Cholestasis of Pregnancy:

During the alter stages of pregnancy, some women begin to feel very very itchy. This is probably the result of cholestatis, a disorder of the liver that occurs only during pregnancy called as Cholestasis of Pregnancy. In this case of cholestatis, the usual flow of bile in the gall bladder is affected by a high dose of pregnancy hormones. Cholestatis is most prevalent during the last trimester when the pregnancy hormones are functioning at their peak but they should be gone very soon after your delivery. Cholestatis of pregnancy affects the functioning of the gallbladder which is why the flow of bile is restricted when this occurs. Bile is mandatory for the breaking down of fat in the digested food. When the flow of bile is restricted due to cholestatis, the bile acids may build up and flow into the blood stream which quite naturally is not very healthy.

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The meaning of the word ectopic is out of place. Thus when an signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy occurs, it implies that the fertilized egg gets planted elsewhere beyond the uterus. In 95% of the ectopic pregnancy cases, the egg settles in the fallopian tube. The other name for ectopic pregnancy is tubal pregnancy. Ovary, abdomen and cervix are the few other places an ectopic pregnancy can take place in. The unfortunate thing is that none of these other places have either as much space or as much tissue to help support the development of a fetus. Hence as the baby grows bigger, there are chances that the organ holding it will burst when it fails to carry the weight or pressure of the baby. This can cause much bleeding and can also pose threat the mother’s life. In most cases, a case of ectopic pregnancy does get terminated before the baby is allowed to grow very big.

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Placenta previa is a complication experienced by pregnant women where the placenta gets attached to the wall of the uterus covering the cervix area. It usually occurs in the second and third trimester though it is possible that in some cases it might begin to show even in the first trimester. No definite cause has been found that leads to placenta previa. But, it has been seen that an abnormal vascularisation, scarring from a previous injury or an infection that was experienced earlier might lead to a placenta previa. In the third or the last trimester of pregnancy, the isthmus of the uterus unfolds and forms the lower part. If you are experiencing a normal pregnancy, the placenta would not lie over the isthmus hence you would experience no bleeding. However as is the case in placenta previa, when the placenta does lie over the isthmus, it may shear off causing some bleeding.

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When the placenta is attached abnormally deep through the endometrium into the middle layer of the uterine wall, the condition is referred to as placenta accreta. Placenta accreta can be of three kinds and this depends completely on the depth of penetration. Under normal conditions, the placenta accrete is supposed to detach itself naturally from the uterine wall but there are women who experience placenta accreta while giving birth to their child and are thus at a great risk of going through a hemorrhage while the placenta will be removed surgically. Surgery is the usual method adopted for the process of removal of the placenta as well as to control the bleeding. In severe cases of placenta accreta, the situation can lead to a hysterectomy or even be fatal. It is not a very common complication and affects only 1 out of 2500 pregnancies.

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When a premature separation takes place between the placenta and its implanted embryo in the uterus, a placental abruption is understood to have taken place. The blood vessels inside the placenta carry nutrients and oxygen to the child from the mother. If the placenta starts to get detached during pregnancy, then bleeding from these vessels take place. The greater the detachment, the greater is the bleeding. 1 out of every 120 births experiences a placental abruption. It is also known as abruption placenta. A placental abruption takes place if the uterus meets with a direct trauma like in the case of an accident. But other causes which might lead to a placental abruption are unknown. However conditions like previous pregnancy with placental abruption, hypertension, excessive smoking and multiple pregnancies are associated with placental abruption.

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