[0.57] Dr Pat warns listers about the content in this episode and talks about how shoulder dystocia is a serious obstetric complication.

[1.14] Brigid talks about the people to may be interested in listening to this podcast and reads out the listener request for this episode.

[2.09] Dr Pat defines shoulder dystocia as when the baby’s head comes out, but their shoulders get stuck during a vaginal birth.

[2.54] Brigid asks if there are any warning signs for shoulder dystocia.

[3.45] Dr Pat describes both a ‘normal’ birth presentation and a birth presentation with shoulder dystocia and how a baby can be ‘freed’.

[5.05] Dr Pat talks about and describes turtling.

[5.25] Dr Pat talks about the prevalence of shoulder dystocia being between 0.5% and 1.5%, and how a vast majority of those can be corrected with routine maneuvers, so a much smaller percentage are the ones that actually have poor outcomes.

[6.05] Dr Pat talks about risk factors that may help to predict shoulder dystocia, these include couples with broad distortional shoulders or other limbs, maternal diabetes, maternal obesity and long labours or labours where the head takes a long time to crown.

[9.28] Brigid asks if people who have an epidural are a great risk of shoulder dystocia, Dr Pat talks about how epidurals may not increase the risk of shoulder dystocia however it may inhibit the management of it.

[10.13] Brigid asks how forcefully women will need to push to assist the routine shoulder dystocia maneuvers.

[10.44] Brigid asks about episiotomies and shoulder dystocia.

[11.06] Dr Pat talks about the first thing a woman should expect in the case of shoulder dystocia. Dr Pat explains how shoulder dystocia requires a team approach so there will be more people who will come to assist, and how there is a systematic protocol that will be worked through.

[11.40] Dr Pat talks though some of the things that may happen in the case of shoulder dystocia that are done to help free the baby.

[13.45] Brigid asks if it is possible to do an emergency caesarean.

[14.20] Dr Pat talks about some of the problems for both mother and baby in the small percentage of worse case scenario shoulder dystocia cases.

[15.23] Brigid asks how much time there to free the baby and Dr Pat talks about everything still need to happen quickly, however the baby is getting more oxygen than you would think it is getting, so there is more time that you may think there is.

[16.26] Dr Pat talks about what may happen if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck.

[19.33] Dr Pat answers the listeners question about where having shoulder dystocia in a previous birth will have any implications in future births. Dr Pat talks about how having a previous shoulder dystocia is a risk factor to have them again and how it is a good idea to talk about this with your care provider and assess whether it might be better to have any further babies delivered by caesarean.

[21.11] Dr Pat talks about the long-term problems for the mother’s pelvic floor, Dr Pat also briefly talks about the impact it may have on the mother’s mental health.

[22.35] Dr Pat talks about how women should feel assured that their care providers will have training in this.

[24.27] Myth or Fact? Can eating peanuts or shellfish or any other foods during pregnancy create an allergy in your baby?