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Q 1. Why does it happen? A. It is not always possible to give an answer but a cause is found about 50% of the time. A baby dying before birth occurs in one in every 200 pregnancies. The most common reason for a baby dying in the womb is because the baby has not […]
Q 1. What is venous thrombosis? A. Thrombosis is a blood clot in a blood vessel (a vein or an artery). Venous thrombosis occurs in a vein. Veins are the blood vessels that take blood back to the heart and lungs whereas arteries take the blood away. Q 2. What is Deep Vein thrombosis (DVT)? […]
Q 1. What is the umbilical cord? A. The umbilical cord connects the baby from its umbilicus (tummy button) to the placenta inside the womb (uterus). The cord contains blood vessels that carry blood, rich in oxygen and nutrients, to the baby and take waste products away. After the baby is born, the cord is […]
Q 1. What is Sickle cell disease (SCD)? A. SCD is a condition that affects the red blood cells and the haemoglobin they contain. Haemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen around the body. SCD makes red blood cells more fragile so they break down more easily than usual. Instead of the red blood cells […]
Q 1. What is shoulder dystocia? A. Shoulder dystocia is when the baby’s head has been born but one of the shoulders becomes stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone, delaying the birth of the baby’s body. If this happens, extra help is usually needed to release the baby’s shoulder. In the majority of cases, the […]
Q 1. What is a misrriage? A. If you lose a baby beforeca 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage. If this happens in the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is known as an early miscarriage. Unfortunately, early miscarriages are common, with 10–20 in 100 (10–20%) pregnancies ending this way. Late miscarriages, after 3 […]
Q 1. What is the usual length of stay in hospital? A. This operation is usually done as a day case, which means that you can go home on the same day. Q 2. How long will the after-effects of anaesthesia last? A. Most modern anaesthetics are short lasting. You should not have, or suffer […]
Q 1. How common is breast cancer? A. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Although it is more common in older women, 1 in 7 cases are found in women aged under 45. Treatment success rates are good and are improving all the time. Increasing numbers of young women who have been […]
Q 1. What is pre-eclampsia? A. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is a combination of: Raised blood pressure (hypertension) Protein in your urine (proteinuria). The exact cause of pre-eclampsia is not understood. Often there are no symptoms and it may be picked up at your routine antenatal […]
Q 1. What is placenta praevia? A. The placenta develops together with the baby in your uterus during pregnancy. It attaches to the wall of your uterus and provides a connection between you and your baby. Oxygen and nutrients pass from your blood through the placenta into your baby’s blood. The placenta is delivered shortly […]
Q 1. What is the incidence of perineal tear or need for episiotomy? A. 9/10 First-time mothers have a tear, graze or episiotomy. Q 2. What is perineum? A. Your perineum is the area between your vagina and your back passage (anus). It can tear when you are giving birth, or sometimes your healthcare professional […]
Q 1. What is obstetric cholestasis? A. Obstetric cholestasis is a disorder that affects your liver during pregnancy. This causes a build-up of bile acids in your body. The main symptom is itching of the skin but there is no skin rash. The symptoms get better when your baby has been born. Obstetric cholestasis is […]
Q 1. What is a perineal tear? A. Many women experience tears during childbirth as the baby stretches the vagina and perineum. Small, skin-deep tears are known as first-degree tears and usually heal naturally. Tears that are deeper and affect the muscle of the perineum are known as second-degree tears. These usually require stitches. Q […]
Q 1. What is GTD? A. GTD (gestational trophoblastic disease) is an uncommon group of conditions that happen when a pregnancy does not develop normally from the very beginning. GTD includes complete molar pregnancy, partial molar pregnancy and other much rarer conditions. For every 714 pregnancies which end with a live baby, there will be […]
Q 1. What is malaria and how do you get it? A. Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite called plasmodium. The parasite lives in mosquitoes. If you are bitten by a mosquito that carries the parasite, you can become infected with malaria. Q 2. Does being pregnant increase my risk of getting […]
Q 1. What is HIV and what could it mean for my baby? A. HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus that prevents the body’s immune system from working properly and makes it hard to fight off infections. If you have the virus, this is known as being HIV positive. The virus can […]
Q 1. What bleeding can I expect after my baby is born? A. It is normal to bleed from your vagina after you have a baby. This blood mainly comes from the area in your womb (uterus) where the placenta was attached, but it may also come from any cuts and tears caused during the […]
Q 1. What is meant by a small baby during pregnancy? A. An unborn baby is small if, at that stage of pregnancy, his or her size or estimated weight on scan is in the lowest 10% of babies. This means the smallest ten out of every 100 babies. Q 2. What affects my baby’s […]
Q 1. What is GBS? A. GBS is a common bacterium (bug) which is carried in the vagina and rectum of 2–4 in 10 women (20–40%). GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease and most women carrying GBS will have no symptoms. Carrying GBS is not harmful to you but it can affect your baby […]
Q1. What is Urinary bladder? A. The urinary bladder is the organ that collects and stores urine produced by the kidneys. It is a hollow and stretchable organ made of muscle tissue that sits on the pelvic floor muscles. The bladder expands as urine from the kidneys collects before being passed out of the body […]