Fetal distress is the term applied to the condition of the fetus who is exhibiting heart rate signs of poor oxygenation. Another synonymous phrase is “fetal intolerance to labor”. Both of these terms emerged with the advent of the electronic…
Category: Problems During Labor
Cephalo-Pelvic Disproportion
“Cephalo-” means head, and refers to the fetus’s head. CPD refers to a fetal head which is too big to fit through the mother’s pelvic bones. Cases of true CPD will not result in vaginal birth. Borderline cases of CPD…
Failure to Progress
This term, failure to progress, is simply that. Dilatation of the cervix and descent of the fetus fail to occur despite efforts to correct it. In the recent past, this diagnosis has taken some criticism due its use (or overuse)…
Protractions and Arrests of Descent
Once the cervix is fully dilated, the baby goes through an elaborate dance, called the “mechanisms of labor”, to negotiate and descend through the mother’s pelvic bones. Usually, this process of descent takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. During this…
Protractions and Arrests of Dilatation
Protractions and arrests of dilatation happen much more commonly with first-time mothers than with experienced mothers. It’s as though the uterus is inexperienced during the first labor. As many as 30% of first-time mothers will have a protraction or arrest…
Prolonged Latent Phase
If you have been contracting regularly for a period of 20 hours (14 hours if you’ve had a baby before) without a measurable change in your cervix, your midwife or doctor may make a diagnosis of “prolonged latent phase”. Under…
Problems involving the Powers
The uterus is essentially a hollow muscle. When this muscle contracts it transmits its force in the direction of the vagina. Thus, anything inside the uterus is pushed down and out. Problems involving this force are some of the most…
Problems involving the Passage
Generally, problems with the passage involve restrictions in the size of the hole through the bony part of the pelvis. Although the muscles and ligaments inside the pelvis may present some obstacle, this “soft tissue” (as opposed to bone) will…
Problems involving the Passenger
Size and position of the baby are the factors involved in problems with the passenger. Simply speaking, the passenger’s size must be somewhat smaller than the hole through the bones of the pelvis (the passage). Nature provides some mechanisms (both…