Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : August 26, 2020 8:37 AM IST
One of the main risk factor of prolonged labour is obesity. It can lead to gestational diabetes or pregnancy hypertension, which may increase the size of the baby. @Shutterstock
Childbirth may sometimes come with some complications and prolonged labour is one of them. At times, the duration of labour may be abnormally long. There may be many causes behind this. Usually, if labor lasts for approximately 20 hours or more if you are a first-time mother, and 14 hours or more if you have previously given birth, it may be called a prolonged labour. It can be emotionally exhausting for a mother but there are so serious complications because of it. This is true for the early stage of labour. However, if you experience prolonged labour during the active phase of giving birth, then your doctor may look at alternatives.
You may experience this due to many reasons. The slow effacement of the cervix can prolong labour time and during the active phase, it may happen if the baby is too big. Your birth canal and pelvis may also be too small for normal delivery. In rare cases, an unusually shaped pelvis or some other obstruction in the passage, like a tumour, may lead to prolonged labour. Many a times, if a woman is carrying twins or triplexes, it may prolong labour. Other causes may be weak uterine contractions or incorrect position of the baby. A worried mom may also bring thins on herself.
In the initial stages of labour, it is easy to deal with this condition. Just relax and wait for the cervix to dilate normally. You may try taking a walk, go to sleep or soak in a warm bath. This will relax you and help you cope better. If your contractions are coming infrequently because of any medication, just wait for the effect of the drug to wear off. You may also try changing positions. Try lying down on your other side, sit, squat or stand. It may help.
Most of the time, a doctor may recommend Cesarean section if labour is delayed in the active phase. This is especially necessary if the baby's position is wrong or if the head is too big to fit through the pelvis. A C-section is not only necessary in such cases to provide relief to the mother but also crucial for avoiding birth complications and injury to the child.
One of the main risk factor of prolonged labour is obesity. It can lead to gestational diabetes or pregnancy hypertension, which may increase the size of the baby. You may also experience this if you are too skinny. That is why proper nutrition is so essential during pregnancy. Age also plays a role here. An older women is more likely to experience this than a woman in her 20s. Another major risk factor is decrease in muscle mass. Many women do not exercise regularly during pregnancy. This leads to a decrease in muscle mass, which in turn leads to reduced strength, increasing the risk of slow or prolonged labour.
