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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Childbirth Complications

12 replies

Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 15:51

Hi, i am currently 38 + 3 weeks pregnant and now beginning to worry about the labour process soon to come. I have recently watched a film called "Jersey Girl" which showed a woman who died during labour to a brain aneruysm. This is now really worrying me for for 2 reasons, 1) my mum died 2 years due to a sudden brain haemorrage and 2) these last few weeks in pregnancy my blood pressure has been high for which I have been admitted into hospital for on one occassion however blood test and a ultrasound confirmed that it was pre eclampsia. Please could you let me know what the chances of brain aneruysm's are during labour and also whether I am at increase risk??

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 14/12/2004 16:30

I don't know a lot about brain aneurysm but it sounds like, with your blood pressure and pre-eclampsia issues that you might be a good candidate for a c-section. Have you discussed this with your OB?

Original poster
Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 16:34

the tests confirmed that it wasn't pre-eclampsia and therefore my ob says she isn't overly worried because my bp does fluctuate from high to normal. She is happy for me to continue as normal, but the whole thing is slightly worrying me now

OP posts:
SantaFio2 · 14/12/2004 16:37

I would think they are very rare.

I must say though i understand why you feel anxious about it as my sister died of a pulmonary emboplism and it has always worried me that the same will happen to me. So on that count i do understand why you feel worried, most probably unecessarily about it.

I would imagine it would be very very rare. Mears is a midwife on here and i am sure she will put you mind at rest. try not to worry {{}}

Original poster
Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 16:40

Hi, thanks for that message of support, I am new to this website but gald people understand what I am feeling, who is mears?? (sorry for my ignorance!) like I said I am new to the board, but i look forward to hearing from anyone else

OP posts:
SantaFio2 · 14/12/2004 16:41

mears is the nickname of another poster on here and she is a very knowledgable midwife!

Original poster
Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 16:43

many thanks for that advice, does she read alot of the posts on here then?? I look forward to hearing from her.

Many Thanks

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 14/12/2004 16:47

janbo, I can only speak from personal experience - I don't have a medical background.

My aunt died after complications following childbirth (a few years later) when I was about 3. She had a brain aneurysm. She also had eclampsia - the pre-eclampsia wasn't picked up and even though she was showing clear signs of suffering eclampsia, it wasn't diagnosed until it was too late. She had to spend months in a neuro hospital. I imagine nowadays, there would have been some medical negligence argument. They thought the high bp from the eclampsia could have been a factor in the aneurysm but they couldn't be sure. It is certainly a risk factor for cerebral aneursym but I know that a lot of the time, they never know why they happen and can be just the result of a weakness in the brain that you are born with.

Anyway, I'm no medical expert but I discussed all this with my GP as I was worried that whatever my aunt had, it could be hereditary. They don't seem to think that aneurysms on their own are hereditary.

I think that you should have a chat with your GP who may want you to chat with the obstetrician who'll hopefully have better information.

Sorry to hear of your loss and I only hope the medical professionals can ease your fears.

pantomimEDAMe · 14/12/2004 16:48

Janbo25, sorry you are worried. Mears is a midwife who posts here and always gives great advice.
Like the other posters, I'd imagine dying due to brain aneurysm in labour is really rare - in fact maternal mortality in this country is really low, full stop. The main cause of maternal death is suicide - tragic, but in one sense reassuring in that all the other things we worry about going into labour are really, really unlikely to be fatal, if you see what I mean.

foxinsocks · 14/12/2004 16:51

by the way, this was decades ago (that my aunt died). When I told my midwife the whole story, she said it was very uncommon nowadays not to pick up pre-eclampsia (before birth) because of the standard urine/bp tests. Also, during birth, they are completely trained in picking up the early signs etc.

Original poster
Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 16:52

many thanks for your posts, it is a good point about fatality in pregnancy being low thanks for reiterating that, also the heredertry issue is also a good point does anyone know more about that?

OP posts:
Original poster
Janbo25 · 14/12/2004 16:52

many thanks for your posts, it is a good point about fatality in pregnancy being low thanks for reiterating that, also the heredertry issue is also a good point does anyone know more about that?

OP posts:
snugglebunny · 17/01/2007 14:00

Hi Janbo25 - not sure if you are still looking at this thread.

I have just had an appointment with a neurologist this morning as both my mum and her mum had strokes caused by cerebral aneuryms. I was assessed by a neurologist 7 years ago and was advised against a natural delivery. However now that it is "crunch" time, everyone keeps saying that it is very rare. The "very rare" odds do not convince me though and I am fighting tooth and nail to get a c-section (I am 35+4). I personally feel that ANY risk to my health or my baby's health is a just not good enough and although testing today for aneurysms is 99% effective, I still worry about the 1%! Dont think I am willing to take the risk to my life or my baby's!

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