sorry to hear ur story m/s confused....
my MIL told me before that she had a stillborn baby (supposedly one of my husband's brother) before too..
i helped to google, and here's wat i'd found from the websites with regards to stillbirth..
--------------------------------
Will I be able to find out what went wrong?
The cause of a baby’s death can sometimes be determined by testing the mother's blood, examining the placenta, or conducting a post mortem examination ("autopsy") of the baby. However, in more than half of all cases, the reason why a baby was stillborn is not known.
A post mortem examination may:
• identify a cause or causes of death
• provide information about the baby’s development
• provide information about any health problems which will help your doctor to care for you in a future pregnancy
• confirm the baby’s sex.
A post mortem does not always provide a specific reason for what happened and this can be very frustrating. You do not have to agree to a post mortem examination. Some parents decide against it because of personal, religious or cultural reasons.
To help you make a decision, the hospital staff should give you as much information as you need. No investigations or tests will be done without your consent, and your views and wishes should be respected. You may need a little time to think about your decision. However, the sooner the post mortem is done, the better the information is likely to be.
If you decide to have a post mortem examination, you will be asked to give written consent before it is carried out. Depending on the size and condition of your baby, it may be possible for you to see him again after the post mortem. The staff should tell you in advance if this will be feasible and, if so, what the baby is expected to look like. If staff advise you against seeing him after the post mortem, you may want to say your goodbyes beforehand. You should also be told when the post mortem results are likely to be available, and given an appointment to discuss them with the doctor.
What causes stillbirth?
More than half of stillbirths are classified as "unexplained", which means that doctors were unable to identify the exact cause of death. However, there are some things that are known to cause stillbirths:
• a genetic or physical defect in the baby (when a baby's brain, heart or other organ fails to develop properly)
• ante-partum haemorrhage (bleeding) - for example, when the placenta begins to separate from the lining of the uterus (womb) before the baby is born
• prematurity - very premature babies may not survive the trauma of labour. This may be due to placental insufficiency resulting in lack of oxygen and nutrients getting to the baby
• pre-eclampsia - many of the 1,000 babies who die each year from the effects of pre-eclampsia are stillborn
• rhesus incompatibility - this causes antibodies in a mother's blood to attack her baby's blood cells
• obstetric cholestasis (a rare complication of pregnancy which causes a build-up of bile acids in the bloodstream) - the risk of having a stillborn baby is 15 per cent greater for women who have OC than for other women
• pre-existing maternal medical conditions such as diabetes
• infections - such as listeriosis, salmonella or toxoplasmosis
• immunological disorders - such as anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS)
• birth trauma - many stillborn babies die before labour begins, but circumstances such as shoulder dystocia (when a baby's shoulders get stuck after the head has already been delivered) and breech delivery can increase the risks to the baby, and problems with the umblical cord can cause a crucial reduction in oxygen during delivery, leading to stillbirth.
A third of all stillbirths occur when a baby has reached full term. Multiple births (twins, triplets or more) are at greater risk (15 or 16 per 1,000 births) compared to singleton births (5 or 6 per 1,000 births).
What are the implications for a future pregnancy?
If you've had an unexplained stillbirth, it may be comforting to know that there is no increased risk of it happening again. However, if your baby had a genetic abnormality you may be referred for genetic counselling to assess the risks and discuss your options for a future pregnancy.
There some factors that increase the risk of stillbirth. For example, women who smoke during pregnancy have been found to be at higher risk. You should take the necessary precautions to avoid infection from listeriosis, salmonella and toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, and try to keep yourself as healthy as possible. It is important to attend all your antenatal appointments. Report any pain or bleeding immediately, and monitor your baby's movements. Your midwife will be able to advise you on how to do this.
The decision to try for another baby can be difficult. It may be the last thing on your mind, or it may be all you can think about. For some women, there is an overwhelming urge to be pregnant again as soon as possible. Any subsequent pregnancy is likely to be very stressful.
Some women are happy to return to the same hospital and the same medical team. Others prefer to ask their GP to refer them to another consultant or another hospital. Some hospitals offer extra support to parents who have had a previous loss. You will find support from other parents in a similar situation in our community.
