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Potential Complications During Pregnancy

If you’ve recently discovered that you’re pregnant, congratulations! It’s an exciting time for you, and it will be full of milestones to remember. Whether it’s the joy of the first scan or the excitement of the birth, being pregnant is one of the greatest pleasures that life can bring for any woman or couple. As ever, it’s important to be mindful of the complexities that can arise as a result of pregnancy. While complications are rare, it’s wise to think ahead and minimize the risk of any problems through awareness and self-education.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the complications that can arise while you’re bearing a child and take a look at what you can expect if you suffer from a difficult pregnancy.

Low amniotic fluid

When you’re carrying a baby inside you, the amniotic sac is a bag inside the womb that helps the fetus to grow. As part of your pregnancy’s development, this sac fills with a certain type of fluid designed to help your fetus along. For some women, the amniotic sac fails to fill with the relevant fluid, and as a result, there’s a chance that your baby’s development could be impacted. It’s something that your designated healthcare assistant will be able to diagnose and help you with if it’s happening to you.

Miscarriage

While miscarriages are still rare (only 10% to 20% of known pregnancies are believed to end like this), it is unfortunately still a risk that expectant mothers must consider. One of the most painful and difficult problems that a pregnant person can experience, miscarriages can be spotted early by looking out for certain signs.

Bleeding or spotting in the vaginal area is a common sign of potential miscarriage, though bear in mind that this symptom does not always mean that you have miscarried. It’s wise to go to your designated healthcare representative right away if you spot these symptoms as it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Blood type problems

If you have a certain blood type and your baby has another, you may be worried that it will cause some adverse effects. For example, a mother who has a rhesus-negative blood type but is carrying a rhesus-positive baby may be concerned that their bloods will mingle together during the pregnancy, as this can lead to the mother’s defensive immune system kicking in and creating all kinds of chemicals that clash with the baby. If you find yourself asking “what is my blood type?”, don’t worry, you can easily take a blood type test to find out.

Gestational diabetes

It’s still unusual to contract diabetes, but some women unfortunately do develop the condition while they are pregnant. Diabetes is usually caused if your pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to extract the glucose out of your blood.

Sometimes, the effects that pregnancy can have on your hormones can lead to your pancreas behaving abnormally and you developing diabetes. If this happens to you, your medical team will be able to ensure that your blood sugar does not become too high by developing a treatment plan designed to keep your levels down. Not only is this a good idea for your own health, but it’s also wise for your baby.

When a baby is being carried by a mother with high blood sugar levels, the weight of the child can be increased, and this could not only affect their future health but could also raise the chances of a difficult caesarean birth.

Premature birth

It’s believed that around 12% of babies in the US are born prematurely. If you begin to have contractions on a regular basis before the crucial 37-week mark has been passed, it could well be that you too are joining these ranks.

While it’s possible that premature birth can lead to your newborn baby developing health problems down the line, it’s a good idea to get straight to your healthcare practitioner in the event that you have early contractions. That way, you can get reassurance and ensure that both you and your baby get the care that you need to minimize the chances of any problems further down the line.

Ultimately, it’s clear that by looking after yourself during pregnancy, you’ll be able to increase the chances that both you and your baby are healthy and fit while you’re expecting.

In the unlikely event that you develop any of the complications described above during your pregnancy, the first thing to do is to ensure that your healthcare practitioner is notified. They will be able to determine exactly what is wrong and go ahead with providing any treatment that you might need to keep the health of yourself and your baby top-notch.

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