Premature Labor and How to Avoid It

A baby before week 37, is considered to be premature. Most premature babies are born after week 22. The later your baby is born, the better he is likely to do. A baby born later has more developed organs, and is better able to suck and feed. Premature babies often spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before they are able to go home. Premature babies have an increased risk of suffering from health problems.

Around 8% of babies are born premature in the UK, and this number rises to 12.5% in the US. If you are having a healthy low-risk pregnancy, your baby is most likely to be born at term. Less than 2% of healthy singleton pregnancies end in premature labor in the UK.

Your risk of premature labor increases if you:

are carrying more than one baby
are underweight or overweight
smoke
use recreational drugs
have had a premature baby in the past
lack prenatal support
work long hours in a physically demanding job

How to avoid premature labor

Unfortunately, there aren’t any hard and fast rules for how to avoid premature labor, however there are things you can do to greatly reduce your risk of going into labor too soon:

stop smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs
eat a healthy, balanced diet
maintain a healthy weight gain
start prenatal care as soon as you find out you’re pregnant
take your prenatal vitamins
stay hydrated
empty your bladder regularly
get tested – if you are high-risk for a premature birth, ask your healthcare provider to screen you for possible causes. Knowledge is key to prevention.

If you go into premature labor

If you think you may be in premature labor, ring your healthcare provider immediately. If your waters break, or if you are having contractions before week 37, contact your healthcare provider without delay. They should ask you to go in to be checked out. Around half of all cases of suspected premature labor end with the mum-to-be being sent home once the labor symptoms stop.

If your labor has really started though, what happens next will depend on the prematurity of your baby. Very premature babies require steroid injections to speed up lung development before the birth. Your doctor may try to delay labor for as long as possible, buying the baby extra development time in your uterus.

Premature labor and birth can be very scary experiences, and you will need the support of your partner, friends and family at times. Your healthcare provider is best placed to offer advice and support during this time, and will be able to answer any of your questions.

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Will My Baby Survive if Born at 28 Weeks?

As you get later in pregnancy, and begin to develop the all too familiar feel of Braxton Hicks contraction, and the anticipation of labor and delivery loom, it is only natural to start adding more things to your list of worries. For many moms, one of the most common new worries is, “I’m 28 weeks, will my baby survive if born today?”

This worry can be made worse when you go to the doctor for your regular visit and they start using words such as, you are effaced, or your cervix is thinning, or your mucous plug is loosening. People may be telling you that you are ‘dropping’ which occurs near the end of pregnancy as the baby settles into the birth canal or that you appear further along than you really are. So you start worrying!

The biggest concern of course is what would happen if your baby was born early? The good news is that fewer than 1% of all babies born in countries where prenatal care if offered are born before 28 weeks. So the chance of this happening to you is slim to none. Additionally, with newer technology and advances in neonatal care, there have been babies born at 22 weeks who have survived. So if your baby were to be born today, at the 28 week mark, chances are he or she would survive.

But the road for your baby would be tough, and might include many complications. (We won’t delve into those here so we don’t unnecessarily worry you more.)

A pregnancy is considered full term after 37 completed weeks. If you are having any complications with your pregnancy that may foster a premature birth, you need to relax and take things day by day. Your baby is growing by leaps and bounds every day, and the longer you stay pregnant – the better off they will be in the long term.

While some women go into pre-term labor unexpectedly with no history of premature deliveries and without having a high risk pregnancy, this, too, is extremely rare. In most cases of premature birth you and your health care provider are aware of certain conditions that exist with you or with your developing baby that may increase your chance of delivering early. So, if you are visiting your health care provider regularly, following their recommendations and paying attention to your body and how you feel – chances are pretty good that you will make it to the full term marker. (Or frustratingly beyond!)

The best thing for you to do is to try not to worry. When anxieties seem to get the better of you, or you hear a story about a premature delivery that frightens you, take a few deep breaths and try to relax. At the same time, you can take heart knowing that if your baby were born today, while their future would be filled with a lot of medical intervention and possible complications, he or she does have a good chance at survival and living a healthy, normal life.

Written By Stef, Mom of 4 @Momspirational