CRISIS PREGNANCY – Page 5 – Pregnant Magazine

Post-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…

Keeping your GLOW

PREGNANT women are beautiful, no doubt about it. But in addition to that tell-tale rosy glow (which is actually caused by increased blood flow in your body), pregnancy can also stimulate some less desirable changes in your appearance. You probably expected the weight gain, but did you also know that your skin could become blotchy, prone…

Induced 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…

Does your man know how pregnancy will change you?

Dramatic physical and emotional changes your man should expect If your man says to you, ‘I need to take you to the hospital’, because you are vomiting from nausea, it may be because you are not talking enough about how pregnancy will affect you. Does your man really know what lies ahead and how much pregnancy will change…

Her relatives withheld vital information

A real life account as witnessed by a maternity nurse Mary was rushed into the hospital at around nine o’clock that night while I was on night duty. Her two relatives said it was an emergency and insisted she must be admitted at once. This surprised me as no diagnosis had been carried out. I asked what…

Shoes For a Pregnant Woman

BY the time you can’t fit into any of your pre-pregnancy clothes, chances are you are still fitting into your shoes, right? Maybe—but maybe not. Pregnancy comes with a host of physical changes in a woman’s body; her feet are a key factor. Changes in the feet may include swelling (oedema), ‘flat feet’ and general…

Eclampsia

Eclampsia CAN IT KILL AN EXPECTANT WOMAN? PRE-ECLAMPSIA is the name given to a duster of symptoms which can appear from the 20th…

Multiple births pregnancies

1. Premature/preterm labour or birth Multiple pregnancies often end earlier than single birth pregnancies. The result is that the babies are born before all their organs are fully developed. They usually have low birth weight and on many occasions require aided breathing and feeding. Such babies need additional care after delivery but unless they have…

I regret my decision – Grief after an abortion

A true story as narrated to Emma Odaba by Rahab* (*not her real name) 22-year-old Rahab had an abortion because she wanted to maintain her ‘dignity’; she did not want people to see her pregnant out of wedlock. However, two years later she regrets it, saying that having the abortion was the worst mistake she has…

Post abortion syndrome

Grace Ojiambo, Executive Director of Crisis Pregnancy Ministries, Nairobi examines Rahab’s feelings about her abortion. RAHAB’S situation has happened to countless couples; when one faces a crisis pregnancy, they are so stressed that they can’t think objectively. At that point, the crisis pregnancy is the Goliath in their lives that they must kill. Usually the…