Eutocic delivery and dystocic delivery: what they are

The eutocic birth

A eutocic birth is a birth that takes place without the need for medical intervention. It is what is commonly known as “natural” childbirth which takes place vaginally.

If a eutocic (natural) birth is expected, the date of birth of the child cannot be determined with absolute certainty: it usually occurs between the 37th and 41st week of pregnancy.

When the time has come to be born, the baby naturally positions itself with its head towards the vaginal canal or pubis of the woman.

Thanks to the contractions and pushes, the baby who is already ready to go out is led out of the mother’s body.

The doctor’s job is only to accompany the woman and to stabilize her emotionally.

The doctor also ensures that there are no complications that could hinder this normal type of birth.

Some women on this occasion choose to undergo an epidural  or epidural anesthesia which is a loco-regional anesthesia.

Others decide to expose themselves to pain in order not to lose the sensations of their child’s birth.

In cases where anesthesia is not given, the mother should try to manage the pain in other ways (with breathing techniques, for example).

Otherwise the pain could exhaust you, cause you fear and create a feeling of lack of control.

A eutocic birth is what nature has foreseen for all women, and it is the one that carries the least risk, both for the mother and for the child.

The dystocic, or non-physiological birth

A fetal dystocia is an anomaly concerning some factors of the birth that leads to difficulty in giving birth.

The term dystocia (or dystocic birth  ) therefore indicates that birth which, in the presence of certain conditions or complications, requires medical / obstetric intervention.

The causes of these types of nonphysiological births – dystocias – can be mechanical in nature or dynamic in nature. Dystocias are divided into two groups, depending on whether they originate from the mother or the child:

  • the maternal ones come from the mother’s condition;
  • fetal ones are determined by the situation of the child.

maternal distoc

This group includes abnormalities in the body of the woman who is giving birth. As we said, they can be of two types: mechanical and dynamic.

mechanical dystocia

They are the ones that affect the bone structure of the pelvis.

  • There are some occasions where after dilatation a lack of space in the pelvic area is diagnosed which does not allow the baby to exit.
  • Then there are other mechanical dystonias that have to do with the uterus or the birth canal, and that affect the soft tissues: in these cases, it is the obstetrician who will decide how to proceed.

dynamic distocie

They are those that affect the ability to contract the uterus and can affect the frequency and intensity of contractions.

  • Occasionally, these dystocias cause contractions that are too strong, while in other cases they are very weak and infrequent.
  • Non-rhythmic contractions are also included in the dynamic dystocia category.
  • These problems can interfere with childbirth.

I distocie fetali

A fetal dystocia is an abnormal fetal size or position that causes a difficult delivery.

A case of fetal dystocia is when the baby is in a transverse or oblique position.

When the fetus, instead of inserting its head into the mother’s pelvis, presents itself from the side, it is not in the cephalic position which is the most suitable for being born: in this situation, the obstetrician will undoubtedly decide to perform a caesarean section.

When the fetus presents itself with the feet or buttocks facing the birth canal, it is in breech position: also in this case it is very likely that the doctor will choose to do a cesarean section.

However, if the other conditions were optimal, vaginal delivery would not necessarily be excluded.

How to avoid a dystochic birth

First of all it must be said in this regard that there are some pre-partum situations that allow us to predict a possible dystocia. These are:

  • the advanced age of the mother,
  • the excessive size of the child,
  • the excessive weight of the child.

It should also be noted that even a very long labor is considered a kind of warning that requires particular attention from the doctor about any possible problems.

As for the useful things to do to avoid a dystocic birth:

  • it is usually recommended for pregnant women to exercise and walk before giving birth,
  • during the birth it is useful to change the posture as this fact can help the baby to position itself well and prevent a dystocic birth,
  • relaxation and deep breathing techniques can help increase the mother’s sense of security.

Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.

She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.

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