How is an umbilical hernia diagnosed and treated in pregnant women

Women's health during the period of bearing a baby is often subjected to various tests. One of them is an umbilical hernia during pregnancy, from which no woman is immune.

The appearance of an umbilical hernia in a pregnant woman can be a cause not only for her anxiety, but also for the anxiety of those around her. How dangerous is pathology, and how should it be dealt with.

What is this disease and what are its symptoms

An umbilical hernia in pregnant women is a small rounded protrusion in the navel, resembling a ball inflated with air. In fact, this is a small fat sac, which, having leaked through a defect in the incompetent muscles of the press, turned out to be visually noticeable. Vital organs can be located in the fat sac. Pathology can form not only in women during pregnancy, but also in girls.

The chance of carrying a pregnancy with an umbilical hernia increases in the fair sex, who suffered from a similar disease in childhood.

What are the signs of this disease? In most cases, the protrusion does not manifest itself for a long time, except for an unpleasant cosmetic defect. Pain can appear only after the 10-12th week of pregnancy has gone, but for the most part they form at a later date. The explanation is simple: increased pressure in the abdominal cavity.

A visible and often noted sign by doctors and patients is the appearance of a protrusion in the navel area if the woman is standing. Also, the protrusion can increase during coughing, sneezing, when lifting heavy objects. All this leads to an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity. If the expectant mother lies on the couch, then the protrusion, on the contrary, will either greatly decrease in size or disappear.

Such a condition as infringement is considered dangerous.

It is accompanied by:

• severe bouts of nausea;
• severe pain syndrome;
• strong belching;
• constipation for a long time.

Fortunately, a pregnant woman almost never encounters such a complication of an umbilical hernia as her infringement. But you need to know the symptoms in order to consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Reasons for the appearance

For pregnant women, the risk of experiencing a hernia in the navel increases significantly.

There are several reasons:

• increased pressure in the abdominal cavity;
• an increase in the size of the umbilical ring during the growth of the abdomen;
• an increase in the load on the muscle structures of the press.

But why does one of the women develop a defect, and someone survives the entire pregnancy without encountering a problem.

The case may be due to the following predisposing factors:

• unfavorable heredity;
• episodes of hernia before pregnancy;
• the presence of excess weight;
• multiple pregnancy;
• not the first pregnancy and childbirth;
• congenital weakness of the abdominal muscles;
• high age of a woman (more than 30 years).

If the fair sex is suspected of having at least one of the predisposing factors, the doctor will recommend that she wear a bandage. The bandage will help protect the abdominals from overexertion and help prevent the development of the disease.

Diagnostic methods

Is it possible to somehow determine the symptoms of an umbilical hernia during pregnancy on my own? Yes, a woman can pay attention to the fact that a characteristic protrusion has appeared in her navel. Also, any doctor will easily notice the defect during the next scheduled examination.

In order not to face the complications of the pathology, the fair sex will be sent to the following studies:

• ultrasound diagnostics;
• gastroscopy;
• CT.

If an umbilical hernia develops during pregnancy, an X-ray examination is not recommended. This is explained by the high probability of harming the child due to radiation.

The results of the study should help the doctor decide whether there is a need for immediate surgical intervention, or whether conservative treatment methods can be dispensed with.

Is there a danger

Many women are wondering how they should give birth with an umbilical hernia, and is there any serious danger to their health and the health of the unborn baby?

It is important to understand that in most cases a defect is a real danger only if it is pinched. In this case, necrosis of the intestinal loops may develop, which unfortunately ended up in the hernial sac. Necrotic changes can also occur in other organs that are behind the gates of the hernia.

If the protrusion is excessively large, a woman may experience false contractions that will end in a miscarriage. At the same time, you should not be afraid that the umbilical cord of the fetus will be in the hernial sac. Such cases do not happen due to the anatomical features of the structure.

It is important to remember that future mothers who have become pregnant against the background of uterine fibroids are also at risk. If a part of the tumor is pinched, immediate medical attention will also be required.

Treatment approaches

If an umbilical hernia develops during pregnancy, you should consult a doctor. It is important to understand that medicines and various herbal decoctions, infusions will be completely useless in therapy. What then can help a woman? First of all, this is massage and exercises for the press, which will support muscle tone.

When a woman has already entered the twentieth week of pregnancy, it is recommended that she start wearing a bandage. With the help of this device, it will be possible to remove the main load on the muscles, facilitating the general condition of the woman.

The bandage must be properly fixed with the help of a doctor so as not to aggravate the condition and not provoke the appearance of pain.

With an umbilical hernia during the period of bearing a baby, surgical intervention is practically not performed. An exception is conditions in which the benefit to the mother is higher than the risk of exposure to the child of narcotic drugs and drugs that fight pathogenic microflora.

If a future mother is diagnosed with a defect, it is necessary to carefully ask the doctor about possible complications. You also need to remember in which cases the need for medical care becomes an edge. Symptoms of infringement are a case when intervention cannot be avoided. Many women are afraid of the operation and try to refuse it, but this cannot be done. Infringement is a danger not only to the life of the fetus, but also to the life of the expectant mother!

Is a strangulated hernia a reason to terminate a pregnancy? No! The operation is carried out with the preservation of the baby. It is important to understand that the condition of a woman and a baby is much more threatened by the presence of a strangulated hernia. The harm from anesthesia and antibiotics in this case is minimized, so you should not worry and refuse to intervene.

The course of childbirth

Many expectant mothers are concerned about the question of what is the course of childbirth with an umbilical hernia? How difficult does this already difficult action become if a woman has an unpleasant defect on the abdominal wall? Everything is very simple. If a woman has not developed an infringement, then she can easily give birth naturally, without the intervention of doctors in the process.

Sometimes, even if some part of the intestine is in the hernial sac, delivery is still carried out conservatively, without a caesarean section. However, it is worth remembering that the question of the method of delivery is decided on the spot, based on the condition of the woman and the fetus. Of great importance are the circumstances of childbirth and the peculiarities of their course, which only a doctor can sensibly assess.

If a large umbilical hernia is present, surgery will be performed to remove it, which may precede a caesarean section. In some cases, doctors first remove the fetus, and then relieve the fair sex from an unpleasant defect.

Often the decision on how a woman will give birth is made on the go, based on the circumstances prevailing in a particular case.

Is pregnancy possible after the defect is eliminated

If a woman has recently undergone an operation for an umbilical hernia, is it possible for her to plan a replenishment in the family? Yes, this is possible after about 6-7 months from the time of the intervention. Moreover, the intervention is not a contraindication for natural childbirth, if the woman has no other contraindications.

Prevention measures

So that the hernia does not start to hurt, but rather does not appear at all, a woman is recommended to engage in the prevention of pathology. If you start preventive measures in advance, you can minimize the risk of developing a hernia. What is recommended?

First of all, you need:

• start regular exercise that will help strengthen the abdominal muscles;
• control your weight and, if extra pounds appear, immediately get rid of them;
• monitor physical activity, daily performing the minimum norm recommended by the doctor;
• observe the principles of proper nutrition, giving preference to the most useful products;
• refuse to lift heavy objects;
• follow your doctor's recommendations for wearing a bandage during pregnancy.

Prevention will not protect against the development of a defect by 100%, but it will significantly reduce the risk of developing pathology. Preventive measures are especially important for the fairer sex, who have predisposing factors for the formation of a hernia.

Seeing a defect in the navel, you should not panic. Umbilical hernia and pregnancy are compatible concepts. The main thing is to consult with a specialist and treat your own health with the utmost care so as not to encounter complications.