Birth: Birth – Delivery – Labor
Failure to progress and stalled labor explained

Failure to progress and stalled labor explained

What failure to progress means Failure to progress, often abbreviated FTP, describes labor that is not advancing as expected. It may also be called prolonged labor, labor dystocia, arrested labor, or stalled labor. The phrase is most often used when cervical dilation, cervical effacement, fetal descent, or the birth itself does not continue despite contractions […]

Signs something is wrong during labor

Signs something is wrong during labor

Why warning signs during labor matter Labor places major physiologic demands on both the birthing person and the fetus. Uterine contractions temporarily reduce blood flow through the placenta, maternal oxygen and fluid balance can shift quickly, and cervical dilation or descent may not always progress as expected. Most labors remain safe with routine monitoring, but […]

How often complications occur and risk factors

How often complications occur and risk factors

What “how often” means in birth complications When clinicians discuss how often birth complications occur, they are rarely referring to one universal number. Frequency depends on the definition used, the population studied, and the care setting. A mild fever treated quickly, a third-degree perineal tear, postpartum hemorrhage, emergency cesarean birth, neonatal respiratory support, and admission […]

Common complications and why they happen during labor

Common complications and why they happen during labor

Why complications can emerge in an otherwise normal labor Labor is dynamic rather than linear. The uterus must contract effectively, the cervix must dilate and efface, the fetus must rotate and descend through the pelvis, and the placenta must continue adequate gas exchange until birth. A complication may occur when one part of this sequence […]

Risks and recovery after assisted delivery

Risks and recovery after assisted delivery

What assisted delivery means Assisted delivery refers to a vaginal birth in which a trained clinician uses either forceps or a vacuum extractor to help deliver the baby during the second stage of labor. Forceps are curved instruments placed around the baby’s head to guide descent and rotation. A vacuum extractor uses a soft or […]

Labor complications explained and overview of risks

Labor complications explained and overview of risks

What counts as a labor complication A labor complication is any clinical problem that interferes with safe progression from contractions and cervical change to birth of the baby and placenta. Some complications are primarily maternal, such as hemorrhage, fever, hypertensive crisis, sepsis, or cardiovascular instability. Others are primarily fetal or placental, such as abnormal fetal […]

Vacuum and forceps use and how procedures are performed

Vacuum and forceps use and how procedures are performed

What assisted vaginal delivery means Assisted vaginal delivery refers to birth through the vagina with the help of an instrument, most commonly a vacuum device or obstetric forceps. It is not the same as induction, augmentation, or cesarean birth. The assistance happens late in labor, during the second stage, when the cervix is fully dilated […]

Catheter use with epidural and recovery after removal

Catheter use with epidural and recovery after removal

What the epidural catheter does During labor, an epidural catheter is a very thin, flexible tube placed through a needle into the epidural space, which lies outside the dura surrounding the spinal cord and nerve roots. The needle is removed after placement; the catheter remains taped to the back so local anesthetic, often combined with […]

When urinary catheter is needed and associated risks

When urinary catheter is needed and associated risks

What a urinary catheter does in birth care A urinary catheter drains urine from the bladder through a soft tube. In maternity care, the aim is usually short-term bladder management rather than long-term catheterization. The bladder sits close to the uterus, cervix, vagina, and pelvic floor. When it becomes overdistended, it may increase discomfort, interfere […]

Benefits risks and types of IV fluids

Benefits risks and types of IV fluids

What IV fluids are and how they work IV fluids are sterile solutions infused directly into a vein through a cannula. Because they enter the intravascular space immediately, they can restore circulating volume faster than oral fluids. In birth care, an IV may be placed because fluids are actively needed, or because quick venous access […]