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Although the majority of pregnancies go without a hitch, sometimes serious problems do occur and special care is needed. Complications can usually be resolved with monitoring, but occasionally the pregnancy comes to an end. Although the following conditions are not likely to affect you, you should be aware of their symptoms:
Pre-eclampsia This is a high blood pressure condition that can occur during pregnancy. If pre-eclampsia is left untreated it causes the blood vessels of the placenta to spasm, which reduces the oxygen flow to the fetus and puts it at risk; the fetal growth rate may also be affected. Symptoms include oedema, which is fluid retention causing swelling of the hands, feet, and ankles, protein in the urine and a sudden increase in weight. You will be tested for signs of pre-eclampsia at each ante-natal check. In the early stages pre-eclampsia is treated with complete bed-rest under medical supervision.
Later in the pregnancy, if the condition is severe, it may become necessary to induce the birth as early as it is safe to do so. The mother's blood pressure will soon return to normal. If the condition is left completely untreated it can develop into eclampsia, which can be fatal for both mother and child. Today, this condition is extremely rare.
Bleeding in early pregnancy
Bleeding or spotting from the vagina is known as a threatened miscarriage.
It is possible to bleed quite heavily and not miscarry or do any harm to the baby. All bleeding in pregnancy must be taken seriously, however, and you should report it to your doctor immediately. Your doctor is likely to carry out an internal pelvic examination and arrange for you to have an ultrasound scan to see whether the baby is developing normally. Providing everything is all right you will probably be told to rest until the bleeding stops.
Ectopic pregnancy this occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in one of the Fallopian tubes rather than in the uterus. If it is undetected, the growing baby eventually ruptures the tube.
Immediate surgery is required to terminate the pregnancy, and this often means losing the Fallopian tube as well. In extreme cases the ovary may also have to be removed.
If the other ovary and Fallopian tube are healthy, there is no reason why another successful pregnancy should not take place. If the ectopic pregnancy is discovered early enough, a drug can be given that causes the embryo to be reabsorbed by the body; this prevents the Fallopian tube from bursting. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include pain in the side of the abdomen, vaginal bleeding, and fainting.
Miscarriage The most common time for miscarriage is during the first three months of pregnancy, although losing a baby at any time before the 24th week is described as a miscarriage. Some miscarriages occur for no known reason. Known causes of miscarriage include hormonal problems, disease or infection, abnormalities of the uterus, or an incompetent cervix. If this last condition is known to exist, it can be dealt with by a simple surgical suture that will be removed shortly before the EDD.
Although it is unlikely that sexual intercourse will cause miscarriage, women who have experienced bleeding early in their pregnancy or who are known to have a tendency to miscarry are usually advised by doctors not to have intercourse for the first 12 weeks, until their pregnancy is well established.
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