Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Precipitous Labor | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I just gave birth to my second daughter and both times they were called precipitous labors. As a result, each time my babies were in distress from the events' unfolding so quickly. This time my daughter required two days in the NICU to get her gases back to normal. All worked out for the best but I wonder what will happen next time. Maybe a scheduled c-section? Why does this happen?— Lee in King of Prussia, PA | | | ANSWER |
May 23, 2001 | | | Dear Lee,
Precipitous labor can be overwhelming--for the mom and for the baby (and sometimes for the labor and delivery staff as well). While many would think you lucky to get it over with so quickly, you know from your experiences that it is not a walk in the park.
On the other hand, for someone that labors quickly, I would hate to resort to cesarean birth in an attempt to control the process. Talk to your practitioner about your options for next time. Find out if he or she would consider inducing labor near your due date, to try to allow medical management of the situation from start to finish (so the baby can be monitored closely) and to prevent you from giving birth en route to the hospital. Good luck and congratulations on your new baby!
— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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