Pregnancy Complications

Common Health Complications During Pregnancy

Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding can mean several things during your pregnancy. First, it could be an ectopic pregnancy if you experience heavy bleedingand severe abdominal pain with cramping during your first trimester.

Ectopic pregnancy is caused by the implantation of the fertilized egg somewhere else rather than the supposed uterus and can be life-threatening.

Second, it could signify miscarriage during the first or initial stages of the second trimester. In contrast, bleeding during the third trimester may mean placental abruption, which happens when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall.

Vaginal bleeding is a serious factor that needs immediate medical attention.

Heavy Nausea and Vomiting

It’s common for women to experience nausea during pregnancy. Nevertheless, if it gets severe, that’s more serious and requires medical attention.

Our ER physicians advise that you risk dehydration if you cannot eat or drink due to vomiting effects. Malnourishment and dehydration can severely affect the mother’s body and the baby’s development.

If you have severe nausea that leads to frequent vomiting, we recommend contacting your healthcare provider soonest possible. They may prescribe medication or instruct a change in diet. During the emergency visit the doctor might recommend IV fluids to manage dehydration.

Preeclampsia

It’s a common condition among mothers that leads to dangerouslyhigh blood pressure levels and can cause death if left untreated. It happens after 20 pregnancy weeks and occurs in women with a history of hypertension, previous preeclampsia, kidney diseases, and diabetes.

Other risk factors include first pregnancies, being older than 35, carrying multiple fetuses, and obesity.

Its symptoms are severe headaches, changes in vision, and under-the-rib pain. Symptoms do not appear immediately. The first alert is mostly when pregnant women checkin for their prenatal visits and have high blood pressure. Here, our ER physicians will test for kidneys and liver functioning to determine whether you have preeclampsia or normal high blood pressure.

Staying healthy during pregnancy is the best shot at preventing it and seeing your doctor if you have any risk factors.

Your Water Breaks

You are on your regular kitchen routine, and suddenly a gush of water runs down your legs; your water may have broken. However, during pregnancy, the belly pressure on your bladder can cause urine breakage too.
If you are unsure of the situation, get to the bathroom and empty your bladder, and if the fluid rush continues, it could be a membrane rupture. Call your doctor immediately or visit our nearest ultrasound lab.

Gestational Diabetes

This is a common condition among pregnant women resulting from the woman’s body being unable to break down sugars. One of its highest risks is that the baby might grow too big, which may cause problems during delivery, such as the baby’s shoulders not fitting through the cervix. Thisprompts a cesarean section.

Gestational diabetes lacks no outward symptoms, butdoctors will diagnose it within 24 and 28 pregnancy weeks. Diagnoses can be earlier for overweight women or those with a previous gestational diabetes history.

Mothers can prevent it by sticking to healthy diets, losing some weight before pregnancy, and doing regular exercises like walking for 30 minutes a day.

Risk Factors

Specific risk factors that might cause pregnancy complications to include:

• Advanced maternal age –Women more than 35 years have a higher risk of pregnancy complications
• Car Accidents –Possible effects of car accidents on pregnancy include miscarriage, premature birth, congenital disabilities, internal bleeding, and hemorrhaging.
• Lifestyle choices -your pregnancy is at higher risk if you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use other illegal drugs.
• Maternal health conditions – these include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart and blood illnesses, obesity, mismanaged asthma, and other infections.
• Pregnancy abnormalities – Complications like abnormal placental position, fetal growth restriction, and rhesus sensitization can cause a high-risk pregnancy.
• Multiple pregnancies – women carrying twins and other multiples are at high risk of developing complications
• Pregnancy history – People with a history of pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, previous premature births, or miscarriages are at high risk of developing pregnancy complications.

When to Be Worried About Pregnancy Cramps

During pregnancy, mild cramps are common. However, you should not ignore the cramp. Therefore you can talk to the doctor about your concerns during the consultations. Some of the complications associated with cramps include:

Ectopic Pregnancy

When you notice bleeding followed by cramps during pregnancy, it might be a sign of ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Therefore, you should contact the doctor to prevent the risk of further complications. Also, preeclampsia might be followed by cramps.

During the third trimester, the baby will be grown. Therefore, you will experience pressure around your pelvis since the baby is kicking. If you experience such, you don’t have to worry. However, if the pain persists, you can contact your doctor for consultation.

Premature Labor

During the third trimester, cramps might be a result of premature labor. Therefore, you should watch out for premature labor symptoms. Some of the signs of premature labor include:

• Change in type of vaginal discharge
• Pelvic pressure
• Increase in vaginal discharge
• Dull backache
• Painless uterus contractions