What do you mean by the word stillbirth? Stillbirth refers to the death of a baby in the womb after the mother has been pregnant for 20 weeks. In 1 out of 3 cases, the reasons are unknown. The other 2/3rd problems may be due to reasons like the placenta or umbilical cord, enhanced blood pressure, any kind of infections, defects caused at birth or simply indecent lifestyle choices. A stillbirth can be classified to being of 3 types i.e. early, late or term stillbirth. It is usually defined by the weeks of pregnancy which pass by.
In case of early stillbirth, the fetus dies between 20-27 weeks.
In terms of late stillbirth, death occurs around 28-36 weeks.
While during term stillbirth, death happens during the 37th week or after that.
A stillbirth can occur in case of pregnant women of any age, any kind of background or ethnicity. They cannot be predicted but you have to find out ways which can reduce your risk or chances of having a stillbirth. What makes the chances of you having a stillbirth high?
- When you drink, smoke or consume recreational drugs.
- When you become a mom at the age of 35+.
- When your idea of prenatal care is not good enough.
- When you do not take care of your health & are malnutritioned.
- When you are an African-American personality.
- When you are suffering from a pre-existing health condition.
- When your body mass index crosses 30.
So, it is essential that you take the necessary steps to prevent a stillbirth from happening. It shall definitely increase your chances of having a healthy baby. Let us go through another set of pointers which shall make your life simple.
- Avoid alcohol.
- You need to be in touch with your healthcare provider if you sense any kind of bleeding during the 2nd half of your pregnancy.
- In order to familiarize yourself with your baby’s movements, figure out what will make your baby feel normal. You should get used to something called a daily “kick count” at around 26-28 weeks.
- Adapting a healthy weight is necessary before you become pregnant. If you already are, take special care of your diet and exercise.
- Take complete care against infections.
- Certain types of food including fish and cheese should be prevented. Also, any meat or poultry which you consume should be cooked properly.
- Any stomach pain, itching or vaginal bleeding should be reported immediately.
- Make sure that the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby’s body is proper as it can definitely make a difference.
- Routine tests are to be done, also including your urine as well as blood pressure. This is necessary for detecting any kind of illness or health condition that might impact your healthy baby.
A lot of other things can also be done to prevent the effects of stillbirth. Let us delve into a few more:
You can monitor your baby’s movements because it is a signal as well. If they are feeling unwell, their movement reduces and they start to preserve their energy. Reduced movement in mothers is common in around half of the stillbirths. You should always be aware of their movement pattern which will allow you to be aware and act accordingly if the movements show a change in pattern. Make sure that you go to the hospital if needed, on time! It will surely bring about a change.
It is also dependent on which side you go to sleep during your third trimester. It is always safe for the baby as per research if you include night sleeps and daytime naps as well in your routine. Sleep position is instrumental in the third trimester because being on your back will cause the combined weight of the baby as well as the womb to pressurize the other organs in your body.
Make sure that you maintain a good weight during your pregnancy days as well. If you become obese, then it can cause a hindrance in your pregnancy. If your weight bothers you too much, make sure that you get proper advice from your health consultant about weight management by maintaining proper eating habits as well as staying quite active during your pregnancy days.
It is also mandatory to do all you can to look after yourself. Keep a check on all your antenatal appointments as well as scans for checking your baby’s growth as well as development. They also look out for signs that will cause damage to mums such as pre-eclampsia, which is another condition that has been said to be associated with stillbirth.
