible complications as soon as you have seen a plus sign.
Today’s leaps in medical technology make it possible to detect complications early on. Many can be treated to help you progress with a healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It is true that some of the more problematic issues can end a pregnancy. Regardless of what you may have heard, these sort of complications are not a regular event. We will be discussing the most common and they could affect you.
Ectopic Pregnancy:
An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs outside of the uterus. The most common form of pregnancy that happens outside of the womb is in the fallopian tubes. This can be caused by a few different issues. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as Chlamydia or Inflammatory Pelvic Disease may cause a tubal pregnancy. Disorders that cause the blockage or tightening (narrowing) of the tubes can also contribute to these types of pregnancies. Endremitriosis is the most common problem that causes this.
In an ectopic or tubal pregnancy, the sperm has been able to reach the released egg, then fertilize it. Due to the blockage, scarring, or tightening of the tube, the egg is unable to move into the uterus and find an area in the prepared lining in which to implant itself. Instead, the egg implants itself into the tube wall and begins to grow. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include heavy bleeding, severe pain on the side the pregnancy is present, and in untreated cases, death.
If you experience pain and bleeding after a positive pregnancy test or even if you only suspect a pregnancy, see your doctor. He or she can rule out an ectopic pregnancy by using an ultrasound.
Rh Negative Disease:
Early on in your pregnancy, your doctor will have your blood typed. This is to rule out the possibility of a negative Rh factor. A woman is considered Rh Negative if a certain protein that surrounds the red blood cells is not present in her blood.
If an Rh Negative mother has given birth to an Rh positive baby and has not been given a certain shot, Rhogam, during pregnancy and after delivery, she will begin to build up antibodies against another positive baby. The shot is not normally given to a mother if her baby is negative, like her. If the baby has the same Rh factor as its’ mother, the mother will not build antibodies against another pregnancy.
The implications of missing the Rhogam shot are serious. The antibodies are not developed against an Rh positive baby during a first pregnancy. The antibodies only develop after the delivery of the first child. The serious concerns are for children born later. If a mother does not have treatment to stop the antibodies from attacking the pregnancy, a baby may need to have a full blood transfusion after birth. The is also the possibility of miscarriage. If you are Rh Negative, do not miss your Rhogam shot as it could be a life and death matter for any children after your first.
Your doctor may provide you with a card to carry with you at all times stating you are Rh Negative. In the possibility of life threatening emergency and need of a transfusion, you will need to receive Rh Negative blood.
Gestational Diabetes:
Gestational diabetes can develop when a woman’s pancreas is not making enough insulin during pregnancy. During your second trimester a glucose screening will be performed to determine your risk of gestational diabetes. If your screening comes back positive, you will need to undergo further tests. A glucose tolerance test will allow your doctor to find if you do have gestational diabetes and decide a treatment course.
Gestational diabetes cannot be treated with the pills available today. Your doctor will prescribe a specific diet and possibly insulin if the diet does not control your symptoms. The need to control gestational diabetes is not only for the benefit of the mother, but for the baby as well. Babies born to mothers who have gestational diabetes are often very large and can need to be birthed through a c-section.
Pre-Term Labor:
Pre-term or premature labor is when a woman goes into active labor anytime before her pregnancy is full term. Full term is generally termed at thirty seven weeks. Occasionally a woman may have miscalculated her last menstrual period and not be in pre-term labor, but normal, full term labor. In these instances, pre-term labor is not a complication, only a miscalculation and no treatment will be needed afterwards.
True pre-term labor is a different story. An infection, such as a vaginal or serious urinary tract infection that has traveled into the vaginal canal can cause the onset of early labor. Your doctor may try to stop the labor with medications. You may also be placed on bed rest if medications are not enough to stop the contractions when you exert yourself.
The contractions and labor may feel like a low, dull backache. You may also feel as if you are having menstrual (period) cramping and have a lot pf pressure in your lower abdomen or lower back. If you experience these symptoms before you are thirty seven weeks pregnant, it is important to talk to your doctor right away.