Umbilical hernia in pregnant women: causes and treatments

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is a rather difficult period for every woman, when new and forgotten diseases “come out”. This is explained by the fact that the body of a woman carrying a child is rebuilt, the load on the internal organs increases. Some pregnant women may develop an umbilical hernia, which should be treated without fail. Fortunately, this condition is not dangerous for the baby and mother.

Alas, the appearance of an umbilical hernia is quite common during childbearing. The walls of the abdominal cavity and the umbilical ring in a woman are gradually stretched, which causes muscle weakness.

You can prevent this condition at the stage of pregnancy planning: lead a he althy and active lifestyle, pump the press, perform simple physical exercises and strengthen the abdominal muscles in every possible way. However, these same measures and after labor will help to recover much faster. Let's try to figure out why the navel hurts during pregnancy and is it possible to stop the process of hernia formation?

Reasons for appearance

Umbilical hernia in pregnant women occurs due toexcessive weakening of the muscles of the ring, which is characterized by protrusion of the internal organs. In particular, this pathology occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy, with polyhydramnios, a large child or multiple pregnancy. The predisposing factor for the occurrence of this condition is the age of 35 years.

Another reason is strong weight gain during pregnancy. The task of a woman is to control her weight in order to avoid complications.

Some women may develop this type of hernia after pregnancy, but don't worry. With regular observations, it will not be dangerous! But an umbilical hernia in a neglected state can lead to the development of certain characteristic complications that require medical supervision.

Key Factors

So, note the following main factors why the navel hurts during pregnancy and a hernia appears:

• Looseness of the abdominal wall.
• Repeated pregnancies.
• Overweight pregnant woman.
• Hereditary predisposition.
• Presence of ascites.
• Polyhydramnios.
• Multiple pregnancy.
• Increased intra-abdominal pressure.
• Increased load on the abdominal cavity and its muscles.
• Big fruit.
• The stretching of the umbilical ring as a result of the increase in pressure, as the ever-growing uterus will press and prop up the organs.
• The syndrome was established before pregnancy.
• Weak press.
• Age over 35.
• Fetal hypertrophy.
• Development of defect since childhood.

Relapse

Umbilical hernia during pregnancy can occur with repeated births as a result of a complicated first pregnancy.

If during pregnancy there is a suspicion of the first signs of a developing umbilical hernia, the doctor will recommend wearing a supporting bandage. It will also protect the press and the abdominal area from overexertion and prevent the development of this disease.

Bandage

There are several methods of treating umbilical hernia in a pregnant woman, and their choice depends on the danger of this disease for both the fetus and the woman in labor. In a benign form, complex treatment is not required.

Usually, the treatment of umbilical hernia in pregnant women is limited to the mandatory wearing of a bandage starting around the second trimester of pregnancy. It reduces the load on the abdomen, evenly distributing it along the lower back and sides, preventing the prolapse of internal organs through the hernia gate, as well as their possible infringement.

It is important to choose the right bandage, following the advice of a doctor, since if the fixation is incorrect, the pain can only increase. It is also worth limiting weight lifting and physical activity.

Gymnastics and massage

Quite effective methods of treating a disease with a large belly in a pregnant woman are called gymnastics and massage. With light, smooth movements, you need to massage the stomach near the navel in a clockwise direction, slightlypinching the place where the hernia formed. Any strong impact on the navel and the area around it during pregnancy is strictly contraindicated! You can download the press only by agreement with the doctor, so as not to harm the child and not contribute to the deterioration of this condition.

Surgery

Taking into account the patient's complaints, the results of tests, examination and additional research methods, the doctor makes a decision, which will determine the duration and importance of the surgical intervention. Usually, an umbilical hernia is operated on about six months after childbirth, when the abdominal wall has already recovered and the general condition of the woman has improved.

The treatment of umbilical hernia in pregnant women by performing surgery is extremely rare, only if there is a risk of infringement of certain internal organs. Surgical manipulations performed in the navel during pregnancy are relatively easy, so they are performed in a hospital.

But for pregnant women, they try not to do surgery before childbirth and the end of breastfeeding, since the used anesthesia can penetrate through the blood directly into the milk, negatively affecting the development of the child. If there is no threat, the operation is postponed. In most cases, childbirth with an umbilical hernia goes well, but it is still worth following the doctor's recommendations.

How is gestation going?

Depending on size andvarieties of protrusion select the method of conducting the bearing of a child, and in the third trimester they develop tactics for carrying out labor activity:

1. If the hernial sac does not contain any elements of the internal organs, the observation should be carried out by an obstetrician, regularly wear a special supporting hernia bandage. A woman can give birth naturally.
2. With a small hernial sac with contents, no special intervention is required, but a bandage must be worn. The process of labor must first be discussed with the doctor.
3. If the bulge is large and contains content, it is not always necessary to perform an immediate removal. If the loop goes outside, surgery is carried out according to a well-defined, planned order, taking into account the safe period. In this case, it may not be safe to give birth on your own.
4. Intestinal loop, which will have a strangulation, requires emergency surgery, and a woman with this pathology is allowed to give birth only by performing a caesarean section.

Risks

It is worth noting that a pinched umbilical hernia in pregnant women always poses a certain threat, since with untimely and improper treatment, peritonitis can develop - a very dangerous inflammation of the peritoneum, which, in turn, can seriously affect the birth process.

Therefore, in some situations, the removal of an umbilical hernia is carried out even taking into account the harmfulness of anesthesia for the fetus, since the drug willharm less than delaying treatment.

Operation methods

There are several methods for performing surgery for a strangulated umbilical hernia:

1. Meyo method - adhesions are separated, and intestinal rings can be set into the peritoneum. The negative factor of such an intervention is considered to be a rather long and difficult recovery period, as well as the risk of recurrence of an umbilical hernia.
2. According to Sapezhko - the opening of the navel is sutured through the use of tissues, muscle fibers are straightened. The disadvantages are the same as in the previous version of the surgical intervention. This type of operation is performed with a small degree of protrusion.
3. Alloplastic methods - the implant is placed above or below the umbilical opening. The advantages of this process are accelerated rehabilitation, as well as a reduced number of relapses. It is worth noting that the installation of a mesh, even an expensive one, is fraught with consequences that may be associated with possible transplant rejection - accumulation of serous matter in the abdominal space, suppuration, etc.

Hernioplasty should not be performed on pregnant women, as it can cause a number of problems, such as infection of the cavity with a wound and possible unforeseen births due to the stress response for the pregnant woman's body.

When the manipulations to eliminate the strangulated umbilical hernia are completed, a rehabilitation period will follow, during which the patient should be monitoredsurgeon. If certain complications develop, he will take safe measures to solve this problem.

It is worth summarizing and pointing out that one of the most provoking factors is weight gain during pregnancy.