Childbirth is a different experience for every mother each time a child is born. In some cases, a C-section is a safer alternative than vaginal delivery. Your physician may recommend cesarean delivery for a number of reasons, but the most common is if you experience delayed labor.
What is Prolonged Labor?
Labor in and of itself is a series of continual and sustained, strong contractions of the muscles. The contractions force the baby to eventually push out of the mother’s womb and birth canal.
Labor typically takes 12 to 18 hours for first-time mothers. It only takes roughly half of that for a mother that has had a baby before. Prolonged labor happens when your cervix is not opening widely enough regardless of the strong contractions that occurred over several hours. If after about 20 hours the birth process is not progressing as it should, it classifies as prolonged labor.
How Does it Happen?
Prolonged labor can happen for a number of reasons. The most common is if your baby is larger than average in size and cannot fit through your birth canal.
Another reason is if your baby is in a position that makes it difficult or dangerous for them to be delivered vaginally.
Additionally, some mothers have a smaller than normal birth canal which does not give the baby enough room to move through it.
Finally, sometimes during childbirth, a mother’s contractions are not strong enough to push the baby.
Birth Injuries from C-Sections
A substantial portion of birth injuries is caused by medical errors that take place during labor and delivery. Several types of negligence can occur during the childbirth process. If you or your child have been affected by a medical error during your child’s delivery, call our office today to schedule your free consultation. It is crucial that you consult one of our experienced attorneys as soon as possible so we can be by your side throughout the whole process.
Call the birth injury attorneys at Garau Germano, P.C.today by calling to discuss the details of your case.