The due date is getting closer and closer, and the enthusiastic people around you are becoming more and more active in conveying various news about this important moment to you. These statements make childbirth even more unfathomable for nervous expectant mothers who originally had a little \”awe\” about childbirth. actually
Fertility Myth #1: If I raise my hands above my head, my baby will get tangled in the umbilical cord.
Truth: The umbilical cord wrapped around the neck actually means the baby is being dishonest
The umbilical cord around the neck is a high-risk pregnancy and may cause intrauterine distress at any time. If the umbilical cord is entangled in multiple places during the third trimester of pregnancy, it is very dangerous for the fetus. Too tight winding will affect the passage of umbilical cord blood flow, which will in turn affect the metabolism of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the fetus, causing the fetal heart rate to slow down. In severe cases, it may lead to fetal hypoxia or even fetal death.
In fact, most fetuses will experience the umbilical cord wrapping around their neck. Because as the baby grows day by day, the fetus moves more and more in the womb. It tumbles around in the small space of the uterus, and the umbilical cord sometimes wraps around the neck, torso, or hands and feet. When the fetus feels uncomfortable, it will move around, find a comfortable position, move left and right, and the umbilical cord will naturally loosen. Of course, if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck more, the baby will have less chance of moving out on his own. Sometimes, a tangled umbilical cord may become untangled before the mother gives birth; sometimes, a fetus that is not initially tangled by the umbilical cord may become tangled in its final weeks.
What to do if the fetal umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck?
Most mothers have a fear of umbilical cord entanglement. They were worried that the baby would be in danger, and they had all kinds of questions. Expectant mothers should not be too nervous when the umbilical cord is wrapped around their neck. Doctors generally give the following advice:
1. Count fetal movements frequently: Expectant mothers should learn to count fetal movements. If they find too much or too little fetal movement, they should go to the hospital for examination in time.
2. Reduce vibration: If you are an expectant mother in the third trimester and find that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, accompanied by an abnormal fetal position and the fetal head does not enter the pelvis, the fetal position cannot be corrected through correction to prevent the umbilical cord from being further entangled when the fetal movement is excessive. Tight. To minimize vibration, avoid driving on rough roads.
3. Sleep on the left side: Sleeping on the left side can increase the blood flow to the uterus and placenta. You can place two pillows under your thighs for extra comfort.
4. Consider cesarean section: If the baby with the umbilical cord around the neck has an abnormal heartbeat and intrauterine hypoxia, a cesarean section should be performed in time. When the number of winding weeks is long, elective cesarean section can be chosen.
Childbirth misunderstanding 2: Once the water breaks, the fetus will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients, so you must give birth to your baby as soon as possible.
Fact: Amniotic fluid is actually fetal urine
The main component of amniotic fluid is fetal urine. Of course, it contains very small amounts of minerals, rare elementshormones and growth hormone. Its main function is to prevent the fetus from being impacted by the outside world, act as a shock absorber, and maintain a constant temperature. The baby is protected from temperature differences. It can be seen that the amniotic fluid does not provide oxygen or nutrients to the fetus. Therefore, the outflow of amniotic fluid after the water breaks does not mean that the channels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus are interrupted. This \”lack of oxygen and nutrition\” will only increase the psychological burden on expectant mothers.
In fact, if a woman\’s water breaks near her due date, it may take a day (or sometimes longer) for her to start having contractions. Therefore, there is no need to rush to the hospital in panic. These expectant mothers may not need the help of oxytocin, and most will give birth within 24 hours.
What should I do if my water breaks early in the third trimester?
If a pregnant woman\’s water breaks between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy, the doctor will find a way to deliver the baby early. Although it is considered a premature birth, the fetus\’s lungs are mature at this time and it can survive successfully after delivery. Because after the amniotic membrane ruptures, bacteria can easily enter the uterus from the vagina and cause fetal infection, so delivery should be timely within 24 hours after the water breaks. But if the fetus is still too small, the doctor will generally handle it based on the number of weeks of pregnancy of the expectant mother. Generally speaking, if the fetus is less than 28 weeks old, the doctor will conduct a detailed examination and then decide whether to abort or terminate the pregnancy. If the fetus develops to 32 to 35 weeks, and after examination, the fetus develops normally, the doctor usually uses the method of abortion: 1. On the one hand, some drugs are used to make the fetus\’s lungs more mature, and then some antibiotics are given to the expectant mother to prevent infection.
Anyway, what you need to do at this point is:
*After you notice signs of water breaking, you must lie down and rest, and do not get up and move again. To avoid polyhydramnios and umbilical cord prolapse, the posterior buttocks should be elevated with pads.
*Don’t bathe, don’t put anything in the vagina (no pelvic exam), don’t have sex, keep clean, drink plenty of water, and take your temperature regularly twice a day. A white blood cell count can be done 24 hours after the water breaks to check for infection. Your doctor may need to listen to your fetal heart rate regularly.
*Tell your doctor if a brown or green tarry substance (meconium) comes out of the vagina, as this is the result of squeezing the baby\’s intestinal lumen and usually means the fetus is stressed or in danger.
Childbirth Myth #3: Natural labor can damage your bladder and cause postpartum incontinence.
Fact: Postpartum urinary incontinence is not the fault of normal delivery
You may have heard that natural childbirth can damage the bladder muscles and ligaments, causing postpartum urinary incontinence. The most common form of postpartum urinary incontinence is urine leakage as long as the abdomen is exerted, such as coughing, laughing, large movements of the waist and legs, etc. This condition does exist, but cannot be attributed to natural childbirth.
What we call postpartum urinary incontinence is medically called stress urinary incontinence. During pregnancy, as the fetus gradually grows, the uterus continues to expand and weight increases, which can easily causeThe muscles and ligaments of the bladder neck and urethra relax, changing the normal position of the bladder and urethra. In addition, after childbirth, the pelvic muscles and ligaments will be relatively loose, and the position of the bladder and urethra will be relatively lowered. These all provide the possibility for urinary incontinence. But this is only a short-term natural phenomenon after childbirth. Natural childbirth should not be viewed as a disadvantage and therefore fearful. Stress urinary incontinence caused by pregnancy and childbirth can be cured as long as you take good postpartum care, perform self-exercise of the pelvic muscles in a timely and appropriate manner, and avoid premature weight bearing.
If you think that a caesarean section will not have such concerns, then you should also understand that a caesarean section is actually a very risky operation.
, it has the risk of causing many complications, including damage to the bladder at the incision site.
How to prevent and treat postpartum urinary incontinence?
Although there is some debate about the causes of postpartum stress urinary incontinence, regular pelvic floor muscle exercises seem to be the best way to help solve the problem. Useful ways. Research results suggest that for exercise to be fully effective, you need to practice it for at least three months. And there\’s an added bonus: Because pelvic floor muscle exercises increase blood circulation in the perineum, they can also help perineal wounds heal faster.
At the same time, using sanitary napkins (you need to use sanitary napkins to deal with your lochia anyway) can prevent you from the discomfort caused by urine leakage. Try to urinate frequently so that your bladder does not become too distended. Also, don\’t think about cutting back on fluid intake; instead, drink more water, juice, or herbal teas.
If pelvic floor muscle exercises don\’t help, your doctor may recommend that you see a urologist for further testing. If you have complete loss of control over your urinary flow and experience pain when urinating, cloudy urine, foul-smelling urine, or fever, you may have a urinary tract infection. Be sure to go to the hospital immediately.