Problems in pregnancy: what can happen?

The truth about pregnancy is that even if everything goes normally, there are unpleasant symptoms and serious risks to both your partner and the baby's health. Journalist and father-of-two Gavin Evans gives you the facts…

There are good and bad points to any pregnancy, and unfortunately most women will experience some discomfort as their bodies change rapidly to accommodate the baby growing inside them.

• Your changing partner

These include morning sickness, which causes vomiting, nausea and despite its name doesn't always strike in the morning, exhaustion, heartburn, constipation, piles and varicose veins. There are also potentially more worrying complications, most of which can be discovered through a simple blood test. 

Tests

When will they test?

Your partner will have blood tests early in pregnancy and in the third trimester. These identify her blood group, diseases and defective genes causing hereditary conditions.

• Scans: what to expect

What other risks are there?

Apart from the conditions listed above the main problems facing a pregnant woman are high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, anaemia and deep vein thrombosis.

...most women will experience some discomfort as their bodies rapidly change to accommodate the baby growing inside them.... There are also potentially more worrying complications, most of which can be discovered through a simple blood test.

What is anaemia?

Anaemia in pregnancy is a blood disorder caused by dilution of the red blood cells and/or hemoglobin (the iron-related protein in the blood that carries oxygen around the body). Anaumia in pregnancy is often not true anaemia.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms for the mother include exhaustion, pallor, constant colds, dizziness and fainting.

During pregnancy, your partner needs to pump up to 50 per cent more blood in order to supply the baby. She will also lose much more iron from her blood, and if her body is short of iron, it is hard to maintain this volume, which may put her and the baby's health at risk, causing premature birth, infection or even death.

How can we lower the risk?

Basically, your partner needs to increase her iron intake (easily achieved with meat, fish, chicken, spinach, molasses, beans and iron supplements, which include vitamin C to help her absorb the iron). She should also increase her intake of folic acid (a B vitamin that helps produce red blood cells). A health professional can recommend any necessary changes to her diet.
Buy dietary supplements for pregnancy.

 High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can occur late in pregnancy, although some women can get it early in pregnancy. It affects around ten per cent of pregnant women, particularly very young or older mothers.

It also increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure, and can lead to pre-eclampsia, a condition that develops in about one in five pregnant women who have high blood pressure. It causes problems with the kidneys, which leads to protein leaking into the woman's urine.

What are the symptoms?

The causes are unknown but symptoms include sudden weight gain, swollen legs, headaches, blurred vision and abdominal pains. It rarely develops into full-blown eclampsia (where the mother can suffer thrombosis, brain haemorrhage and coma).

How can we lower the risk?

The most important thing is to make sure your partner has regular blood pressure and urine checks to catch the problem early on (the midwives will do this at ante-natal appointments). In mild cases it helps to eat more fruit, drink more water and take blood pressure pills (including mild-dose aspirin), but the only real cure is birth.

Medicines should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor.

Pelvic Girdle Pain/Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)

This affects around 1 in 5 pregnant women and can cause pelvic joint pain and mobility difficulties. Other commonly reported problems include pain in the lower back or hips and pain turning over in bed, climbing stairs and getting in and out of a car. The symptoms vary widely from mild occasional discomfort to severe pain and difficulty walking such that crutches or a wheelchair are required.

Early referral to an obstetric or women’s health physiotherapist is advised for assessment, treatment and advice on how best to manage the condition.

Further information is available from www.pelvicinstability.org.uk

What is deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?

This is rare and occurs when a blood clot blocks a vein in one of your partner's legs, causing pain and a warm swelling. Don't ignore it because the clot can travel to the lungs, which is dangerous. It is treated with blood thinning injections.

Author

Gavin Evans is a father of two daughters - aged 17 and 13 - and lives in North London. 15 years ago he changed gear from being a full-time reporter to full-time parent and part-time journalist. His writing on issues affecting fathers has been published in a wide range of publications including The Guardian, The Independent, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan, The Times and The New Statesman. He has written five books on sport, a chapter on men in Your Pregnancy Bible and is completing his first screenplay. Gavin also regularly posts blogs at www.gavinevans.net. 

Your experiences

Are there other problems in pregnancy that you've faced? What about the ones we've mentioned here? If you've had experiences that could be useful for other dads, use the comments system below to contribute.