Signs of Fetal Distress and Oxygen Deprivation

Fetal distress occurs when conditions before, during, or immediately after birth cause complications for the baby. This can include cutting off the flow of oxygen, affecting their heart rate, or causing damage to their developing brain. Any of these serious complications can be fatal to the baby and the mother, though they aren’t always. They can also lead to disability.

If you’re pregnant, you most likely spend a lot of time worrying about having a safe delivery. The vast majority of pregnancies will end with a healthy and happy mother and newborn. Fetal distress is not common, and in most cases it is treatable.

Keep reading to learn more about what you can do if your baby is injured or dies as a result of fetal distress. If you have found this article because the worst has already happened due to a doctor’s mistake, seek guidance from a birth injury lawyer.

How Fetal Distress Happens

Fetal distress can happen at any time, so it’s important to know what to look for so you can alert your obstetrician to any concerns you have. Some circumstances that can increase the chances fetal distress will occur include:

• Maternal hypertension
• Low amniotic fluid
• Post-term pregnancy
• Intrauterine growth restriction
• Meconium aspiration
• Maternal anemia
• Shoulder dystocia
• Detached placenta
• Ruptured uterus

These factors are mostly outside of the mother’s control. Despite your best efforts at taking care of yourself during pregnancy and regular prenatal care, complications can and do still happen, even if rarely. If tragically, your baby has died, you can also take the following steps to help ease yourself through the grief process.

Take Care of Yourself

Even if you lost your baby, it’s important to remember your body still needs as much time to recover from the pregnancy as any other new mother. Try to rest and eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. It may be helpful to go outdoors for a short walk every day. Although you may be tempted to numb your pain by drinking, alcohol, and grief are not a healthy combination. Drinking can also interfere with your sleep when your body needs it most.

It’s natural to experience overwhelming sadness after such a profound loss. This is a wound even time won’t heal, but if you are still unable to begin leading a normal life after a few weeks it may be time to seek professional help. Grief counselors or support groups can give you the tools you need to begin living your new normal.

When to Call Your Healthcare Provider

You should call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:

• Breast engorgement
• Vaginal bleeding
• Ongoing depression
• Thoughts of suicide

If you are considering harming yourself and your provider isn’t available, you may want to consider dialing 911.

Memorializing Your Baby

Creating something special to memorialize your baby can give you something tangible you can do to keep them close to your heart. You may want to create a scrapbook to fill with memories of your baby like a lock of their hair or photos or ultrasound images. You could also fill a keepsake chest with the things you bought for your baby.

Birthdays, holidays, and the anniversary of your baby’s death will likely be tough, but you can also use them as an opportunity to do something in their honor. Some grieving parents choose to plant a memorial tree or to donate to a charity in their child’s name.

Some parents feel comforted by the idea that their infant’s life served a purpose. If your baby’s death was caused by a preventable medical mistake, you could also consider working with lawmakers or charitable foundations to see that healthcare providers are held to higher standards to protect others in the future.

In case you missed it: Trump Admin Blocks Fetal Tissue From Being Used In Federal Research

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