Difficulties During Pregnancy

Most women want an easy pregnancy, but not everyone gets one. Difficulties during pregnancy are the symptoms or problems that are associated with pregnancy and they could be serious, even potentially fatal problems. Serious problems can cause both maternal death and foetal death if untreated. In this article, we will provide you with the most common causes of pregnancy difficulty which includes infections, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, post-coital bleeding, uterine rupture, foetal vessel rupture, heavy bleeding, preeclampsia and high blood pressure.

Common Causes Of Pregnancy Difficulties

1. Infections. Spotting during pregnancy may happen due to some conditions that are not related to pregnancy. A vaginal infection (yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis) or a sexually transmitted infection (trichomoniasis, herpes, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea) can cause the cervix to become inflamed. An irritated cervix certainly causes spotting after sex or a pap smear.
2. Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. A potential difficulty in pregnancy is having a miscarriage. Most of the time, it is accompanied by abdominal pain or cramping. The common cause of miscarriage during early pregnancy is an ectopic pregnancy. This condition happens when the fertilised egg implants itself in one of the fallopian tubes. It is also referred as “tubal pregnancy”.
3. Postcoital bleeding is a vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse. It may be normal during pregnancy but when it happens frequently with increased amounts of blood, consult your doctor.
4. Uterine rupture is an abnormal splitting open of the uterus, causing the baby to be partially or completely expelled into the abdomen. This condition is rare but is very harmful for both mother and baby. This condition may occur before or during the time of delivery.
5. Foetal vessel rupture is a condition that occurs in about one of every 1,000 pregnancies. The baby’s blood vessels from the umbilical cord may attach to the membranes instead of the placenta causing difficulty during pregnancy.
6. Heavy bleeding during late pregnancy is most often associated with a problem in the placenta. The two most common problems that involve the placenta are placenta previa and placenta abruption

What To Do When Having These Conditions During Pregnancy?

The most ideal thing to do is to call your doctor or health care provider immediately, even if the difficulty seems to have stopped. The condition may turn out to be something minor but it could be a sign of a serious problem.

Pre-eclampsia And High Blood Pressure

Another cause of pregnancy difficulties are preeclampsia and high blood pressure. According to research, preeclampsia does not necessarily increase a woman’s risk for developing chronic hypertension or other cardiac problems. Women with normal blood pressure, who develop preeclampsia after the 20th week of her first pregnancy, usually goes away within about 6 weeks after delivery. Some women may be more likely to develop high blood pressure or other heart-related problems later in life. The effects of preeclampsia during pregnancy vary depending on a lot of different factors. Having early and regular check-up is very helpful for you and your baby.

Prevention Of Preeclampsia Complications

When your blood pressure increases slightly and you are not near the end of pregnancy, have a bed rest to reduce the pressure. If the blood pressure remains normal, pregnancy may be allowed to continue. If you develop signs of preeclampsia, you and your baby will be closely monitored by the doctor. The only cure for preeclampsia is the giving birth of the baby. Sometimes, your health care provider will suggest an early delivery either through induction of labour or a caesarean section.