Prolonged labor often leads to c-section delivery. It is not unnatural to have a c-section. However, many women do not desire for such thing.

A common term associated with prolonged labor is ‘Failure to Progress’. In such cases a c-section surgery becomes necessary. It helps the mother’s as well as the baby’s life. There are many reasons for prolonged labor. Starting from lack of proper nutrition and diet, less activity and exercise, bad habits to interventions during pregnancy, post pregnancy testing all can delay your labor by a great extent.

Read More: 21 Effective Ways to Induce Labor at Home

Here are few of the causes which might delay your labor by a great deal:

11 Main Reasons for a Prolonged Labor

Lack of Hormonal Balance

Sometimes the lack of hormonal flow interrupts the normal progress of a pregnancy. This might delay the period of labor. The wait can seem to be eternal. In such cases it is important to have medication before pregnancy. This will restore your hormonal balance.

Lots of Tests

If you have performed a lot of pre-pregnancy vaginal test, then also the fear of prolonged labor remain persistent. Tests often disrupt the natural functioning of the vagina and the uterus. This leads to a problem because the fluidity and the smoothness of the system diminish.

Gestational Diabetes

It is now deemed as an epidemic in the Western world. Many women suffer from this disease. Diabetic women tend to have abnormal labor. In most cases it is prolonged. Diabetes tends to affect the uterus. Uterus is where the fetus remains. For that reason a prolonged pregnancy becomes inevitable. However, this situation is not irrevocable. Diabetes can be cured both before and during pregnancy.

Regular Intake of Processed Foods

If you are on processed foods for a very long time period, then you can have a prolonged labor. Processed foods have harmful preservatives. That affects the hormones. It also affects the blood. Both of them are important during pregnancy. That is why processed foods are a strict no-no. Processed foods can cause many pregnancy related disorders. Prolonged labor is just one of them.

Larger Baby

If your fetus or baby’s size is larger than normal then long labor is a possibility. The size of the baby stretches your uterus. This also puts additional pressure on your cervix area. This is undesirable as it will most definitely stretch your labor.

Lack of Nutrition

Lack of proper nutrition is one of the most widespread causes of prolonged pregnancy. The body suffers heavily due to that. Blood fails to achieve the nutrients. Ultimately your baby takes more time to grow. If it does not grow on time it stays longer inside your womb. A longer stay will necessarily mean longer pregnancy for you.

Irregular diet Planning

Might sound similar to the above points but actually it is not. Some women eat healthy fruits and vegetables. Meat and fish are also not avoided. However, what they lack is the proper spacing between meals. During pregnancy you need to have food at regular intervals. This depends on your appetite and overall requirement. Your fetus needs constant nutrition in the blood. Irregular diet planning cancels out the potential benefits to be obtained from the good source of foods you are having.

Wrong Choice of Foods

It actually depends a lot on your diet. There are plenty of healthy foods available. So, which one to choose? During your pregnancy you need to have foods which will take a lot of burning energy and make you digest it for a long time. This will help your blood to have enough nutrition to last really long.

Avocados, eggs and fish offer that option for pregnant women. Pregnant women need food which will keep their belly full. Slow digesting foods pump nutrition into your blood. This helps your baby to remain well fed. A well fed baby grows early and comes out on time.

Lack of Hydration

The lack of intake of water and fluids can prolong your labor. This is very much possible. The lack of water intake creates congestion in your urinary tract. That leads to further infections. This kind of complications prolongs a pregnancy. The baby does not get proper water. It fails to excrete the toxic elements from its body. That is why it is important to drink more water and stay hydrated during pregnancy. With the lack of water your blood will be unable to send more nutrition to your fetus. Consequently it will delay the growth of your child and stretch your pregnancy.

Lack of Activity and Exercise

Lack of movement and activity is a curse to a pregnant mother. Unless otherwise instructed by your doctor, you should carry on with your regular activity. Without proper movement and activity your baby will fail to understand the movement. It will take time for your baby to adjust his/he position during the delivery. Sometimes due to the lack of movement the baby fails to come out on time. This delays delivery. It turns normal delivery to c-section.

Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep and proper rest is also a curse. If you are too much physically active, especially in the last trimester, it can cause hormonal misbalance or problem to your baby. Proper flow of hormone is important. Lack of sleep steals that opportunity from you. Thus it is vital that you take proper rest when you are pregnant. Otherwise, it will delay your pregnancy by a great deal.

Read More: 11 Things You Should Know about Preterm Labor

Conclusion

Prolonged pregnancy is not always dangerous. There are ways in which it can be managed. C-section is an alternative. However, sometimes it might get out of hand. It is important for you to stay in touch with your doctor to avoid any sort of complications. Every pregnancy is different. But the choice of food and lifestyle has great impact on your overall well being and the health of your child. That is the reason why you should choose every step wisely. You should quit smoking and drinking as it can cause further damage and prolong your labor.