What does precipitous birth mean?
A “precipitous birth” is a birth process that lasts less than two hours from the onset of the first contractions to the birth of the child. It is a birth that is normal in itself, except that in most cases the woman giving birth has almost no contractions at all, the birth process begins immediately with violent pushing contractions, and often even a single expulsion contraction is enough until the child is delivered. However, it can also happen that light contractions in the run-up, which came at long intervals and were hardly painful, were not even perceived as such.
What are the reasons for a fall birth?
There can be several reasons for a fall birth, on the pregnant woman’s side or on the baby’s side:
- The birth canal stretches well, offers little resistance, and the opening of the uterine orifice occurs very quickly (especially in women who have already given birth several times).
- When pregnancies occur in close succession and the birth canal has not had sufficient time to retract.
- In first-time mothers who repress or conceal their pregnancy.
- When the baby is very small and the head circumference is small.
What are the risks of a fall birth?
In most cases, a fall birth is accompanied by severe birth pain. The rapid birth process can cause soft tissue injuries to the birth canal and pelvic floor, as well as postpartum bleeding.
If a woman represses or is unaware of the pregnancy, she may mistake the onset of labor for an urge to defecate when the feeling of pressure affects the bowels. The baby is then often born on the toilet (toilet birth).
In the baby, a fall birth can cause injury if the baby falls on the floor or into the toilet. The umbilical cord can break in the process. In addition, lack of pressure adjustment in the birth canal during the expulsion phase can cause oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) and brain hemorrhage in the baby. Injuries to the trunk, arms and legs are also possible.
Measures in the event of a threatened fall birth
If previous births have been unusually rapid, it is advisable to spend the last period of pregnancy in a clinic to reduce the risk of a fall birth.
