Baby stuck during birth – causes and solutions
As I watched the 22-year-old first-time mum go through the motions of delivery, it dawned on me that the baby’s passage was not clear. My suspicion? Baby stuck during birth. The pregnant mum had arrived at the hospital at around seven in the evening, in labour. I was on night duty. After admitting her immediately, I called…
Read MoreWhat to do when a woman delivers unexpectedly
YOU are in a matatu and suddenly the pregnant woman sitting next to you goes into labour. What do you do? Dr David Kiragu gives the run-down of how to handle such or similar situations. The most important measure to prevent maternal death during delivery is the availability of trained medical personnel at the time…
Read MorePost-partum Haemorrhage
In the previous edition of Pregnant, Dr. David Kiragu explained what Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) means, the two categories – Primary and Secondary – and the fact that PPH can lead to maternal death. PPH is largely unpreventable. The majority of patients who get PPH have no history or clinical features that would be predictors of…
Read MoreLabour pains — Do you need anaesthesia?
Women who have previously given birth do not ordinarily have good news for those who have never done so. Labour is painful, a different kind of pain. Inexplicable. Josphine Kihi says, ‘There is nothing like labour pain. I cannot describe it. I have never felt that way in my life.’ From these expressions, new mothers…
Read MoreDangers of prolonged labour
Prolonged labour suggests that labour has failed to progress normally, and is causing difficulties for the mother and child. Labour is said to have prolonged if it does not complete within 18 hours for first time mothers and 12 hours for mothers who have had a prior delivery. What could cause prolonged labour? Inadequate intensity…
Read MoreUterine Rupture – What it is and why it happens
Uterine rupture is a tear in the wall of the uterus, most often at the site of a previous caeserean section (C-section). In a complete rupture the tear goes through all layers of the uterine wall. The consequences of uterine rupture can be dire for mother and child. Fortunately, these ruptures are relatively rare for…
Read MoreExcess Bleeding After Delivery
Excess Bleeding After Delivery Pauline Chola’s Experience Her tenth wedding anniversary was on the eve of her scheduled Caesarean operation to deliver her fourth baby. But as events unfolded, Pauline Chola developed bleeding complications. She narrated her ordeal to Pregnant Magazine. We had our tenth wedding anniversary dinner on the eve of the Caesarean operation.…
Read MoreInduced labor – how long does it take? When is it done?
Induced labour is not the same as natural labour. It also differs from augmented labour, advises Dr. David Kiragu. Induced labour does not begin spontaneously (naturally); artificial means initiate it. In most cases, waters will be broken artificially and drugs will be administered by drip to initiate and sustain the process. Augmented or induced labour? Augmentation…
Read MoreI had labour pains for 2 days!
Mid-November. Scared, uncertain and prayerful. My due date was just a week away and I recall asking my friends in college how painful labour was. Some of them were married with kids. ‘Not painful’, ‘Scary!, ‘Okay’, ‘Don’t even ask!’ were the various responses I got. While some responses raised my spirits, others got me more…
Read MoreVacuum delivery
What It Means For You and Your Baby A vacuum delivery is a modified normal delivery where uterine pressure that expels the baby is supplemented with a vacuum extractor. This equipment applies pressure on the head resulting in a pulling effect, and helps to expel the baby from the mother’s birth canal. It is as…
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