--------------------------------
u can read more from the following sites:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/40/1214.html
http://www.babycenter.ca/pregnancy/griefandloss/understandingstillbirth/
my MIL told me before that she had a stillborn baby (supposedly one of my husband's brother) before too..
i helped to google, and here's wat i'd found from the websites with regards to stillbirth..
--------------------------------
Will I be able to find out what went wrong?
The cause of a baby’s death can sometimes be determined by testing the mother's blood, examining the placenta, or conducting a post mortem examination ("autopsy") of the baby. However, in more than half of all cases, the reason why a baby was stillborn is not known.
A post mortem examination may:
• identify a cause or causes of death
• provide information about the baby’s development
• provide information about any health problems which will help your doctor to care for you in a future pregnancy
• confirm the baby’s sex.
A post mortem does not always provide a specific reason for what happened and this can be very frustrating. You do not have to agree to a post mortem examination. Some parents decide against it because of personal, religious or cultural reasons.
To help you make a decision, the hospital staff should give you as much information as you need. No investigations or tests will be done without your consent, and your views and wishes should be respected. You may need a little time to think about your decision. However, the sooner the post mortem is done, the better the information is likely to be.
If you decide to have a post mortem examination, you will be asked to give written consent before it is carried out. Depending on the size and condition of your baby, it may be possible for you to see him again after the post mortem. The staff should tell you in advance if this will be feasible and, if so, what the baby is expected to look like. If staff advise you against seeing him after the post mortem, you may want to say your goodbyes beforehand. You should also be told when the post mortem results are likely to be available, and given an appointment to discuss them with the doctor.
What causes stillbirth?
More than half of stillbirths are classified as "unexplained", which means that doctors were unable to identify the exact cause of death. However, there are some things that are known to cause stillbirths:
• a genetic or physical defect in the baby (when a baby's brain, heart or other organ fails to develop properly)
• ante-partum haemorrhage (bleeding) - for example, when the placenta begins to separate from the lining of the uterus (womb) before the baby is born
• prematurity - very premature babies may not survive the trauma of labour. This may be due to placental insufficiency resulting in lack of oxygen and nutrients getting to the baby
• pre-eclampsia - many of the 1,000 babies who die each year from the effects of pre-eclampsia are stillborn
• rhesus incompatibility - this causes antibodies in a mother's blood to attack her baby's blood cells
• obstetric cholestasis (a rare complication of pregnancy which causes a build-up of bile acids in the bloodstream) - the risk of having a stillborn baby is 15 per cent greater for women who have OC than for other women
• pre-existing maternal medical conditions such as diabetes
• infections - such as listeriosis, salmonella or toxoplasmosis
• immunological disorders - such as anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS)
• birth trauma - many stillborn babies die before labour begins, but circumstances such as shoulder dystocia (when a baby's shoulders get stuck after the head has already been delivered) and breech delivery can increase the risks to the baby, and problems with the umblical cord can cause a crucial reduction in oxygen during delivery, leading to stillbirth.
A third of all stillbirths occur when a baby has reached full term. Multiple births (twins, triplets or more) are at greater risk (15 or 16 per 1,000 births) compared to singleton births (5 or 6 per 1,000 births).
What are the implications for a future pregnancy?
If you've had an unexplained stillbirth, it may be comforting to know that there is no increased risk of it happening again. However, if your baby had a genetic abnormality you may be referred for genetic counselling to assess the risks and discuss your options for a future pregnancy.
There some factors that increase the risk of stillbirth. For example, women who smoke during pregnancy have been found to be at higher risk. You should take the necessary precautions to avoid infection from listeriosis, salmonella and toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, and try to keep yourself as healthy as possible. It is important to attend all your antenatal appointments. Report any pain or bleeding immediately, and monitor your baby's movements. Your midwife will be able to advise you on how to do this.
The decision to try for another baby can be difficult. It may be the last thing on your mind, or it may be all you can think about. For some women, there is an overwhelming urge to be pregnant again as soon as possible. Any subsequent pregnancy is likely to be very stressful.
Some women are happy to return to the same hospital and the same medical team. Others prefer to ask their GP to refer them to another consultant or another hospital. Some hospitals offer extra support to parents who have had a previous loss. You will find support from other parents in a similar situation in our community.
--------------------------------
u can read more from the following sites:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/40/1214.html
http://www.babycenter.ca/pregnancy/griefandloss/understandingstillbirth/
