Sometimes the labour does not progress naturally, and the condition of the baby or mother requires medical procedures.
Ventouse helps
the baby out faster
If the mother is becoming exhausted, the contractions are too weak or the baby's heart beats have become weaker during a prolonged pushing stage, the baby can be helped out quickly with a ventouse.
Sometimes the mother may end up
on the operating table
In the HUS maternity units, slightly less than twenty per cent of babies are delivered by a Cesarean section. A section can be
elective or an emergency or crash Cesarean. At the maternity hospitals sections can be performed round the clock.
Emergency Cesarean section
If the labour does not progress (the baby does not descend into the pelvis, the cervix is not opening properly) or the baby is in distress, the baby is delivered by an emergency Cesarean. Despite the word “emergency”, the mother is taken to the operating theatre and the section performed without haste. The baby is born 30 to 60 minutes after the decision to operate. If possible, the section is performed under spinal anesthesia with the mother awake. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to use general anesthesia. Depending on the circumstances, the father/support person may be allowed in the operating room with the mother. After the section, the mother is monitored in the recovery room before she is taken to the maternity ward.
Crash Cesarean section
A crash Cesarean section is performed when a sudden emergency arises during labour. It is essential to get the baby out quickly, and there is no time to wait. The mother is taken straight to the operating room and put under general anesthesia so that the operation can start immediately. The father/support person cannot attend a crash Cesarean section.
A Cesarean section can be a traumatic experience, when the mother has prepared for a normal delivery. After the section it is good to discuss the delivery and the operation with an obstetrician or a midwife. If a need for discussion arises after discharge from the hospital the mother can always contact the maternity unit.
Manual separation
of the placenta and bleeding
When the baby is in the world, there is still the placenta to be delivered. If the placenta does not separate normally or only part of it is delivered it has to be separated and removed in the operating theatre. This can be done under spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia. Afterwards the mother is monitored in the recovery room before she is taken to the maternity ward.
If the mother bleeds heavily during labour she is taken to the operating theatre. The reason for the bleeding is investigated and the mother is treated accordingly. Afterwards the mother is monitored in the recovery room before she is taken to the maternity ward.