What causes a mother to get a fever during labor?

My sister got a high fever during her labor and we all got so scared! Is this really common? The doctors said it might be some infection from the water breaking early, but it was so stressful to watch.

During delivery, the body goes through so much heat and struggle, so temperature can rise. We can put a cool, damp cloth on the forehead to comfort her, but please let the hospital staff handle it. At such times, doctor's medicine is the only safe way.

My wife's doctor explained that a fever during labor is often called intra-amniotic infection or chorioamnionitis, usually caused by bacteria traveling up. It can also happen due to epidurals sometimes. They usually monitor it closely and give IV antibiotics to protect both mom and baby.

Don't stress too much, the doctors and nurses are fully trained to handle this instantly. Fevers during labor happen to many mothers and are resolved quickly with the right care. Just hold her hand, keep her calm, and trust the medical team.

I was reading about this recently because my friend is expecting. Apparently, it's pretty common and doctors deal with it daily. Still, it sounds so exhausting to have a fever while already dealing with labor pain!

Normally, a spike in temperature during active labor points towards an infection, especially if the labor is prolonged after the water breaks. Epidurals can also trigger non-infectious fevers. The hospital staff will quickly start paracetamol or antibiotics, so there is no need to panic.