2

Assuming a pregnant lady who is in a comatose state is in the hospital and hooked to IV's and such (and under the watchful eye of the doctor), would her body instinctively contract to the degree where she would be fully dilated and be able to deliver a vaginal birth?

I know that in most cases, it would be c-section, no doubt, but this is just a hypothetical question on whether or not it is even possible.

Can a pregnant woman in a coma still be able to give a vaginal birth? Will her body instinctively contract?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

Though difficult and time consuming, the body will instinctively contract and give birth to the baby. In the case of a strong epidural anesthetic, the woman is unable to push, but the contractions will continue. In some cases, the mother would even pass out during labor and still be able to give vaginal birth. A woman will still be able to eventually give birth while comatose, but it may take longer than a concious pushing effort.

Improve this answer
1
  • Is it possible that doctors make decision not to perform c-section if the patient is hospitalized and became unconscious during labor? How likely are such cases and how likely are they to be a subject of some study unrelated tho this phenomenon? I am gathering metadata on preeclampsia gene expression studies and I am wondering whether active labour = vaginal birth, if the outcome is positive.
    – Sashko Lykhenko
    Commented May 11, 2018 at 12:28

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.