Midwife Complications

Midwives work with women throughout their pregnancy to ensure a safe, home environment for the delivery of the baby. With a lighter patient load, midwives usually spend more one on one time with the expectant mother, one of the appealing aspects of the choice to use a midwife. Like with any medical procedure there can be complications. Some of these issues a midwife can handle on her own, but others will require the mother to seek further medical attention because it is out of the midwife's scope of practice.

Thrombosis

• Some midwives use IV fluids during the birth. Part of this choice is dependent on what types of drugs the mother wishes to be on during the delivery. A thrombosis happens when the blood flow through the vein is blocked due to a clot. It can also happen if there is damage to the vein wall where the IV has been placed. The signs include pain, swelling, redness and sluggish flow through the IV. Stopping the IV and soaking the area with warm fluid will easily rectify this situation.

Pulmonary Embolism

• Pulmonary embolisms are one of the more dangerous complications of delivery. This is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance or air. Because women are considered "compromised" during delivery the woman is more susceptible to such a complication. The signs of this include respiratory distress, a collapsed lung, hypotension, unequal breath sounds and a weak or thready pulse. The midwife will immediately discontinue the IV and place the mother in the Trendelenburgh position, meaning on left side with legs raised. This allows the air to enter the right atrium of the heart and disperse through the pulmonary artery. If some other substance blocks the pulmonary artery it usually requires immediate hospitalization in order to correct without endangering mother or baby.

Allergic Reaction

• Allergic reactions are often very dangerous, especially when your immune system is compromised such as when you are pregnant. Many midwives work to avoid any kind of allergy complications by exposing patients to all of the things that will be used during the delivery prior to the day. This allows the practitioner to adjust if an allergy or possible allergy is discovered. Tapes, fluids, medications and instruments can all spark an allergic response if not properly vetted ahead of time.

Speed Shock/Fluid Overload

• While midwives are able to monitor a mother's vital signs, there are instances when blood pressure drops causing the specific gravity of fluids to enter the body at a faster rate than anticipated. This can result in fluid shock, as there becomes too much fluid and not enough blood in the patient's system. Usually the midwife recognizes the signs and symptoms prior to the change becoming an issue, as the patient will develop an irregular pulse, tightness in the chest or lose consciousness. The two most visible signs are not easy to detect during delivery as the signs are flushing and headache, both common during delivery. If not corrected this can lead to cardiac failure. The infusion should be stopped immediately and the head of the bed should be raised. This requires immediate doctor notification and might require transport to a medical facility.