There are seemingly endless ways that babies can be harmed during birth, but there are also many ways that mothers can endure injuries while giving birth.
Read on to learn some ways that mothers can become injured during childbirth.
Ways Mothers Can Be Harmed While Giving Birth
Typically, birth injuries to mothers land in one of two primary categories:
- Perineal area injuries
- Pelvic floor injuries
Perineal Area Injuries
Perineal tears and episiotomies are relatively common birth injuries that mothers endure. More than eight in 10 women who give birth vaginally endure perineal trauma, which is a tear or surgical cut to the region between the vagina and anus.
Sometimes, nerves in the perineal area can be harmed during birth, which may prompt a painful ailment called pudendal neuralgia.
Hemorrhoids can also occur, which are raised veins around the anus that can present themselves as lumps. Hemorrhoids are typically not serious but can be painful or itchy.
Pelvic Floor Injuries
Mothers can endure damage to the pelvic floor muscles, which is the group of muscles in the pelvis that helps hold the uterus, bladder, and bowel in position. About half of all women who give birth vaginally endure a transformation to the pelvic floor as a result of over-stretching or tearing (avulsion).
When the pelvic muscles are impaired or weakened, the organs within the pelvis may drop down toward the vagina, which causes bladder and bowel issues.
Birth Injury Causes
When a mother endures a birth injury, it’s typically due to a factor completely out of her control. Some of the leading risk factors include the following:
- The baby’s position, such as in a breech birth
- Having a large baby ~9 pounds (lbs)
- Having a very fast or very long labor
- Labor complications
- Assisted delivery through the use of forceps or vacuum
- Having a small or uncommonly shaped pelvis
Reducing Your Chances of a Birth Injury
While birth injuries are often out of the mother’s control, it’s still a good idea to do the following during pregnancy so you can reduce your risk:
- Exercise regularly using pregnancy-safe routines
- Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles using pelvic floor exercises
- Avoid constipation since it can weaken your pelvic muscles
- A cesarean section birth can prevent certain injuries, but it is a major surgery that carries serious health risks and should only be conducted with your doctor’s recommendation
If you’ve endured an injury as a result of giving birth, you may be entitled to compensation. Our attorneys here at Dempsey Kingsland Osteen are highly skilled in the area of birth injury medical malpractice law and have helped many mothers just like you obtain justice. Let us see if we can help you, too. Don’t delay—contact our office with your case right away.
Call Dempsey Kingsland Osteen today at (816) 484-3776 for a free consultation regarding your case.
The legal team at Dempsey Kingsland Osteen works to ensure that the injured are fully compensated for their lasting injuries from medical malpractice or other negligence. We push for comprehensive damages that anticipate the long-term needs of our clients, rather than taking a quick settlement out of convenience.
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